MASTERCLASS
When painting a traditional landscape it is important
that colours appear natural and suggest the real colours
observed in the subject. We can argue endlessly about
what actually constitutes “real” colours but one group of
colours can truly claim that label. The warm yellow, red and
brown colour we see in soil and rocks is often iron oxide
and these natural earth colours, along with carbon from
charcoal, were used many thousands of years ago to create
the oldest art known to man.
In this final part of my search for the perfect palette of
watercolour paints, I will look at these earth colours, as
well as the darks and whites, before deciding upon my
new and improved set of colours.- EARTHS, DARKS
AND WHITE
THE PERFECT PALETTETO CONCLUDE HIS SEARCH FOR THE
BEST PIGMENTS, GRAHAME BOOTH
TESTS THE EARTH COLOURS, DARKS
AND WHITE, BEFORE SELECTING HIS
NEW AND IMPROVED COLOUR PALETTEABOVE Messina,
Sicily, watercolour
on Bockingford
200lb NOT paper,
49x36cm
“One of my first
paintings with the
new palette. It
takes time to get
used to mixing with
new colours but it
will soon become
> instinctive.”
Artists & Illustrators 5757 Grahame Booth.indd 57 18/02/2016 12:31