Tulip Study on Yupo

Tulip Study

9x12in watercolor on Yupo Paper

unfinished

Artist Note

These beautiful purple tulips 

caught my eye because I had been 

using the color magenta with the 

Phthalo Blue limited palette.

Although I really like the top part 

of this painting

I am going to put it on one side

and think about how to solve the 

lower area.

I am warming up on Yupo 

to try painting 

CROWS!!!

My First Crow's Nest

Crows Nest #1

9x7in watercolor on Yupo

Not quite finished!

Artist Note.

I went to the dentist last Monday

and it is a one hour drive each way so I 

painted this in the car.
A friend had brought in a photo
of a crows nest on their property.
I was surprised how tidy it was.

Still doing some basic studies of the shape
of crows. These are my first in watercolor.
Looks like someone is getting told off!

Adding Phthalo Blue To The Palette

Adding Phthalo

9x8 oil on black canvas

Work in Progress.

A more decorative style painting
with a brighter palette.

Artist Note.

This is a demo of the same limited palette
as in the last two posts
but replacing
Ultramarine Blue with Phthalo Blue
and
Alizarin Perm with Magenta.

First, I paint right on the front of 
the clear glass jug 
with my Phthalo blue and then a
bit of the yellow  to make it greener
for another layer in the middle.
Why?...because I didn't
have anything in the right color
large enough to hold the peonies.

Painted front of a clear glass jug

A quick block-in

This is not going to work but I did not 

know it yet. The changes I ended up

making are pretty obvious.

See a few of the new color charts below.

This is still based on the previous 

limited palette but replacing the 

Ultra blue and Alizarin.

REASON?

Sometimes, what you need/want to paint

cannot be managed with just one

limited palette. 

If you are painting near the coast for 

example, the aqua of the water

will need a green/blue.

Lively spring greens have a freshness

which the red in the Ultramarine blue

neutralizes too much. 

To make clear purples the Phthalo needs 

a cooler red than the Alizarin so a substitute

with the Magenta works perfectly.

Cad Yellow light

Orange 

Magenta

Phthalo Blue

Black

Titanium White

Of the two limited palettes the majority

of artists making them preferred this one.

Most likely because we live in a very sunny climate

with lots of Turquoise and earth colors.

They also found that different brands make

different results.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

6x8in oil on canvas $130. SOLD


Artist Note

This was a demo for the Friday group
on the same limited palette as the last post
with the brightly colored Anemones.
The goal was to show how to paint
masses of small blooms by only painting
one or two in detail, and the rest only suggested
by shadow and color.

This time I worked with \
more neutral colors to show the full
range of this handy palette.
Here are a few color charts
from Guild members.

Ned Jacob's limited Palette

Cad Yellow light
Orange 
Alizarin Perm. W&N
Ultramarine Blue
Black
Titanium White

I was fascinated seeing the many different 

harmonious earth colors and lovely

greens shades that can be mixed.

Anemone Still Life

Anemones

6x8in Oil on canvas $130. SOLD

After painting crows this was a blast
of beautiful color.

Artist Note
This was a demo using the
Ned Jacob's limited palette.

Colors:
Cad Yellow light
Orange 
Alizarin Perm. W&N
Ultramarine Blue
Black
Titanium White

I set up the palette first
by premixing the colors  shown
below and
placing them between the
above base colors
following my usual placement.

Ochre ( yellow and reddish purple)
 A beautiful Red    (orange / Aliz)
Purple    (Alizarin / Ultramarine)
Green    ultra blue / yellow
for a regular green also
I always make a light yellow green
Olive green   Black/yellow
Grey (black / white ) a middle value

The colors from this palette
are beautiful. The neutral color
range is particularly harmonious
 and the bright, warm and cool
colors are really lovely.
I will show the color chart in
my next post.

Studying The Crows

Studying The Crows

11x14in oil on canvas NFS


Artist Note.
After I realized that my new series,
based on the pond at the pecan factory,
required me to paint crows, I decided to

delve into studying them so I would be able
to paint them with some authority.

As well as sitting in my car sketching
these very active birds at the pond,
I actually have a couple of
crow models in the house.
One is a feathered foam-base of a crow
and the other is a wonderful little bronze.
I can move them around in the light
and see their main form.

P.S.  Yes...that is genuine New Mexico dust
on my windowsill. Only noticed in the beam
of sunlight.
Instead of blushing...or dusting...
I couldn't resist moving one of the larger
specks to just under the beak.

Snow, Water and Crows #3

Snow, Water and Crows #3

6x8 oil on canvas panel  SOLD

The colors are not accurate and I do

not have any editing tool to correct it

at the present time.

The three panels so far have an uncanny 

way of looking as if they could be

part of a whole. It is because I am using the same 

limited color palette.

I am finding that I have an interest in learning

to paint the crows...

so I have started to do some little studies.

I am enjoying painting all of this snow and 

water...we have no snow left so am 

depending on memory and photos.

Feeling free as a bird (no pun intended)

after the pressure of the Challenge.

I also worked quite a few more hours today

on the 

large Farmers Market painting.

I am learning a lot from working on such

a huge size. Like my shoulders ache!