Yellow Roses and Split Complementary

Yellow Roses and Vase
8x6 inches oil on canvas panel $140.SOLD

Artist Note
Continuing the color harmony
focus at the Guild this month.

This Split Complementary
 color harmony is an unusual
one for me to try.
For a start it is a red/violet
and not a blue violet.
The wheel below is by
The Color Wheel Company.

I made a reminder of my 

warm violet mixture.

and decided to use a tube color.

See the top one below.

Below is the palette

for the painting

The larger amount of the red/violet

reminds me to have more of it than

any other color. I cooled it 

with the black.

I used both the 

complement - yellow

and the grey to neutralize it.

 -

Colors used are

Mauve  (Holbein)

Perm Yellow Light

Ivory Black 

Titanium White

One dominate color - meaning "more of"

is the key to all these harmony lessons.

I remember the wonderful artist/teacher,

Ovanes Berbarian, saying over 

and over again...

"ask yourself is it a 

A pink-y painting

a blue-y painting - a green-y painting!"

Then make sure that color dominates.

I used to think the accent color 

was the dominate color

because I would notice it first

Like the yellow rose here. 

It took Ovanes to 

put it in easy words 

for me to understand.

So this is a "mauve-y painting!"

Sunset On The Bay - Blue and Orange

Sunset On The Bay

6"x 6" oil on canvas panel $110.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note.

I am still following 

the Guild's class assignment

of different color harmonies

This one is the 

Complementary one

I chose blue and orange

for mine.

Titanium White was invaluable

with the orange mixture. 

I mixed a pile with just a wee

spot of orange and that became my white.

 Transp Brown Oxide 

( a deep burnt orange)

took down the orange into 

the rich tones before.adding blue

to darken 

I used a coral

orange which can bend 

to the pink tones with a blue gray.

I used both a warm and cool blue 

Nita Leland's book,

Confident Color

has been fabulous for helping 

me understand all the different

color harmonies. The good news is that

Nita has a brand new book out,

EXPLORING COLOR

I am excited to see it because her 

other books have been invaluable 

with helping me in so many ways.

Nita Leland's website

 Hover over the North Light

block under the book and 

you will find a discount code.

She also has lots of free info 

and color charts to download.

A fabulous site!

A Floral and An Analogous Demo

Three Flowers

6"x 6" oil on canvas panel  $110  SOLD

Artist Note.

At the Artists Guild this month we are 

working on doing the basics 

for getting back in touch 

with the different

sets of color harmonies. 

After a two month break

 the basics 

are a fun way to start the flow.

  We started off with 

Monochromatic of course. Easy - one color

in all the right values and chroma.

Next

 the one below was a demo

for the Analogous harmony

choosing 

the run of the wheel from

from orange,

 to yellow to yellow green.

SOLD

Shown on my palette below are 

T White - Perm Yellow Lt - Orange - I Black

Pre-mixed before starting to colors 

shown below 

Important

Mix black with white to 

the correct VALUE before

adding it to the other lighter colors. 

The yellow and black
make the greens
The orange and black make browns.
Gray mixed from black and white
added in small proportions to the
colors makes many subtle
 mauve,
green,
pink,
 and bluish neutrals.

The top painting is done with
Yellow Light, Permanent Rose
(instead of the tube Orange)
It gave me a cool pink
as well as orange.
I also went into a touch of
Ultramarine Blue added to the Black
 to cool down the gray into a true
blue/gray
for warm/cool bounce.
The effect is brighter in
all the colors, but
 especially in the greens.

I know all of you reading this already
know all this stuff about color,
but when I was
painting for my show last month
I found lack of good color harmony
was the single main reason I
tossed and started again.
Have to remember
ONE
DOMINATE (more of)
COLOR.

Next - the Complements - a fav!

Watermelon and Cherries

Watermelon and Cherries

10"x10" oil on panel Gifted!

Artist Note.

This was started as a demo during the 

June workshop. 

I finished it a few weeks ago.

It is bright and cheerful and 

given as a wedding gift 

to a very dear friend's

granddaughter.

AND...

I did it!

I hibernated from all distractions
for over a month.

No visiting blogs or writing them.

I found I went thru 

major blogging withdrawals.

I went off social media, too,

and immersed myself into
painting for my November show.

I emerged with seven 

completed paintings from
48"x39" to 9"x12"
and 

several good starts.


I am now back in the classroom
and my busy, but stimulating
 life starts up again.
Can't wait to get around to
catch up on everyone's blogs.

Thanks for all the
encouraging comments on my last post.
You are great!