One of the most common questions I hear from students when beginning a painting is "what colors do I use?" If they are new to the class or just beginning...or very frustrated, I will tell them what they can use to try to get an accurate color. Like many artists I do not like using color straight from the tube without blending with another color so I try to teach that concept in my classes. When you are learning to paint its important to also learn to see, really see whats in front of you. In my opinion this is the most important skill and artist developed, the rest is practice and technique.
Example: You are painting a yellow flower with a green stem. Ok, lets look a bit longer and ask a few questions. Is the yellow a bright yellow? Does the yellow look more like a ripe lemon or is it more of a gold? In the light is the yellow more transparent? In the shadows is there a hint of blue?
The stem is green but a vibrant green or hunter green? Is the green more yellow or blue.
Look...look again and then think for a bit. You will see it and when you do you may just see how beautifully complex the colors of ordinary things around us can be. Now you are becoming an artist!
Example: You are painting a yellow flower with a green stem. Ok, lets look a bit longer and ask a few questions. Is the yellow a bright yellow? Does the yellow look more like a ripe lemon or is it more of a gold? In the light is the yellow more transparent? In the shadows is there a hint of blue?
The stem is green but a vibrant green or hunter green? Is the green more yellow or blue.
Look...look again and then think for a bit. You will see it and when you do you may just see how beautifully complex the colors of ordinary things around us can be. Now you are becoming an artist!