Friday 17 January 2014

Selecting Correct Colours for Subjects

.Colour Selection for painting Iris.
Winsor & Newton Watercolour Shades

Choosing the right colour for a subject can be difficult for the new artist. At times it can be a problem for the professionals too!  Diving into any painting without taking time out to choose the right colour beforehand can lead to unrealistic and disastrous results.  Whilst my work has a loose style if I am painting florals or portraits, for example, I need to use the right colours to give a feeling of "truth" behind each new piece.

There are many watercolour products available with confusing lists of shades. But some colours I simply cannot live without.  So how do I choose colour for my subjects? A wonderful tip is to hold tubes of colour next to the real subject and compare the colour on the bands of the tube, finding one as close as possible to it.

Winsor Violet by Winsor &Newton is perfect for painting Iris!

I also liked Winsor & Newton shades of Ultramarine Violet and I have found if I add a touch of French Ultramarine Blue to either shade I gain an added extra sense of drama.

Taking  time to think before you even pick up a brush to start painting is as important as your brushwork. And it saves so much time knowing that the shades you are working with are correct right from the start.

So, match your watercolour pigments to a subject before you  pick those brushes up!

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1 comment:

Eriko Kawamura said...

Bonjour. This article was very godd for me. I found and leraned very much.Thank you.