Watercolours With Life: Selecting Correct Colours for Subjects

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!

**************

1 comment:

Eriko Kawamura said...: Bonjour. This article was very godd for me. I found and leraned very much.Thank you.; 18 January 2014 at 04:37

Post a Comment

The Artist Magazine : Book Review

Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours

"The book is nothing less than a paean to the wet in wet technique. If that's your thing, prepare to be amazed. Jean Haines credits Jean Louis Morelle, and in many ways this book is the sequel to Morelle's remarkable, but very technical work, showing the wealth of creative possibilities the technique offers. A lot of the images are barely recognisable and yet you instinctively know what they are. I wish I knew how, because this is impressionism taken to its logical conclusion and reminiscent of some of the later work by JMW Turner. You will have to take it from me that "First signs of a face appearing magically from a first wash of watercolour" is pure alchemy. This is an extraordinary book."

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour:" Fastest Selling DVD!

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour" from Town House Films is the fastest selling DVD with the company to date! Record breaking pre-orders for this much awaited film saw requests for copies flooding in from all over the world. A wonderful introduction into working with watercolour minus the use of a preliminary sketch this DVD removes the fear, stress or pressure from worry about how to use watercolour. Instead the focus is on having fun, enjoying vibrant colour combinations and allowing the medium to create the subjects with just a little help from the artist. A really exciting new DVD to own. Whilst the DVD sold out in the first few months since its' release due to popularity it is now in stock and available directly from Town House Films.

http://www.townhousefilms.co.uk

How To Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour

"How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" Jeans first book was launched at the Mall Galleries in 2010 at the SWA Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition. Many copies have been sold world wide. It is available on Amazon.com, Search Press, SAA Society for All Artists and Ken Bromley.

"This book is a wonderful introduction into Jeans' way of working and gives an insight into her way of thinking and approach to a large variety of subjects. All painted minus the use of a preliminary sketch."