There are many reasons to use a limited palette in the field. It promotes harmonious colors. It helps maintain a smooth paint consistency—which helps to foster broken color. It keeps colors from getting too dark—a common problem in the field. And it helps simplify color choices.The downside is it takes time to premix colors. This can be remedied by premixing before you go into the field. You can either pre-mix secondary colors in a protected palette box or you can premix colors and bag them into cellophane bags sealed with rubber bands.
Since you already spent time looking at the scene while you were doing your sketch (see blog 172) you should have a good idea which colors you will need. I recommend adding at least two premixed greens, two purples, and an orange.
I chose three primary colors—Thalo blue, Quinacridone Red, and Hansa Yellow Light—because they're high chroma colors and they tend toward the cool side of their color families—which makes for harmonious mixtures. In future Gbox videos I will be slowly expanding my palette to include an increasing array of pigments.
The painting seen above, Wellsville Mountain, is 20" x20", and was painted in a two hours plein air session. The following Gbox video is $.49 and is 12 minutes long. It is the first in a series of three parts.
Brad Teare— May 2014
Nice Vid Brad thanks for the info. I've been using a limited palette too. Have been trying out different combos. Would you think Hansa Yellow Light is similar to Cad Yellow Light?
ReplyDeleteRegarding hue Cadmium Yellow Light is very similar to Hansa Yellow Light. But Cadmium Yellow Light will be a little thicker and has a lower chroma which means it will gray out faster. I like Thalo Blue, Quin Red, and Hansa Yellow LIght as a group of colors because they blend very easily and have similar tinting strength. Probably not a big consideration but I am trying to keep things really simple in the field.
DeleteThanks for this video Brad, I have never tried premixing, would love to try that in my next one.
ReplyDeletelooking forward to more episodes and future projects. I've been exploring palettes, I'll try your idea and see what I can do with it. I will paint the swamp, no mountains here.
ReplyDeletetook the 3 colors, a palette knife, piece of glass, maroger, towels and added an umbrella on my boat. got the base blocked in and the sun burned me off the lake in two hours.(91F) Going back to finish up. the color harmony is the first thing tying the piece together. the blue sky with some gray bottom clouds was so natural looking. Next session is brushwork. the piece is reverse, on the water looking in. The greens and shadows are easy and with the brush and broken color I am expecting a Van Gogh/Teare like texture on the next layer. The Maroger certainly is a pleasure to push paint using the palette knife. French chalk will be added for brushwork. Thanks for the challenge Brad.
ReplyDeleteSounds awesome Bruce. I wish there was some way to attach a photo of the results to these comments.
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