Mastering Color

[Richard Robinson]

Anything to do with the Mastering Color course goes here. Post your images up or ask questions - anything!

[Vida Evenson]

Hi Everyone..... My name is Vida and I too will be joining you on this color journey although I may be a bit behind. Just read through all the posts. I'm hoping I can make sense of values and color.... it's harder to go back and re-evaluate what you think you know (hanging that ever-present ego on the wall for a while) and humbly go back to step one. At the moment I feel very confused by it all but that is mostly because I haven't had the time to sit down with my gray paint piles and actually do the exercises. I learn by doing. So off to find some wood to cut into blocks.... hopefully not too crooked... and up into the studio.

We are moving into a new house in the mountains. At the moment I live (dh, twin dd, horses, dogs, cats, gerbils etc) on a lovely small island in N. Greece.... moving to a mountain nearby.... anyways, yesterday I went out and sat down to paint plein air trying to incorporate value and color mixing learned from watching Richard's DVD..... what a flop! But it is from the bad paintings that we can learn the most from. I didn't photograph it and I'm not sure my ego will stand for me to post the actual painting here lol....

So much to incorporate.... value studies, color mixing, $50/ brushstroke..... So best to take one step at a time.....

Looking forward to being a part of this group and learning from you all....

Vida

[terry clare]

Hi Vida, Welcome aboard. Try and get a hard shell with a soft interior like Ned Kelly. Dealing with ego is hard lesson one. You weep a dozen times then you get over it. It bounces off. Some people and artists are kind to you and give support. Thats the idea of a good group. Richard is our gallant leader and it's best to go there first, everywhere else later. Take time, it aint rocket science, Terry
Vida Evenson said:

Hi Everyone..... My name is Vida and I too will be joining you on this color journey although I may be a bit behind. Just read through all the posts. I'm hoping I can make sense of values and color.... it's harder to go back and re-evaluate what you think you know (hanging that ever-present ego on the wall for a while) and humbly go back to step one. At the moment I feel very confused by it all but that is mostly because I haven't had the time to sit down with my gray paint piles and actually do the exercises. I learn by doing. So off to find some wood to cut into blocks.... hopefully not too crooked... and up into the studio.

We are moving into a new house in the mountains. At the moment I live (dh, twin dd, horses, dogs, cats, gerbils etc) on a lovely small island in N. Greece.... moving to a mountain nearby.... anyways, yesterday I went out and sat down to paint plein air trying to incorporate value and color mixing learned from watching Richard's DVD..... what a flop! But it is from the bad paintings that we can learn the most from. I didn't photograph it and I'm not sure my ego will stand for me to post the actual painting here lol....

So much to incorporate.... value studies, color mixing, $50/ brushstroke..... So best to take one step at a time.....

Looking forward to being a part of this group and learning from you all....

Vida

[terry clare]

Hi Ro, THanks for the advise on tone. I heard that once some time ago and forgot about it. I am putting my left over palette paint under water now occasionally also, it's quicker than freezing them. It's a good idea. I snapped my onions and photoshopped them (Corel Photo actually, it's cheaper with lots of fonts) and worked on a composition. The box around the veges is spray gold paint. Nice reflections. If I get a good painting you can take some credit from me bouncing off your progress. Watch this space. I could crash and burn. Could make good theatre, Terry
terry clare said:

Ro, You know I was thinking the same thing the other day,that not many of us are following the lessons properly, but just picking out the parts we think we are short on, and posting that. Well I know I have been. So I am off to the shop asap and will attack my version and best attempt of what I can possibly achieve as a masterly painting at what I think my favorite food should look like to other artists using Richards lessons. Back to earth, keep it simple, nose to the grindstone, back to the drawing board and out with the chalk and slate board, to put my ego up on the wall so the uneducated peasants and grimy passers bye can cast the odd unpleasant honest common opinion that is so cutting to us good artists who are so sensitive and scarce. To be honest though the only thing that hurts me these days, at my age, is a smack on the snout and even then it's the humility that hurts and not the wack, after I've wiped the tears from my eyes. My upload here is a practise on 6 coloured lights on 6 local colours. Not that accurate but great fun, Terry
Roena King said:

Terry, Looks like I have your mind whirling with thoughts and ideas! LOL GREAT! I have signed my name as R.King for 30 years and I hate to change as I believe people recognize art and the artist by their signature sometimes. I have a lot of art out there. // I found this onion to be hard and stressful….so I would take stress breaks (he he), then it finally fell into place. // The canvas does not show through in the original painting like it does here in the photo. For the exercises I just did not take the time or use up my gesso to coat the canvas. I will try my best to remember for my paintings since you think it will improve the work. / / THE LIGHT….My work area is very limited as my studio is the kitchen table in the motor home with a “clip light” attached to the window cornice board. It is not movable except up higher or down a little lower or I might be able to place it almost over head. I will look at that. // Oh please, Terry, I encourage you to do a painting in brown tone and “post it here”. I am beginning to feel like I am the only one going through this color course at the moment! I would feel better if someone else would post beside me!// Terry, I go by Ro – because I am a sailor and I never row my boat! He he ///// I sent my painting to another friend who gave me this comment. When I looked at my B&W photo of the set up, and really paid attention, I could see the values per his statement. Here is a photo and the statement to ponder upon. ........ a good thing to keep in mind is keep your lights all in one section of the gray scale, & your shadows in the other. eg. the darkest light will always be lighter than the lightest shadow which includes reflected light in shadow.

[Roena King]

Terry.........excellent! I would frame the sheet of colored blocks for sure and maybe even enter it into a show. Really cool. The top of the little yellow cube has a hard time showing up in different lights, but the rest of the colors held their own in the lights. /// Spraying the paper gold is a good idea. I am setting mine on new canvas boards (white) - comes under the heading of first thing that will "work". I also like the onions with the leaves growing ouf of the top. /// Concerning comments. I always desire them, read and consider all, try to apply when I can, and put on the "shelf" the ones I dont quite understand but might understand when my knowledge increases. I never take offence at anything someone might say. I know I did my best and I believe people tell me what they see. Photos being what they are.......I can never photo a painting where it looks good anyway. //// I put 3 coats of gesso on my canvas at your suggestion. //// Tried to paint a value of a orange that is pealed in part. OMGoodness! Nothing worked......how hard can a stupid orange be? In total despiration, I quit painting for the day........if I can not figure out "something to try" today..........I am going to scrape the paint totally off! I have not painted anything I could not fix in for ever........very dishearting indeed -- Boy do I need a pat on the back and , "It will be OK"! Sob, Sob, Sob..........LOL LOL I am not sure I am cut out for the "paint fast with few strokes idea that RR is a master at!" It did not work for the orange! Ro

[Roena King]

Welcome, welcome Vida, So excited to have another one take the journey too. Gail is just starting out so you will be right along with her. I am doing 2 more gray scale paintings trying to use up my paint that I had all mixed. HINT. Dont mix as much of the darker values as you dont tend to use as much of that as you do the lighter ones. I mixed equal piles of the 9 values, used the lighter ones quickly, and am still trying to use up the piles of the dark (use those to tint the light when you need to mix more of those). /// Sounds like you need a pat on the back and a, "It will be OK" just like me! That orange I tried to paint "quick, limited brush strokes - RR $50 brush stroke idea - did not work. We can also work our way outside to paint together (you and I) because that is my goal too. /// Gail mentioned that you can buy little blocks of wood at craft stores if you have any in your area. I did not, so I tried to cut my own. /// I look forward to seeing your post. Ro (((I believe the friends we develop on this forum will "Sing with us when we do well, cry with us when we dont, and encourage us to continue on........Anyone who has painted for any length of time has "been there and done that". LOL

[Vida Evenson]

Ro and Terry... thanks for your replies. No luck today making blocks. I live in a very remote place and so either have to wait for a day to go into the city (a few hours away) or wait for dh to come home and cut me some blocks. I tried today, but fought too hard with that wood-cutting machine (I forget my English all the time, and except for Peter, I'm assuming most of you wouldn't understand the Greek name for it).... had visions of losing my painting fingers and decided to let the machine win. So I'm looking at an orange right now..... will post the big attempt when it's done. For now, good night all you beautiful artists...

Vida

Roena King said:

Welcome, welcome Vida, So excited to have another one take the journey too. Gail is just starting out so you will be right along with her. I am doing 2 more gray scale paintings trying to use up my paint that I had all mixed. HINT. Dont mix as much of the darker values as you dont tend to use as much of that as you do the lighter ones. I mixed equal piles of the 9 values, used the lighter ones quickly, and am still trying to use up the piles of the dark (use those to tint the light when you need to mix more of those). /// Sounds like you need a pat on the back and a, "It will be OK" just like me! That orange I tried to paint "quick, limited brush strokes - RR $50 brush stroke idea - did not work. We can also work our way outside to paint together (you and I) because that is my goal too. /// Gail mentioned that you can buy little blocks of wood at craft stores if you have any in your area. I did not, so I tried to cut my own. /// I look forward to seeing your post. Ro (((I believe the friends we develop on this forum will "Sing with us when we do well, cry with us when we dont, and encourage us to continue on........Anyone who has painted for any length of time has "been there and done that". LOL

[Roena King]

OK......here we have my version of some type of an orange. After leaving the original set up, the partial pealed orange I tried for yesterday, I discovered the partial peal had dried up some and totally was limp. So, I just ate that orange. I changed to a new orange, scraped the paint off the canvas, brushed and smoshed the paint on the canvas and started again. Here is the painting, the set up photo, and the NOTAN of the painting. (((((Just between you and me.......I have decided that oranges are in the super advanced portion of the value class and I am in the beginning one..........no wonder it was so hard! LOL)))) Seriously though, is it hard because of the value of orange? Someone needs to talk about that because I am interested. I am going to mix up some orange paint and paint a cube to do as an exercise in the next chapter. I truly hope no one else has as much trouble as I appear to have had on such a seemingly simple subject. Ro

[terry clare]

Ro, Breaking the sound barrier in painting is painful, when it hurts most is when you are about to rise to the next level. I find it helps if I can visualize each step as I go. I look at the orange and imagine it as paint, Then I look at the canvas and see the next brush stroke before I apply it, I tried painting the onions and found it pretty hard as they have nice fine lines around them. Tried to paint them grey but my arm wouldn't let me. Old dogs find new tricks dificult, Terry
Roena King said:

Terry.........excellent! I would frame the sheet of colored blocks for sure and maybe even enter it into a show. Really cool. The top of the little yellow cube has a hard time showing up in different lights, but the rest of the colors held their own in the lights. /// Spraying the paper gold is a good idea. I am setting mine on new canvas boards (white) - comes under the heading of first thing that will "work". I also like the onions with the leaves growing ouf of the top. /// Concerning comments. I always desire them, read and consider all, try to apply when I can, and put on the "shelf" the ones I dont quite understand but might understand when my knowledge increases. I never take offence at anything someone might say. I know I did my best and I believe people tell me what they see. Photos being what they are.......I can never photo a painting where it looks good anyway. //// I put 3 coats of gesso on my canvas at your suggestion. //// Tried to paint a value of a orange that is pealed in part. OMGoodness! Nothing worked......how hard can a stupid orange be? In total despiration, I quit painting for the day........if I can not figure out "something to try" today..........I am going to scrape the paint totally off! I have not painted anything I could not fix in for ever........very dishearting indeed -- Boy do I need a pat on the back and , "It will be OK"! Sob, Sob, Sob..........LOL LOL I am not sure I am cut out for the "paint fast with few strokes idea that RR is a master at!" It did not work for the orange! Ro

[Roena King]

Terry, Nice onion painting. You know what impressed me the most was.......how you delt with the neg space around the onions. I thought that was very creative. //// I paint with a suprise....I put a stroke on and it is a suprise.....then I try to fix it! LOL /// I have new oranges and 2 lemons purchased. I have a cube painted orange that I plan to look at when I paint.....NOW I'm ready! Ro

[terry clare]

If you want to go all colourist, try painting the under colour opposite, then put the compliment over the top. An orange would start off as greenish blue, Terry
Roena King said:

Terry, Nice onion painting. You know what impressed me the most was.......how you delt with the neg space around the onions. I thought that was very creative. //// I paint with a suprise....I put a stroke on and it is a suprise.....then I try to fix it! LOL /// I have new oranges and 2 lemons purchased. I have a cube painted orange that I plan to look at when I paint.....NOW I'm ready! Ro

[Roena King]

Terry, that is a pretty amazing way of thinking of coloring an orange. I had heard of landscape artist toning their canvas red for the same reason that red is the comp of green. I just went through the entire gallery by Peggy Guichu. I was noticing that she used the primary and secondary colors in many of her paintings. Those colors were so rich and beautiful. Sometimes I think I just try to hard! I need to squirt out every color I own (about 48 diff colors) and start painting just to see what would happen. Scarry thought. Ro

[terry clare]

Ro, Um..er..I think colour comes up in the another lesson from Richard. To darken a colour you add the compliment. The colour of the shadow is the compliment of the lights colour. Not just any old compliment will do, I use the Munsell wheel compliment from Richards notes and I painteed one myself to see the painted version. Primary and Secondry colours are not as attractive as Tertiaries. The impressionists adopted this from observing the Chinese use of colours. Tertiaries tinted with brown or grey are utilised by the top fashion houses. they know what attracts. A good brown or grey is usually mixed up of predominately colour. The proportional amount of of each compliment should be unequal not 50:50. They can be used side by side, scumbled or laid over the top, outlined each other or mixed together. Mixing tube colours is slightly different from the colour wheel depending on the brand of paint. A transparent colour will go darker when added with tit. white or any opaque paint. How many balls in the air can a juggler keep aloft at any one time. I have been looking at composition advice from Richards notes. Don't squrt out all your colours, just a hot and cold version of the 3 primaries and a cupla earths. Is colour your next agenda, Good Luck, Terry
Roena King said:

Terry, that is a pretty amazing way of thinking of coloring an orange. I had heard of landscape artist toning their canvas red for the same reason that red is the comp of green. I just went through the entire gallery by Peggy Guichu. I was noticing that she used the primary and secondary colors in many of her paintings. Those colors were so rich and beautiful. Sometimes I think I just try to hard! I need to squirt out every color I own (about 48 diff colors) and start painting just to see what would happen. Scarry thought. Ro