Colour Theory

[El Matador]

Thanks alot Matt,

i had also heard of people mising a colour into everthing they paint on it or most things to make it feel unified however i thought it applied mainly to metalics.

Einion, the point you make about \"how do you know if its at the other end of the spectrum\" is i suppose why most people would use a black for white mixed in with the colour to shade or highlight.

So the general consensus seems to be that its not worth doing unless you are looking to create a masterpiece ad even at that is not nessesary? I actually find it quite interesting and i assume that if you use or mix your colours correctly you win have a very natural result?

Thanks, El Matador

 

[ChasePalaver]

Originally posted by mattsterbenz

Plus with oils there\'s another technique that can\'t really be done easily with miniatures (I used it on one of my demon entries, article to come. I\'ve also heard of some people doing something similar) it\'s called the \"mother color\", also called \"common color\", \"mud\", I\'ve heard all kinds of names for it. It consists of mixing a neutral color (or in my case usually a greyish purple) and adding in a small amount of this color with every other color you mix. It tints all of the colors in the painting slightly and really unifies everything. So when you consider that also, I am never shading with just the compliment, but the primaries that make up the compliment, plus the \"neutral color\" mix, plus a lighter, cooler color for reflected light, plus... well you get the idea Way too complex for most to worry about.


-Matt

I am by no means a color expert, but you can get a similar look to this style by not using clean water. Sounds lame I know, but the grey-purple he is speaking of is the exact color of \"dirty\" paint brush water. Of course it isn\'t as dark, but the unifying does show just a little bit.

 

[mattsterbenz]

Originally posted by ChasePalaver

I am by no means a color expert, but you can get a similar look to this style by not using clean water. Sounds lame I know, but the grey-purple he is speaking of is the exact color of \"dirty\" paint brush water. Of course it isn\'t as dark, but the unifying does show just a little bit.

Yes that would certainly do the trick too, but in order for it to be very noticeable it would need to be really dirty water! lol

Originally posted by Einion
Only for those hue, not for intermediates - can\'t match Phthalo Blue Green Shade with any mixture, can\'t really get close. Similarly few mixes will approach the brilliance of Cadmium Orange, Dioxazine Purple, Quin Magenta. There\'s a reason few painters use just a primary palette (although some do, and their work can be very nice).

I agree with you, but keep in mind though how often you see/use those particular colors straight from the tube. While you may not be able to mix those exactly from the primaries, very rarely will they occur in nature (a very colorful sunset and certain flowers being a few exceptions). But even then it is never appropriate to use a color straight from the tube when painting a canvas. Colors are always altered by their surroundings, and an object that may appear to be true Dioxazine Purple up close will look different on the canvas based on distance, light, reflected light, etc... Therefore you can technically mix a color close enough with the primaries.

(I bought a tube of Rembrandt Dioxazine Violet actually, only because it was on sale for $10. Normally it sells for $30 or $40 if I recall correctly. I haven\'t used it yet. That\'s an even better reason to stick to the primaries! They\'re cheap!)

I\'ll freely admit that I do use other colors on occasion. Most of the time it\'s just so I can save time. Red Iron Oxide being one, as it adds a nice warm tone to skin, and works great as an under-layer for trees. I use Van Dyke Brown thinned with a lot of turps to tone my canvas and sketch the subject sometimes. There\'s never more than about 6 colors at most on my palette. I just prefer the limitless possibilities of the primaries.

/rambling over

-Matt

 

[El Matador]

Thanks again for the replies, over the last couple of days i added GW scaly green to scab red and in doing so created a shield which appearer to have alot more depth, i was copying the article Vincent Hudon wrote on a shield and it actually gave me quite a good insight on colour which add depth to each other.

Thanks alot, El Matador.