Understanding colour theory. Using colours together in a pleasing way depends on the cultural values we give to colours. In 1670 Sir Isaac Newton arranged colours into a wheel of organised colours that used the primary red, yellow and blue pigments to make all others (except white). Use a colour wheel to plan impact and harmony in your painting.Making a logical palette (for your project needs).
Most artists tend to favourite colours and while, in theory, you should be able to mix any colour you want from the primaries (leaving space for white on canvas backgrounds) it is much more sensible to include the three primaries plus black, white and your most worked colours. Artists who favour classic burnt umber or raw sienna under-painting will benefit from ready mixed sources.
My survey of generally optimised palettes shows that the top ten are:
- primary magenta
- primary yellow
- cyan blue
- white
- black
plus
- cadmium red
- cadmium yellow
- yellow ochre
- dark ultramarine blue
- dark green
How and when quality matters for acrylic paints and how to tell.Modern paints are forced to make compromises and no single brand can meet all artists’ needs. Acrylics were developed in the 1950s to provide control and practicality. They tend to meet needs similar to oils and watercolours while remaining long lasting and fade resistant. The key components of pigments and media are optimised for the target user. “Artist quality” suits those who invest much time in their work and expect the best in performance and durability. “Student quality” offers great cost savings but included lesser quality pigments and media that are deemed less important for experimental and developmental work in high volume.
If you really want to test the quality of a paint range then take the three primaries and mix them together to make black. A high quality range will blend the pigments carefully to enable at best a neutral dark grey while lesser quality paints cannot escape a greenish hue.If you are burdened with some under-performing paints, don’t worry! They can be used for your under-painting stages while presenting a useful platform for higher quality paints that will be seen on the surface of your finished work.Further information on the Colour Wheel, palette selection and pigment testing is available at the author’s own website.
Jasmine Austen, The Gift of Creativity UK
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