Somehow the days have escaped me this week… wait – today is Monday. I guess what I mean to say is that in this series of 10 paintings I have found myself much busier than usual. I’ve managed the paintings, but not been able to keep up with the blog posts.
Let’s fix that. Start tomorrow on the right foot and all that stuff!
This is Day 22’s painting – the challenge was to use a terad (four colours that form a square on the colour wheel) and paint your painting flatly – without a gradation of colour. Since I find myself with inspiration and no specific subject I have gone back to my sketchbook to work with some of my old sketches. In this case, I painted right in my sketchbook. No fooling around with sketches and proportions when you paint right on your reference!
I have to say that when I took a look at the colours mixed on the palette, I was dubious. But I think it turned out. Nice when that happens. I have a feeling I am going to learn some new things about colour this week.
I see these girls as lit up by night and glowing lights. That may have something to do with me painting at night – I usually try to avoid night painting. My paintings look like they were painted in the dark when that happens. But again I lucked out!
This is Day 23 – Dryad. The challenge – use one colour at full strength (Napthol Red), one dulled with black (Green Gold) and one pale colour (Cobalt Teal)- I added white to the teal.
Again I wondered how this was going to work – the red was so strong, and the other two colours had real green tints. When you get compliments going it can either be really good or really not. I think I resolved it by using only tiny amounts of the intense red. I’m still working with my prior sketches, but today I redrew my sketch onto artist’s bristol (so that I didn’t have to paint over the notes I wrote to myself in my sketch book!)
Finally, we catch up to today’s work. Can you tell I like Mr. Mucha’s work? This painting is based on a sketch I did of one of his famous illustrations. I love the movement and the hair and the movement!
Today’s challenge: use your favorite colour in various tints and shades and add the colour you like least to the painting.
In this case – the colour I like least – that I have in my arsenal – is burnt sienna. I bought a big tub of it a long time ago because it’s one of those colours “an artist is supposed to have”. That was before I really came into my colour own.
What about you – what colour is your favorite or least favorite and why? Do you think picking on brown is kind of cheaping out?