I love clear bright colors. Favorites include Lemon Yellow, Permanent Rose, and Prussian Blue. I also enjoy quiet lavender grays, and deep indigo night skies.
Many of us artists can be recognized by our 'palette' - the colors we favor and use so often. My palettes for watercolor, acrylics, and oils are similar and limited. I enjoy mixing colors, and truthfully, it can be confusing and expensive to own too many. I'm also know to nag students who don't bother to mix. Seriously?! Grass is not Emerald Green and I've yet to see a human" who is "flesh" colored!
Supply lists for my class pare down the number of colors to purchase to a few. Fewer colors requires them to learn how to mix and create the desired effects. They learn by doing how to make greens, purples, greys, and so forth. And by mixing and exploring they find their favorites colors and their personal palette evolves.
you
My paint color list for watercolors includes
Ultramarine blue,
Prussian or Pthalo blue,
Lemon Yellow,
Cadmium Yellow Medium (or Gamboge),
Cadmium Red medium,
Permanent Rose (or Alizarin Crimson) - I prefer the rose - Genuine rose is nice, too.
I add in sepia for deep dark tones that are richer than adding black paint.
Dioxazine violet is a favorite that I recommend and use a lot of.
This is based loosely on recommendations from my friend Leslie Masters, a colorist and wonderful artist, who researched the properties of numerous paints. The list includes warm and cool reds, and likewise for the yellows and blues. I will swap paints in and out of my toolbox over time. When I get a new color I play with how it mixes and usually share my insights with my students.
Beginning students are asked to paint a color guide, so they know what the colors they own look like. They explore the value range as they paint full strength and then thin colors out with water. Many paint a color wheel to recognize analogous colors (blue and greens) and observe the compliments/ opposites (red/green, blue/orange, etc.). continuing students paint a guide for mixing skin tones and hair colors. Sure you can buy books that show you, but doing it yourself makes all the difference to really 'knowing' how to do it.
Why I will or won't buy paints in sets: they can be efficient or they can give you what you don't need. Kits I do like include the landscape colors set for Golden Open acrylics. And you can add what you love as you go.
So --what's your favorite?
Many of us artists can be recognized by our 'palette' - the colors we favor and use so often. My palettes for watercolor, acrylics, and oils are similar and limited. I enjoy mixing colors, and truthfully, it can be confusing and expensive to own too many. I'm also know to nag students who don't bother to mix. Seriously?! Grass is not Emerald Green and I've yet to see a human" who is "flesh" colored!
Supply lists for my class pare down the number of colors to purchase to a few. Fewer colors requires them to learn how to mix and create the desired effects. They learn by doing how to make greens, purples, greys, and so forth. And by mixing and exploring they find their favorites colors and their personal palette evolves.
you
My paint color list for watercolors includes
Ultramarine blue,
Prussian or Pthalo blue,
Lemon Yellow,
Cadmium Yellow Medium (or Gamboge),
Cadmium Red medium,
Permanent Rose (or Alizarin Crimson) - I prefer the rose - Genuine rose is nice, too.
I add in sepia for deep dark tones that are richer than adding black paint.
Dioxazine violet is a favorite that I recommend and use a lot of.
This is based loosely on recommendations from my friend Leslie Masters, a colorist and wonderful artist, who researched the properties of numerous paints. The list includes warm and cool reds, and likewise for the yellows and blues. I will swap paints in and out of my toolbox over time. When I get a new color I play with how it mixes and usually share my insights with my students.
Beginning students are asked to paint a color guide, so they know what the colors they own look like. They explore the value range as they paint full strength and then thin colors out with water. Many paint a color wheel to recognize analogous colors (blue and greens) and observe the compliments/ opposites (red/green, blue/orange, etc.). continuing students paint a guide for mixing skin tones and hair colors. Sure you can buy books that show you, but doing it yourself makes all the difference to really 'knowing' how to do it.
Why I will or won't buy paints in sets: they can be efficient or they can give you what you don't need. Kits I do like include the landscape colors set for Golden Open acrylics. And you can add what you love as you go.
So --what's your favorite?