I vividly remember the first watercolour class I ever attended. Walking in nervously clutching my one brush and six tubes of paint(more about that shortly), I looked around the class and was staggered to see several women toting large plastic toolboxes. This was a painting class, right? Not a home decorating workshop? They proceeded to unpack tray after tray of tubes of paint, in every colour you could imagine. The class got underway, each time our tutor got us to paint something these ladies would spend ages searching through their tubes for exactly the right shade. Since I only had the basic colours I had to learn quickly how to mix the one that I needed. Thanks to Janet Andrews ( a wonderful teacher) , I learned how to paint using a very limited palette. I admit that , just like anyone else, I can be seduced by those luscious colours on a paint chart. But mostly when I've given into that temptation I've used the new colour once or twice, then gone back to mixing my own. Possibly something to do with a Master Painter Dad who usually mixed his clients house colours himself!
So my basic palette is:
Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue , Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna. Over the years I've also added Raw Umber, a lovely colour for NZ bush. And Australian Red Gold, a beautiful transparent orange. Most of those other colours that you can see in my palette have been sitting there in their dried state since I first tried them!
If you're reading this as a painter, I'd encourage you to simplify your palette and learn to mix what you need from that. A limited palette means a more harmonious painting in the end.
I'd be interested in your feedback on how you approach colour mixing....
So my basic palette is:
Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue , Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna. Over the years I've also added Raw Umber, a lovely colour for NZ bush. And Australian Red Gold, a beautiful transparent orange. Most of those other colours that you can see in my palette have been sitting there in their dried state since I first tried them!
If you're reading this as a painter, I'd encourage you to simplify your palette and learn to mix what you need from that. A limited palette means a more harmonious painting in the end.
I'd be interested in your feedback on how you approach colour mixing....
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