Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Semi-limited Palette

                                                                                           Acrylic, 5x7"

I enjoyed painting this, but it looks a good bit like the photograph, which as I have said, isn't really what I want to be doing.  I really did like this photograph, though, so maybe that is why it was kind of fun to paint.

I forgot to tell you that ever since that workshop where I painted the seated artist (post of July 29), I have been using a semi-limited palette.  I think a typical artist palette is two blues, two reds, two yellows (a cool and warm version of each color) plus white.  Since we were painting in between storms, I used a limited palette to do the artist painting I like so much (limited palette by default).  I can't exactly remember what colors I used, but basically used whatever was left on my palette, which was a little of one blue, one red, and one yellow.

I liked the results and I liked not having to wonder whether to choose the warm of cool version of a color each time I needed a new mixture.  So, I decided since then to simplify my mixing and just use one red, one yellow, and one blue, and white PLUS my own addition of orange, because I really like having a premixed orange to make greys with.  I'm calling the palette semi-limited because of the addition of orange.  The orange moves me to the warm in a way my other colors do not.   Maybe a kind of strange choice, but I am really liking using these colors.  I imagine I will keep using this palette until I can see for myself what I am missing by leaving any of the other colors out, then will add them back in if I really know what I need them for.  Until I know what I am missing, I don't really need them.

                                                                     

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the 'people from the back' work.
Love,
ME

Mary said...

Very nice, Meredith. The looseness and subtlety of the grays works.

Meredith Adler said...

Thanks, Mom and Mary. This is my third time trying to publish my reply, and I hope it works this time, cause I have to leave. But I want to encourage all Watchers to check out Mary's site. That's Mary Maupin, one of my favorite painters and friends, and you can see her wonderful work by clicking on her name above or to the right in my list of other artists. She paints wonderful landscapes, people, flowers, etc. AND she can paint and talk at the same time.

carol edan said...

Doesn't look like a photo... nice painterly effect!!!!

Meredith Adler said...

Oh, thanks, Carol...that makes me feel better! Nice to see you here again. I hope you are still painting, too. It's a coincidence to see you here, actually, because I looked at your blog the other day!

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