Home Forums Explore Media Pastels Soft Pastel Learning Center The Spotlight – February 2015 – The Color Red

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  • #992674
    Don Ketchek
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        Welcome artists!

        [FONT=Verdana]Here is a quick recap of what The Spotlight is all about!
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        The Spotlight is an activity thread for pastel artists of all experience levels working from photos chosen by a monthly host. Most months, the host will choose photos from only one subject, putting that subject into “the spotlight,” so to speak! For example, one month the subject will be painting water, another month will spotlight flowers, etc.

        Some months, rather than spotlight a subject, the focus will be on a challenge of some sort. In those cases, we might have a wider variety of photo references, but “the spotlight” will be on the challenge itself.

        Since this is a group activity, we can pool our knowledge and resources, and grow as artists in a fun, “no-pressure” atmosphere.

        And, remember, no critiques unless specifically asked for.

        The intent is to have fun, try new things, experiment, and perhaps most of all, to see what our friends and colleagues are painting from the same reference material!

        Please note: The photos this month were taken by me or are from the Reference Image Library. You have permission to use the photos as reference to create your artwork and to sell them and/or exhibit them. The actual photos still retain the copyright of the photographer. So you cannot copy the photo to your blog, for example, without the permission of the photographer, or digitally alter or reproduce the photo for any purpose other than for your personal use, with the exception of crops, digital alterations and posts of these photos within “The Spotlight” thread.

        This month’s Spotlight is on…The Color Red!

        During the past few months, we have been putting colors into the Spotlight! This is our fifth installment on specific colors. Here are the links:

        Yellow:
        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1352232

        Green:
        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1354639

        Blue:
        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1359531

        Orange:
        https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1361808

        This month we are going to put the Spotlight on Red!

        Basics:

        Red on our color wheel, ranges from red-orange to red-violet, with “pure” red in-between. Of course, these divisions are all man-made. The colors of the spectrum change gradually from one to another.

        Here’s a quick review on the 3 aspects of color that we have discussed each month.

        Hue – the actual color as depicted on a color wheel or the spectrum.

        Value – How light or dark the color is.

        Intensity or Chroma – how bright or dull the color is.

        When looking for a specific pastel, or when mixing a color, those 3 aspects should be evaluated.

        Color Temperature:

        One aspect of color that we have discussed the past few months has been color temperature, which is part of the discussion of the color’s hue. Red (similar to Green on the opposite side of the wheel) is a transitional color when it comes to temperature. Red-orange is clearly a warm color, “pure” red is still considered warm by most (it is subjective!) but already somewhat cooler and by the time we get to red-violet, it is arguably cool. For this reason, it is especially important to choose (or mix) the specific hue of red that you want in your painting to ensure that you achieve the color temperature that you desire.

        Light and Shadow:

        As we have done the past few months, let’s take a look at an actual red object and analyze its light and shadow colors. Photo by egoodwin.

        These strawberries show a very intense red color in the light! The second swatch is in shadow, just as it turns from the light, and the third swatch is in the darker body of the shadow. My computer tells me that the hue stays very close to the same in all 3 swatches. Many folks would categorize the shadow colors as browns – and as we saw in our Spotlights on Orange and Yellow, darker oranges and darker, warmer yellows do make up many, if not most of the colors we call brown. Taking a look at the color wheel confirms that the dark versions from yellow-orange through red (not counting red-violet) make up the range of browns, so it is important when choosing or mixing browns to try and determine if the browns are in the yellow, orange or red hue family.

        Let’s take a closer look at the influence of reflected light on the red strawberries and the table cloth. The white table cloth has an influence on the red strawberries along the edges where the table cloth reflects onto them.

        Usually we think of reflected light as influencing the shadow color of an object, but reflected light can also influence areas in the light. Notice the sliver of lighter pink reflected light (top swatch on the left) along the strawberries left edge. There is also a sliver of reflected light within the shadow (lower swatch on the left). At first glance, looking only at the photo, one might think that the two reflected light colors are similar. That’s because each reflected light color is just slightly lighter than the surrounding color. But the surrounding color on the shadow side is darker – as is the reflected light in the shadow. So always be aware that the surrounding color and its value (dark or light) can fool us!

        Looking at the cast shadow on the white tablecloth, we can see that the strawberry’s red color reflects into the shadow. Although the shadow swatches are dark, I think you can still see that the swatch nearest the strawberries is redder in hue than the swatch far away, which is quite gray. To better see the colors in shadow, you can always use the computer to help. Here (by the blue arrow) I lightened a portion of the cast shadow to help reveal the colors within!

        A note on shadow (and any other) color:

        In our previous Spotlights on color, we have been working on a shadow color principle. Keeping in mind that observation is more important than creating rules or principles, the principle I have come up with is:

        The shadow color is usually a darker and duller version of the color in light – with perhaps some shift in hue due to the influence of secondary and reflected light sources, and the lack of influence of the primary light source.

        I think our principle works with the above strawberry photo. But, even though our shadow principle still works as a general principle, it is always best to observe what is actually happening and not rely on formulas or rules!

        And keep in mind that this principle – and the examples we have used in the other Spotlights on colors – are based on a realistic, somewhat scientific approach to analyzing the colors using photos. This does not mean that an artist is restricted to using this approach, nor does it mean that those colors that we have observed using our photo analysis are the “right” colors to use. Actual observation in real life may result in slightly different observed colors. Using a different color for the shadows may not match the photo analysis, but it may still work in your painting and be believable! Certainly, using the observed colors offers a good, solid strategy that will work in almost all cases, but don’t feel restricted to this one strategy.

        Plus, as artists, we are free to use any colors we want and can stray completely from the colors we observe! Artwork, as we all know, need not be realistic at all. So, a lot of these color decisions will be based on the type of painting we are aiming to produce.

        Thoughts on Red:

        Different colors may evoke different reactions in the viewers of a painting. That may be one reason, for example, to use colors other than those that are actually in the reference photo or actual scene. Red, in my opinion, may be a color that is especially good at attracting attention. There are, of course, various strategies that artists use to attract the eye. Value contrast, color contrast, and contrast in color intensity are all common strategies. So any intense color will attract attention especially when surrounded by muted colors, and warm colors may attract attention when surrounded by cooler ones. I think this is especially true of red. Perhaps it is just a cultural thing – or perhaps something more basic. Human blood is red, after all, and when we see it, it definitely attracts our immediate attention (especially when it is our own blood)! I think it is that attention grabbing quality that makes a red traffic light mean stop and our why our “Stop” signs are painted red.

        So, it might be a strategy to use red – especially warmer, more intense reds, when we want to grab the viewer’s attention. Here are a couple Renoirs. Did he intentionally use red to grab our attention and focus our eye around the women’s faces? I don’t actually know – but I think it works!

        Color and mood:

        It is usually considered a given that different colors produce different moods or emotional reactions. This is not a subject I have studied in any detail – and not something I use much in art – but others certainly do. In some cases, I believe, these reactions to color are universal, but in other cases they may be cultural or learned. Nonetheless, it is another factor when artists choose the colors that they do.

        In western culture, we often associate the color red with passion, love (and also war)! Cool colors such as blue are often associated with calmness and sadness. Below is a painting by Thomas Anshutz. The original painting is on the left, and with apologies to the artist, I have changed the colors in Photoshop on the version on the right. Does it change the mood? :confused:

        References:

        Here are this month’s reference photos!

        Photo by vmrs

        Photo by Leslie Pz

        Photo by sirbonetta

        Photo by moya

        The last two photos are by me:

        As always feel free to modify and crop the refs. Happy Painting!

        Don

        #1219202
        robertsloan2
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            Oh, these are beautiful photo references and this is a great lesson! I may have a go at painting the roses red instead of pink – but it wouldn’t surprise me that even if I succeed, my photo of the painting might turn them to scarlet with black shadows. It seems to do that any time I try to photo a red rose from the clinic garden, which has several good red rose bushes.

            Red as blood, red as red meat too, or a ripe fruit, it tends to mean romance and danger. I love this theme and will have fun this month. Great cardinal photo, he’s decked out for romance!


            Robert A. Sloan, proud member of the Oil Pastel Society
            Site owner, artist and writer of http://www.explore-oil-pastels-with-robert-sloan.com
            blogs: Rob's Art Lessons and Rob's Daily Painting

            #1219497
            Nick7
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                Thank you, Don, for all the time, knowledge and thoughts you put into your color lessons.
                I am still disappointed that I skipped January spotlight. I did my best to not repeat the mistake this month :D

                "Persistence, and practice will get you where you want to be, even though you will go through some 'dark' stages"

                #1219408
                Still-trying
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                    Don, Your strawberry color lesson is fabulous. This thread should be rated five stars for that alone. And as usual, you push me; I can’t hide in the landscapes this month!! Thank you

                    Nick! Off to a great start. He looks great.

                    Happy to say "hello". C and C always welcome.

                    JAY:wave:

                    #1219409
                    Still-trying
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                        Don, Your strawberry color lesson is fabulous. This thread should be rated five stars for that alone. And as usual, you push me; I can’t hide in the landscapes this month!! Thank you

                        Nick! Off to a great start. He looks great.

                        Happy to say "hello". C and C always welcome.

                        JAY:wave:

                        #1219201
                        SueP
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                            Another great colour lesson Don. Red is my favourite so I MUST get back into Spotlighting this month.

                            I have an excuse for my absence – been preparing for an exhibition, jointly with a couple of painting pals and also including work by my late father. This has taken up months of painting and planning time and runs next weekend. If there are any Spotlighters out there in the North West of England next weekend, let me know and I’ll send details! After the 8th Feb, I PROMISE to do a red painting from your reference pics – those cherries are pulling me!

                            Don, can I ask – I seem to remember that some time ago you described how you did the ‘colour analysis’ in Photoshop. Any chance you could guide me to it or repeat it? I’m a total novice on Photoshop but this exercise would be really useful.
                            :) Best regards to all
                            Sue

                            #1219358
                            Judibelle
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                                WOW Nick! You are quick! And it is beautifully done. Good Job!

                                Don, this lesson is wonderful, as usual. I have been copying out each, to keep for reference, as I often don’t get the full extent of the lesson at first reading.

                                And I haven’t participated lately, not because of the lessons, but for other reasons….hopefully this month’s RED will inspire me to put aside other distractions and get back to painting again.

                                C&C always welcomed and appreciated
                                JudiB

                                #1219203
                                robertsloan2
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                                    Nick, congratulations on being first out of the gate for this month’s Spotlight with such a beautiful Cardinal! He is so bright and joyous! His eye sparkles with desire, his beak shines, his feathers fluff in pride, he’s looking for love and looking early for a sweet mate! I love the way you put so much intensity into your birds, how you capture their nuances. The background showing through the spread feathers in his crest is elegant.


                                    Robert A. Sloan, proud member of the Oil Pastel Society
                                    Site owner, artist and writer of http://www.explore-oil-pastels-with-robert-sloan.com
                                    blogs: Rob's Art Lessons and Rob's Daily Painting

                                    #1219498
                                    Nick7
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                                        Thank you very much.
                                        Rob, your posts always make me smile. I have been trying to find the courage to paint the whole bird LOL. I will not be able to rely on details, so it will be more difficult.

                                        I was surprised to see that the snow below him really IS pink. I mean, you all keep saying that, but …. :D

                                        Btw. he is as therapeutic as staring at TL sunset set ;)

                                        "Persistence, and practice will get you where you want to be, even though you will go through some 'dark' stages"

                                        #1219499
                                        Nick7
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                                            Hmm, I knew it was going to be more difficult, and it was :D It didn’t help that I sketched on the wrong side of the Canson by mistake.

                                            I need to yet learn to handle snow, you can see how lost I felt ;) I couldn’t decide if I should use the peanut or leave it unblended and at the end I used both :angel:

                                            Any critique is very welcomed :)

                                            "Persistence, and practice will get you where you want to be, even though you will go through some 'dark' stages"

                                            #1219245
                                            Blayne
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                                                Don, thanks for a great lesson and beautiful pics! I’m eager to try out the new dark burgundy TL and, of course, to use that Roche red again!

                                                Nick, you’ve outdone yourself! Both those cardinals are just gorgeous, gorgeous! I love how your snow reflects his pink color and how those seeds look so very real. His shadow is perfect. The texture showing through doesn’t bother me at all. Great job!

                                                [FONT=Book Antiqua]Blayne C & C always welcome
                                                "Art and I have an agreement... I won't ask where we are going and art won't ask, "Why me?" (Bob Brendle)
                                                #1219204
                                                robertsloan2
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                                                    Oh he’s beautiful! You went ahead and dared put him sitting in the snow the way he is in the photo reference! Beautiful! I was going to suggest that you add feet from a different reference and make him stand up, but you got the pink haze of reflected color and have him perfect as is. Whatever made him step into snow so deep he’s up to his little hips or sit down on his haunches, there he is! Wonderful!

                                                    See, you do birds well. I love the tail and the shadow of his tail. He’s very dimensional and rounded well. The snow is perfect. I really like teh variation of hues and values, the dark patch to upper right, the broken color over other light hues that gives an impression of loose snow a bird might sink into. You not only got “snow” but the kind of snow that created the situation – a loose patch that a bird would sink into.

                                                    On the seed – at first sight it looks more like you put some dark marks in to create texture, it didn’t register as seed. Try putting some of it in clumps of seed by pointillism, put lighter brown dots overlapping darker ones, cluster the seed into irregular shapes here and there where there’s more of it to make it easier to tell that’s what the dots are. You did a good job of scattering randomly but one loose irregular abstract shaped heavier patch would help give the impression that’s what it is.


                                                    Robert A. Sloan, proud member of the Oil Pastel Society
                                                    Site owner, artist and writer of http://www.explore-oil-pastels-with-robert-sloan.com
                                                    blogs: Rob's Art Lessons and Rob's Daily Painting

                                                    #1219500
                                                    Nick7
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                                                        It’s funny how you see my sketches with different eyes. I always concentrate on the flaws. Thank you very much for teaching me to like them ;)

                                                        Rob, I will see what I can do about the seeds :)

                                                        Thank you very much.

                                                        "Persistence, and practice will get you where you want to be, even though you will go through some 'dark' stages"

                                                        #1219205
                                                        robertsloan2
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                                                            You do the same thing I do sometimes – see the good points as flaws. Your snow is spectacular but it’s loose and textural, so it might seem “sloppy” or careless or something. I know the feeling, back when I did realism occasional loose sketches looked unfinished or sloppy but people would rave.


                                                            Robert A. Sloan, proud member of the Oil Pastel Society
                                                            Site owner, artist and writer of http://www.explore-oil-pastels-with-robert-sloan.com
                                                            blogs: Rob's Art Lessons and Rob's Daily Painting

                                                            #1219330
                                                            Don Ketchek
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                                                                Nick, You’ve started us off in grand fashion with both a close-up and full version of the cardinal! Both are excellent! You’ve really nailed the red colors and values!

                                                                Don

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