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January 25, 2013 at 8:45 pm #990547
This mini palette was discussed in another thread, and I wondered, if you had it, what 6 colours you’d put in it. The obvious is 3 warm and 3 cool primaries, but that actually doesn’t necessarily create the most useful options. What colours would you choose?
Cheers, JaneJanuary 25, 2013 at 9:57 pm #1179929I’d select a primary and secondary palette, with one paint of each of the primary and secondary colors. It will give you a palette with much greater saturation than the standard warm-cool primary trio.
But this palette is much, much too small for my brushes and paintings, and doesn’t have nearly enough palette wells. Have you tried a large-well John Pike palette? Now there’s a real palette.
In the end, however, what’s best is what works best for what you paint and the way you paint it.
Sling paint,
VirgilSling paint,
Virgil Carter
http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/January 26, 2013 at 12:07 am #1179927If I had this palette I’d use it for spontaneous away from home little sketches. So I’d want colors suitable for how I like to do such sketching. I don’t care much for getting precise or brilliant colors, but would want to get a good range of tonal values and warm/cool atmospheric effects. So something like:
ultramarine blue
prussian blue
chromium green oxide
burnt umber or sepia
cadmium yellow light
cadmium red lightJanuary 26, 2013 at 5:17 am #1179896somehow i think this kind small palette sounds impossible to me. and if must to do it i maybe choice colours what w&n recommend which i dont have time search it.btw i think to me w&n french ultramarine blue is must have colour.
January 26, 2013 at 5:23 am #1179869Check out the Top 20 FAQ for suggested palettes.
Doug
We must leave our mark on this worldJanuary 26, 2013 at 6:38 am #1179981Check out the Top 20 FAQ for suggested palettes.
Doug
My question was more of a curiosity thing. I don’t own the box, but am curious about colour choices. 20 is easy. So is 12 really, but 6 is more of a challenge – what 6 colours could you limit yourself to.
I agree that for me too Ultramarine Blue would be in there, and Quinacridone Gold, Permanent Red Deep, Burnt Sienna, and probably Goethite and Buff Titanium.
Cheers, JaneJanuary 26, 2013 at 8:39 am #1179877I love to play “what if” games!
Firstly, I really like that little palette even though I think it might even be too small as a travel palette.
I participated in Sylvia’s triad Class some time ago. As a result of that Class, I bought Nita Leland’s book on Colour where she explores combinations of pigments. The challenges of painting with such limits is interesting and it really helped me to better understand the variety of colour that could be mixed.
So… I would have “sets” of half pans filled with a variety of triads consisting of some red, blue and yellow. I would keep burnt sienna, viridian and azo orange as my other three standby’s. When I tired of one set of triads I could switch them out for something new…
Char --
CharMing Art -- "Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art." Leonardo DaVinci
January 26, 2013 at 10:00 am #1179872Cadmium yellow light, Quin. red, cobalt blue, burnt sienna, Paynes grey, and cadmium orange.
January 26, 2013 at 12:33 pm #1179902…and Buff Titanium.
An interesting choice; why do you like this one so well, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. Thanks!
dpc(a lapsed w/c purist)
Eyes & Skies; My Daily Painting blog: http://eyesandskies.blogspot.com/
http://dpc-watermedia.blogspot.com/January 26, 2013 at 2:21 pm #1179962Ultramarine Blue
Magenta
Scarlet Lake
Winsor Yellow
Burnt Sienna
Phthalo Blue (GS)Which is not quite the true secondary palette in that I’d forego the green for the Burnt Sienna. Or more likely I’d cheat, toss in a half-pan of the green (PG7) and get to seven colors.
January 26, 2013 at 3:49 pm #1179952Hmmm. My six might be very unusual if I was heading outdoors to paint something in particular, and knew what colors might be needed. For general use, I think I’d go with one of these:
Favoring neutrals and violets:
Ultramarine Blue (PB29)
Quin Rose (PV19)
Burnt Umber (PBr7)
Green Gold (PY129)
Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150)
Quin Burnt Orange (PO48)Favoring oranges and greens:
Thalo Turquoise (PB16)
Quin Red (PR209)
Pyrrole Orange (PO73)
Green Gold (PY129)
Nickel Azo Yellow (PY150)
Quin Burnt Orange (PO48)Actually, I could probably paint happily forever if I could just have two more, but that wasn’t the question Each includes a favorite pair of pigments: Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Umber on one list, and Thalo Turquoise + Quin Burnt Orange on the other. The latter actually produces some surprisingly nice greens.
Like many of you I have a big drawer full of paint, almost all single pigments, and do use all of them as needed. To feel “ready for anything” though one of the six packs above would get it done.
CK =)
I take great comfort in knowing that my genuine typos will probably be blamed on some device's autocorrect.
DIY art supplies, sketches, and more: cyntada.com / @cyntadaJanuary 26, 2013 at 6:54 pm #1179982and Buff Titanium
An interesting choice; why do you like this one so well, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. Thanks!
dpcWell I think if you were to limit to just 6 pigments, you are travelling light and need the colours for plein air. If I am painting outdoors, I am looking at rocks, beaches, pebbles, stones, gum trees, people, flowers…I wouldn’t use white, but Buff titanium is a lovely granulating creamy colour that works well for any of these. It also converts Ultramarine blue to cerulean with a touch of quin gold, and perm red deep to pink, and creates flesh tones with burnt sienna and quin gold or goethite. Dropped into a deep green damp wash (ultra + quin gold) wash it creates instant moss effects. Very useful!
Cheers, JaneJanuary 26, 2013 at 7:01 pm #1179983…Actually, I could probably paint happily forever if I could just have two more, but that wasn’t the question Each includes a favorite pair of pigments: Ultramarine Blue + Burnt Umber on one list, and Thalo Turquoise + Quin Burnt Orange on the other. The latter actually produces some surprisingly nice greens.
OK Cyntada, so what would your two more be? Maybe I should add a poll…If I were to make it 8, I’d add Undersea green (convenience) and ‘Bistre’, ready make burnt sienna and ultramarine mix, for convenience….then I think I could paint forever too without having to mix all the time.
I think 6 is very limited for watercolour, though I know a watercolourist who does wonderful work using only Ultramarine, Quin magenta, Quin Gold, Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna. Nothing else, though she does like Cerulean….In oils it’s no problem but in watercolour such a limited palette also limits the choices regarding transparency, granulation etc.
Cheers, JaneJanuary 26, 2013 at 8:07 pm #1179913Quite interesting…and a bit mind boggling for someone who LOVES color and LOTS of it!
The question arose, three warm and three cool primaries? I would say yes to that. You could pretty well mix dozens of mixes with those (including your burnt umbers, paynes grays, etc. etc.! And you could incorporate your favorites into those. You would then have a NUMBER of triads to choose from!
AND, to make matters worse, you should choose your colors as to what you LOVE to paint. Vibrant Florals would need a different palette. Portraits would need a different palette. Landscapes would need a different palette. Wildlife, Domestic Pets, Still Lifes etc etc and etc. (Do we have a pulling out hair in exasperation icon?)
For a six color palette, I would not choose any type of white (I think Buff Titanium is a bit TOO heavy, even for me who loves to paint with opaques!) It would be better to make diluted grays/browns/sands to take the place of the Buff Titanium….
Margarete
When he, the Spirit of truth is come...he will be your Guide... Holy Bible (Old and New Testament)
Under the Concrete are Flowers Yet to be Born...from a Chilean PoemJanuary 26, 2013 at 9:09 pm #1179903and Buff Titanium
Well I think if you were to limit to just 6 pigments, you are travelling light and need the colours for plein air. If I am painting outdoors, I am looking at rocks, beaches, pebbles, stones, gum trees, people, flowers…I wouldn’t use white, but Buff titanium is a lovely granulating creamy colour that works well for any of these. It also converts Ultramarine blue to cerulean with a touch of quin gold, and perm red deep to pink, and creates flesh tones with burnt sienna and quin gold or goethite. Dropped into a deep green damp wash (ultra + quin gold) wash it creates instant moss effects. Very useful!
Sounds yummy; thanks! (And so are all those gorgeous watercolor mixing charts at your website; double thanks!!)
dpc
(a lapsed w/c purist)
Eyes & Skies; My Daily Painting blog: http://eyesandskies.blogspot.com/
http://dpc-watermedia.blogspot.com/ -
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