Home › Forums › The Learning Center › Color Theory and Mixing › mixingcolor for old cedar log cabin
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August 30, 2017 at 12:19 pm #995271
How can I mix the color of old cedar planks? I’ve tried several browns (my own mixes and the various siennas and umbers), reds (Cad light, red oxide, and Cad red deep hue), and yellows (Cad light and yellow ochre.) As soon as I lighten with white, I get a creamy-looking paste instead of that off-yellow, red and brown tinged color that I want. Unbleached titantium white doesn’t get it either. Note that a similar red-brown-yellow should show up in my path with leafy debris. Am I just mixing too much of each addition and missing the boat? Any other suggestions?
August 30, 2017 at 12:39 pm #1272131August 30, 2017 at 4:05 pm #1272139Here is my reference photo. Particularly note the facia boards on the right side under the roof and the window trim on the right side.
August 30, 2017 at 6:23 pm #1272133Have you tried toning your color down with a little black? Or gray? (But not with Payne’s Gray, which includes blue.)
AJ (opainter), C&C always welcome
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August 30, 2017 at 8:39 pm #1272137Also, especially with trees, wood, I prefer to layer in the various colors on canvas rather than mix them on palette (I work mainly in acrylics)
August 30, 2017 at 9:55 pm #1272129Have you tired the Virtual Palette tool here-
https://www.wetcanvas.com/colormixer/colormixer.php
I tried a crimson -1, sienna – 2 & a deep yellow -1 then a bit of white to lighten.. looked like a close match..
Or go darker with an under paint color then dry brush or lightly scumble the lighter color on top. *how Jerry Yarnell usually does it with acrylics..*~Joy~
August 30, 2017 at 11:02 pm #1272138Try lightening it with a light value yellow rather than white???
That’s what I’d suggest too.
I love mixed media!
August 31, 2017 at 10:06 am #1272132You’ve chosen a nice but quite difficult image for a beginning painter. So lots to learn there!
I agree with not using (too much) white to lighten the color. The facia boards are basically a dull yellow/orange. I’d say yellow ochre, burnt sienna and black will get you pretty much there. Maybe you need a little burnt umber and alizarin crimson (or something like it) for the darker parts.
The shadowed wall (with the ladder) is much more a blueish/purpleish grey. Getting this correct is important, too. The leafy debris in the path are a litte more towards orange than the facia boards. And don’t forget to check your values (light/dark). They play a big role in the perception of color as well.
Good luck!
August 31, 2017 at 1:22 pm #1272140Also, especially with trees, wood, I prefer to layer in the various colors on canvas rather than mix them on palette (I work mainly in acrylics)
Don’t acrylics generally cover up previous layers – at least opaque top layers? Or do you mean mix wet paint on the canvas?
August 31, 2017 at 1:25 pm #1272141You’ve chosen a nice but quite difficult image for a beginning painter. So lots to learn there!
Good luck!
There must be a Murphy’s Law that says something like: “The interest in a subject is inversely proportional to the skill of the artist.” At least I’m finding it that way. What a fun hobby!
August 31, 2017 at 1:36 pm #1272142You’ve chosen a nice but quite difficult image for a beginning painter. So lots to learn there!
Good luck!
For what it’s worth, here is my attempt thus far. (Apologies for poor photography. I’m also a novice at that.) The foreground is definitely a work in progress and, with all this good advise, I’m ready to paint over the cabin. Any further advise will be greatly appreciated.
August 31, 2017 at 1:38 pm #1272143The Virtual Palette tool looks like a god-send for a novice like me! I can see it saving many hours and $ in getting an initial color mix. I’ll use it this afternoon.
September 1, 2017 at 5:11 am #1272130There must be a Murphy’s Law that says something like: “The interest in a subject is inversely proportional to the skill of the artist.” At least I’m finding it that way. What a fun hobby!
Very true!
Your attempt is quite good. Your drawing and perspective aren’t too far off, and your colors are pretty accurate (a little too saturated, but most beginners do that). To improve your painting I’d focus on values mostly now. Some tips:
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[*]The wall with the ladder (in the reference picture) is a bit darker and a lot cooler in color than the other wall. In your painting the are more or less the same color and value
[*]The trees on both sides are a lot denser and darker than you have painted them
[*]The foreground is quite a bit lighter than you’ve painted itI think these points are relatively easy to fix, but will result in a big improvement. I’ve turned the reference and your painting into greyscale images to see the differences in value more easily:
September 2, 2017 at 1:41 pm #1272134the virtual palette tools, including https://www.wetcanvas.com/colormixer/colormixer.php
Can be very helpful, but learning how colors go together on your own might be remembered more easily. Yes, it takes time, and money, but you don’t have to mix huge piles of paint. Mix small amounts–a tiny bit of this + a little of that, maybe a scootch of a third. Maybe even make color charts of colors and ingredients.
These sites are not digital mixers, but guides for DIY:
30 Colour Mixing Tips For Artists, How to Mix Colours When Painting
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/arti…ixing-tips.htm
and
An Artist’s color mixing guide to oil paint.
http://www.easy-oil-painting-techniq…ing-guide.htmlI have a few document files with information about many color(s) and use them frequently. Something like that may help you.
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