Home Forums The Learning Center Color Theory and Mixing Colours for realism

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  • #472624
    Richard P
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        Although very saturated bright reds and yellows are gorgeous, apart from say flower pictures do you ever need sure a saturated colour when doing realism?

        I use earth colours where I can and rarely need the others.

        #820693
        Gigalot
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            With CMYK +White paints you can mix both, saturated and earth colours. Earth colors are not necessary, but they are lightfast and useful.

            #820696
            Richard P
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                I know they are not necessary but they are much cheaper than using cadmiums, as well as lightfast.

                #820694
                yellow_oxide
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                    I also mainly use earths, plus ultramarine blue. The kinds of scenes that I usually paint can be done entirely with those, but some other scenes would also need an option for a more chromatic green or some accents in a sunset.

                    Even then I find myself needing to neutralize yellow ochre with plenty of white and a little of some sort of neutralized earth or sometimes a little ultramarine violet because it’s still too chromatic for something like a rocky cliff, unless it’s in golden hour lighting.

                    Value and form matter much more for realism than hue and chroma.

                    #820692
                    llawrence
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                        I think the answer can partly depend on the medium. When I was painting in oils I did almost everything in earths and lead white, and when I did need something more intense I usually didn’t have to use very much—just a little bit in the right places could make the entire piece of drapery or whatever seem brighter in color.

                        Now I’m working in gouache and casein. The colors dry matte, and earths can come out looking quite dull. I find I’m having to modify them with higher chroma colors much more regularly than I did with oil paints.

                        #820695
                        Pinguino
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                            This would be a good time to inspect the works of Caravaggio.

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