Monday, March 29, 2010

Various Palettes



I have been painting a long time (since 1973 when I started studying with Frank Mason at the Art Students League), and since that time I had been using pretty much the same palette, or line-up of colors. This palette was a "Cadmium Palette", meaning I used the full range of cadmiums paints, from cadmium yellow lemon to cadmium red deep. Along with the cadmium colors, I used alizarin crimson, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, raw umber, burnt umber, titanium white (of flake) and ivory black. Under my standard line-up, I made a series of grays using black and white.

When we built our new studio, I decided to expand my knowledge of color a bit, and I started trying different colors in my line-up. Most of the above palettes were used in different "Open" Figure/Portrait Sessions. The above pictures show some of my experiments. As you can see, the grayscale is the one consistency. I learned that there are other colors that I now use and love. Terra Rosa, Viridian, Orange Ochre, and Cadmium Brown are among some of them. Trying new colors keeps you from falling into a formula. It keeps you thinking and problem solving as use paint.

3 comments:

Mary Bullock said...

HI Karen - very interesting to see your palette - I agree that it is important to keep trying new things in our growth as an artist.
I noticed in the pics of the painting group that there are quite a few men - that is really great!It seems in the groups that I participate in that very few men show up. Also, I am curious, do you play music during the painting time?

Karen Winslow said...

Hi Mary - Well, one of those handsome guys is my husband, Jack. He is the one posing by his finished study for the day. We both studied with Frank Mason at the Art Students League, back in the seventies. It is interesting, we do get a number of men in the Open session. Some of them are students from the still life class, and some are other artists who like to work from life. As to the music, I do play music, if it doesn't bother anyone. One of the men in particular hates any noise, so if he is joining us for that session, I refrain from any music. I, personally, if I am painting alone...break into song at any point. :D

Chris Bungart said...

Hello Karen,
I have never cared one why or another about music. Once I start working I barely am cognizant of it. But, I almost always wake in the morning with some music going on in my head.
Anyway, I am very interested in the Dumond Prismatic palette, but have found very little info. Apparently, nothing was ever published on it. Are you aware of any comprehensive references?