Experimenting with Colour by Linda MacAulay 

Cut the paper to 16 x 21cm and fold in half.  This size fits a standard C6 sized envelope. (115 x 162mm)  You can make the cards any size you prefer but I use this size as I can buy envelopes to fit.	Use your thumbs to create a crease on the card	Place your card on the edge of the table and run a metal ruler at a 45° angle down the crease. Turn the card over and do the same to the other side of the crease.  This will create a neat sharp fold line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Next mask the edges.  I am using 18mm masking tape.  You do this to create a crisp white edge around your painting.	Press the edges of the tape down firmly using the back of your fingernail.  This prevents paint seeping under the tape.	Overlapping the tape on the corners will allow you to tape the card flat when you paint it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put all your tubes of paint regardless of brand into a bag, close your eyes and pull out 3 tubes.  These are the colours you will work with.  Remember the aim is to experiment.	I got AS Australian Turquoise, Holbien Opera and Winsor and Newton Raw Sienna.  Not what I would have choosen but thats the challenging part.	Next put your paints out on your palette and play around with mixing them.  I managed to get a grey, a brown, a green and a purple but no strong darks.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 Now lets use the colours you have choosen in a simple card

Wet the whole card with clean water and then lay down a graded wash of Opera, Raw Sienna and then the brown colour I made by mixing all three colours together.	Next mix a thicker, stronger brown by mixing the three colours together with very little water.  Make sure you paint right over the edge.  Thats what the masking tape is for.	Paint some mulga trees in wet on wet.  See how the paint is spreading.  Work quickly.  I am using a number 8 round synthetic talkon  brush.  These brushes make it easy to control wet on wet in a small area	When the finished painting is dry carefully remove the masking tape to reveal the clean white border.

 

Wet the front of the card with clean water first.  Double loading the brush by dipping one side of a flat brush in the Raw Sienna and the other side in the Opera.	I use flat strokes with my double loaded brush.  This creates a multi-coloured brush mark.	Continue painting the abstract flower shapes using your double loaded brush.  Refill with paint if needed.  All of this is painted on damp paper.	Here are the finished flower shapes created by just a few loose brush strokes.  Notice how I have painted over the edge of the masking tape.

While the background is still damp I laid in a wash of Turquoise. I was careful not to take it too close to the wet flowers so the colour would not run together.	Once the background is completed I wiped the excess puddles up carefully from the edges with a tissue to prevent uneven drying creating cauliflowers.	Here I start to paint the leaves and stems in.  I am using a green created by mixing Turquoise and Raw Sienna with a touch of Opera.  This is added while the background is still wet.	After paintng the card I decided to add some pen over the top to finish it off.  I always find a bit of pen rescues even the worst effort.

Adding pen and wash.  Sometimes I use coloured pens.  Gold and silver pens can look great.	A softer version using more wet on wet and more muted colours	Adding a bit of gouache over the top...don't feel your confined to one medium.  This is all about experimenting and having fun	My wet on wet version of the sunset.

So here are my 4 cards created using exactly the same 3 colours in different ways.  I must admit I was not overly happy with the results but it is a learning experience and I mixed some interesting colours.  It is equally important to learn what is not going to work for you before starting on a large painting.  I read somewhere that all artists only paint about 6 great paintings in their lives.  The rest of their works are just practice for those six masterpieces.  I'm still working on it.

The best way to learn colour theory is by using the relationships in a 12 colour wheel and practicing them in cards.  Here is a link to a very good website detailing this theory.  This really works and once you understand it, you will easily spot complimentary, split complimentary, analogous or triadic colour combinations in the works of many master painters.  www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-harmonies.htm

Another great way to learn colour is by studying other artists and practicing the colour schemes they use in the small cards.

I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you have please take the time to sign up to my newletter and I will send you the latest blog direct along with news of my classes and workshops.

 Happy painting from Linda