COLOUR MIXING STUDIES

Last month I posted about the online workshop I'm currently taking part in - Nancy Hillis Studio Journey. Well the most recent exercises I've been doing have been based around colour mixing.

Exercise One - Russet Play

Choose 2 secondary colours and mix with white and black. I chose purple and orange which I have learnt make the fabulous colour RUSSET. I then create some studies in my sketch book by playing with the colours I'd mixed.

See my painting process build around each picture above and in the movie below.

Exercise Two - Zorn Palette

Named after an artist called Zorn who painted with just red, yellow, black and white and all the combinations between them. I mixed yellow with red (2:1;1:1;1:2) red with black (same ratios) black with yellow (same ratios) then add white equally to all. Finish by adding in the 'missing' third colour (red in the black and yellow mix/ black in the red and yellow mix etc). Then I had some fun playing with the new colours I'd created. See timelapse below.

Practical details

• As you can see in my videos I use a whole variety of items to create a picture - china markers, colour shapers, palette knives and spatulas, paint pens, circle stickers, sponges and I love to splat!
  
• For the colour mixing I used freezer paper (plastic coated) wrapped around a piece of wood, I sprayed with water and covered with baking tins - the paint stayed wet for days.
• I really enjoyed this exercise as it pulled me away from the normal palette of colours that I use, forcing me to work with colours and combinations of colours that I wouldn't normally try. I especially liked the russet and the lime greeny colour made with black and yellow.
  
• I did part of these exercises during the school holidays and ended up working alongside my 6 year old daughter whose experimental playfulness with my art tools really inspired and provoked me!