So many blues! I am saving money on paint!
I love blue paint! There are many different tubes, jars and bottles of blue pigment on my paint shelf. A lot of the blues look similar, but as I study them, I know that some contain pure pigment, some are mixed with black some are warm, cool, some are tints… There is a lot to keep in mind when working with blue.
When I first completed this painting back in October 2021, it ended up hanging on the wall right beside my computer desk. Depending on their size, the paintings I make either get packed and placed into storage, and if there is room in the wall, or if they don’t fit in the storage, I hang them as I wait for a collector to purchase them.
The painting before I adjusted the composition and color palette.
I am not sure if I was not happy with the large blue area, or if the turquoise along the lower left was too beautiful to leave alone, but this painting called to me for several weeks and I decided to change it the first week of 2022.
I began recording my color palettes when I wrote the workshop, “Expanding on Color”. In my journal, I keep swatches of the paint I mix (I always mix the colors BEFORE I start the painting- it is my warm up best practice) as well as the crayons, oil sticks and pens I may use. Since there are so many blues of each of those, I test them in the book and note their color names. It was very easy for me to flip to the notes I made about this painting and get to work.
The changes took about 2 hours. I removed the varnish from the painting and then made some slight adjustments to the composition, while giving that blue a slight turquoise tint. The results are gradual, but I feel they are actually a great improvement to what I was seeing in the before image. The new painting is below:
“Modern Landscape” abstract painting. 30x30” and available to ship worldwide. Click here for info.
Students frequently mention that they only intended on making small changes to their work, but they end up covering the entire painting! Understanding your pigments and how they will react with layers you are placing them on to, or how they will react when you mix them with other colors is important. I teach everything I know about layering and pigments in the “Expanding on Color” online workshop. The workshop is not just another workshop It includes free coaching, so when you are stuck, or when you have questions for me, I make it a priority to help you daily. 😊
Can you spot the changes in the painting?
“Modern Landscape” abstract painting. Before on the left and the changes on the right.