Exercise: Exploring contrasts
Choose any colour you like (colour A). Now mix a series of several colours that are close in the spectrum to colour A. Paint a series of small squares of colour A, surrounding it each time with one of the colours you’ve mixed. Notice how the centre colour A alters each time in relation to its surrounding colour. When colours that are not opposite to each other on the spectrum (i.e. not complementary) are seen together, they have the effect of cancelling each other out.
Sketchbook 2, pages 23-24
Fig.1. Exploring contrast
Line 1: (top) Red-orange inner squares. The colours surrounding the inner squares are red-violet, orange, red-orange and yellow-orange, although the insert (see figure 1) does not reflect the actual colours.
Observation: The outer colours that are closer to the inner on the colour wheel appeared harmonious. As the outer colour becomes warmer and further away on the colour wheel the inner red-orange appears more defined.
Line 2: Cadmium yellow inner squares. The colours surrounding the inner squares are as above; red-violet, orange, red-orange and yellow-orange. The intent was two-fold. To observe the effect of adding the surrounding colour, and then compare it to line 1 (the red-orange inner).
Observation: It is worth noting that the yellow appeared transparent against the grey background. This in tern gave the yellow inner a green tint. Once again, colours alongside each other on the colour wheel appear harmonious; in this case yellow and yellow-orange. When compared to line 1, the complementary colours have a strong visual impact when placed alongside each other.
Line 3: Ultramarine Blue inner squares. Ignoring the first square in this line the remaining outer colours are blue-violet, blue-green (with zinc white) and yellow green.
Observation: The blue and the blue violet are harmonious presenting a satisfying unity of colour that is pleasing to the eye. Given the proximity of these colours to each other in the colour wheel they should appear analogous. However, the impact of adding white to change the hue creates a luminous affect.
Line 4: (bottom) Observations as above (lines 1 – 3)
As previously observed, there are basic formulas for creating harmony. What I have learnt from this exercise is the significance of hue, value and chroma to develop colour schemes. In this experiment (see figure 2) I used yellow from the same colour family. to create Monochromatic harmony using various values (tints, tones, and shades).
Fig. 2. Monochromatic harmony using cadmium yellow and titanium white oil paints
Complementary colours (i.e. the opposite colour on the colour wheel), when placed next to each other created the strongest contrast for those two colours (see figure 3). For this exercise I used yellow & violet, yellow-green & red-violet, green and red and violet and yellow. The first and last of these squares are the same colours with roles reversed. The intent was to observe what, if any difference placing one inside the other made. Visually, this may be obscured by the two squares that separate them. However, by blocking out these two squares and looking at only at the left and right squares the outer colours become more dominant.
Fig. 3. Complementary colours
The final exercise was to select a pair of complementary colours and paint a square frame in each colour side by side, and a similar frame of white. Mixing a neutral grey colour, fill each of the central squares with this colour.
The grey made both complementary colours stand out, although I think the grey background has a somewhat cooling effect on these colours (yellow-green and red-violet). The inner grey appears darkest against the white background and lighter against the yellow-green and red-violet squares. Of these the grey looks darker against the yellow-green.
Fig. 4. Complementary colours and grey background
Exercise: Successive contrast
Stare at a bright colour for 30 seconds (in this case – red). Now close your eyes and wait until an after-image appears. If you focus hard, a hazy shape should appear of the complementary colour (red will appear as green and so on).
Sketchbook 2, page 27
This phenomenon, known as successive contrast occurs when the colour receptors in the retina are temporarily depleted, in this case for red – leaving the remaining receptors that mix to form the complementary colour blue-green. This also applies after staring at other colours. Having tried this exercise with my with it was interesting how we saw a different after images. We also require different periods of saturation before we can see the after-image satisfactorily. This is common due to the physiological differences between individuals.
Exercise: Colour accuracy
There is no such thing as colour accuracy, as we all perceive colours differently and are drawn by taste, inclination and experience to notice and enjoy certain colours in certain combinations.
Sketchbook 1, pages 35-38 | Sketchbook 2, pages 25-26
It may appear somewhat indifferent to start this exercise with a tonal study (see figure 1). However, given that we are led to believe that colour accuracy is a misnomer, I thought a tonal study may help clear the mind. For this preliminary exercise I used three apples on a glass surface. Using a limited palette of burnt umber, and white oil paints with a quick drying medium. The focus was on the tonal variations reflected off the glass surface, between each object and the light in the room.
Fig. 1. Tonal study
Blocking in the basic shapes of a round form may appear very straight forward. But natural objects are rarely uniform, and by the time soft skinned fruit and vegetables are delivered to the consumer, there are inevitably dents and bruises acquired along the way.
Using a quick drying medium also allows me to revisit a piece of work within a couple of days, adding layers to build up tone and depth. Although this is time consuming for this course and any natural forms will inevitably continue to decay.
For a colour study I again used fruit (see figure 2). I am confident in my choice of colours although the subject matter is simple and perhaps lacks initiative or interest as a composition. That said, using a directed light and a reflective surface, there was lots to observe and by moving my own position backwards and forwards, light, colour and reflections altered and were often difficult (if not impossible) to recreate accurately.
Fig. 2. Apples on glass
Assess colours against subject:
- Does it stand out? I feel this may be in the eye of the viewer and down to personal taste. While the subject and form are simple I did incorporating a reflective surface to present a different dimension and viewpoint.
- Are certain colours too vivid or not bright enough? On the whole I feel the colours are representational except for the red on the forward left of the apple. This could have been deeper/darker.
- Is the painting lighter in tone or darker than the prevailing tones of the still life arrangement itself? On reflection I believe the tones to be lighter, especially when compared to my sketches and tonal study. I found it difficult to create the differing tonal variations in the glass surface, mainly because of the light coming from one side (the right), light projected down from a ceiling light, and my own movement back and forth from the easel. As a result is was difficult to capture the subtlety of different shadow colours.As an example, shadow under the apple that is reflected in the glass is dark, but the light reflected from the glass to the underside of the apple was light.
Exercise: Still life with complementary colours
Make a colour study of your still life using only a narrow range of colours. This will require great concentration and discipline in observation and interpretation. Make the most of using colour in an inventive way.
Sketchbook 1, page 39 | Sketchbook 2, pages 28-33
For the preliminary work I used different mediums; pastels, extra soft pastels and oil pastels to experiment and develop a composition. I had previously stretched and prepared oil paper and used oil paint to produce the final composition.
Fig. 2. Preliminary studies using various media
Having decided to use apples as the subject matter I was naturally drawn towards red and green although I was perplexed how this would manifest to using colour in an inventive way. Before starting I revised an earlier exercise by producing a colour study scale. I originally used primary colours straight from the tube. However, this didn’t create the effect; colours or hues, that I wanted to achieve. Mixing cadmium yellow and ultramarine blue created a varied range of hues. I considered the inclusion of yellow as an inventive use of colour.
Fig.1. Complementary colour scale study
The challenge of using a narrow range of colours for a still-life, in this case just two colours, is that natural objects are seldom just two colours. Therefore, concentration and observation of tonal variations, and a little imagination, was paramount. Using familiar objects helped but should not become an excuse for complacency. Having used fruit for previous exercises it could be argued that it lacks imagination. I would argue that natural objects continuously change; they blossom and then they decay. Cutting one of the apples in half it started to dry out under the heat of lamp and turn a brownish green.
Having previously prepared an oil paper surface with an acrylic wash I used charcoal to outline each form, which I later rubbed off with a linen cloth so it left only faint marks. I had mixed a range of red and green hues but with observation of the composition these only sufficed as a scale from which to go lighter or darker. As discovered during earlier exercises, colour and hues can appear differently when placed alongside each other. The benefit of using oil paint allows such flexibility to remove paint from a surface (which helps if the surface has been stretched).
On reflection, I was pleased with the brush strokes marks and some aspects of the painting. However, there are also aspects which I feel are lighter in tone than the actual still life arrangement. Notably, the tones of red on the underside of the apples in the foreground. I could have also considered using paint more creatively. For example, using pointillism to allow the eye to mix colours as they are seen on the canvas.
Fig. 2. Still life using complementary colours (sketchbook p. 33)
Exercise: Still life with colour to evoke mood
The aim of this exercise was to create a mood or atmosphere by the use of colour and handling of paint. During my research and provisional studies I felt that there was another element to creating mood and atmosphere – the use of light. Indeed the use light to spotlight important aspects of a painting can set a mood.
Sketchbook 2, pages 34-41
Caravaggio (1571-1610) created dramatic paintings. Renowned and widely recognised for his style of painting that uses light to dramatically highlight specific points in his compositions. Through the use of chiaroscuro, the stark contrast between the dark and light areas in his work creates a charged, theatrical atmosphere.
Giorgio Morandi (1890-1964) was a master of the still life genre. Using everyday bottles and boxes for his still life arrangements his use of light to fill the space in his paintings is like creating a silence, as if nothing else happens or matters.
The work of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is often identifiable by his use of bright colour and decorative patterns. Matisse expressed light through bright saturated colour and simultaneous contrast, juxtaposing complementary colours to create a vibrancy and greater effect of one against the other.
I have drawn upon the work of these artist to explore how I might be able to create mood and atmosphere. For my preparatory studies (see figure 1) I used a range of mediums; oil pastels, extra soft pastels and oil paint as well as different coloured surfaces. Having already alluded to the importance of light, I also experimented with tonal studies using a limited palette. From my provisional studies I was keen to pull through certain aspects to my final piece for this exercise, including; the contrast between dark and light areas and the controlled exposure of colour (through controlling the light source) and juxtaposing complementary colours. I therefore decided to produce to paintings that incorporated the same objects but with a varied exposure of light.
Fig. 1. Preparatory studies
For the first of two paintings (see figure 2) I prepared a pre-stretched oil paper surface by blocking out the background and table top using oil paint diluted with a quick drying medium. Although the tonal values were not accurate they did provide a platform to work from. Once this had dried (24 hrs later) I used a Persian blue oil paint (diluted with a quick drying medium) to draw an outline of each form while at the same time blocking out the some of the more prominent tonal variations. The intent for this exercise was to saturate the front of the objects with light to create vibrancy. Painting the reflection of the glass with Persian blue oil paint proved to be an error I was unable to erase without compromising the reflected surface.
Figure 2
Figure 3. Glass and Apples – Still life with colour to evoke mood (sketchbook p. 41)
For the second piece for this exercise (see figure 4 and 5) I once again started by blocking out the background and table top by using dark green-blue oil paint diluted with a quick drying medium. The intent was to dramatically highlight specific points in the composition and to do so I moved the spotlight further back from the objects so its surroundings were dimly lit or in darkness. While trying to retain the colour vibrancy of the apples I included the jar to create depth to the shadows (which are almost lost in the background). Although this exercise was to create a mood or atmosphere by the use of colour and handling of paint, it intriguingly linked to the impact that light has on colour, and a composition. Using a palette of predominately two complementary colours red and green, I feel that the green-brown background and the green apple have a natural affinity associated with nature and simplicity while red is very much ‘look at me’ or a warning. Making the the jar bluish accentuated the distance from the warm fruits in the foreground.
Figure 4
Fig. 5. Still life with colour to evoke mood (sketchbook p. 40)
Reflection:
For both compositions I predominately used the complementary colours red and green. I feel this worked well and highlights how colour can be a powerful way to convey emotion. Now that I am painting more frequently I have naturally refined my brushwork whilst still retaining a looseness which I am comfortable with. I feel that both pieces create create a very different mood or atmosphere by the use of colour and handling of paint. One very vibrant and energetic, the other mysterious. One aspect of painting under a spot-lamp is that the finished painting (see figure 5.) looks completely different when viewed under natural light.
I really enjoyed this exercise. It took me down numerous rabbit holes which, although time consuming, was necessary for my own artistic development.
OCA BA(Hons) Painting Degree - Level 1 