STEP 3 Mixing the Color You See

This is the third step in the color workshop. I will be holding another workshop in the future and will let you know when - I imagine it will be later this year. For now, you can get going on these exercises and go farther with your understanding of working with paint color and how to mix it.

Okay, in step 3 we will learn to name the color that we see:



Learning to name the colors you are looking at will help you mix, adjust and match the color you are seeing. This exercise will help you to break it down into the three descriptions listed below.

1. HUE The HUE is simply the common name of the color. (To name the hue, pick one of the Spectrum Colors - RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, VIOLET, - or you may include an intermediary such as RED-ORANGE, YELLOW-ORANGE, YELLOW-GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, BLUE-VIOLET, & RED-VIOLET. Use your color wheel to identify the closest hue.


2. VALUE The VALUE is the lightness or darkness of a color. It will simplify the process if you can identify one of three values. LIGHT VALUE (or high key) - MEDIUM VALUE (or middle key) - or DARK VALUE (low key).


3. SATURATION or CHROMA SATURATION is the brightness or dullness of a color. The intensity of saturation will describe how brilliant the color is, or how grayed a color is. To describe a colors SATURATION it will be easier to keep it broken into three categories, as we did when we identified the value, such as: HIGH SATURATION, or bright; MIDDLE SATURATION, or middle, or LOW SATURATION, dull.

So, to describe a color simply, we bring the three above terms together. (HUE, VALUE & SATURATION). FOR EXAMPLE: You could describe a red-orange of high saturation & high value, or you could say it more briefly by describing the color as a light, bright red-orange. Another example for a color such as blue-green of low value & low saturation could be described more simply as a dark dull blue-green.

MIXING THE COLOR YOU SEE:

To mix the color you are looking at, use a spot screen to isolate the color. Now describe what you are seeing using what we've discussed.

What is its HUE? (common name of local color)

What is its VALUE? (light, medium or dark?)

What is the SATURATION? (brighter or duller?)

EXAMPLE: To mix a dark dull blue-green you would use what you learned from our color wheel in step 1, and then what you learned about mixing neutrals using complements in step 2. So, blue-green is a mixture of Pthalo Blue and Pthalo Green plus a hint of white. This is your HUE. Now you need to match the SATURATION or CHROMA, of what you see by mixing the COMPLEMENT into the mix. (This will reduce the saturation of your color mix. Using your color wheel you would discover the complement of blue-green is red-orange. We also learned that red-orange is the same as the tube color Cadmium Red Light. After adding this to the mix, you would then adjust the VALUE to what you think you see. You can lighten the mix by adding white or darken it by adding a darker hue. Keep in mind that at the point when you add white, you are making your mix lighter but you are also making it cooler. You will need to consider this anytime you add white to a mix.

** If you are mixing and comparing and you are close, but it's not there yet, then consider that what you see may be warmer of cooler than your mix. If it looks warmer, add a warm hue. Depending on what colors you are working with go with yellow ocher or orange, or something on the warm side of the color wheel. If it is cooler, go to the cool side of the color wheelI

I believe that if you take the time to get through this exercise you will have made progress toward your understanding of color. It will allow you to find the color you are searching for and it will give you the tools to mix the colors you need for your painting.

Next, step 4. After I finish sharing the exercises for our color workshop, I will get back to Provence. I have more photos to share and some more learning experiences. I also will post a couple of paintings I'm working on. First of all, I am learning more about painting the figure, and have gone back to that since I've been home from France. I'm really wanting to get it! I have a painting going that is driving me crazy. I might toss it before I get it posted. We'll just have to wait and see. Secondly, I have about finished a new landscape taken from a study I brought back from Provence. It's okay. I'm not sure if it is finished. But I do want to share it with you. I'm having a tough time though, because I have all these ideas going on in my head at once, and not much to show for it. Hopefully I will get going on a bit of a flow. Meanwhile - well, I'm just gonna keep at it as best I can.

Thanks for checking in.