Class Demonstration - Floral Color Wash Technique

Yesterday in class I painted from a live floral set up using the Color Wash Technique. It was an interesting exercise in warm and cool. The shadows looked cool, but they were really on the warm side. The key in a case like this one is to compare the color temperatures to one another.  When I was judging this set up, the flowers were very warm, which made the shadows look rather cool. It works much like values, the easiest (not easy), way to judge is to compare.

I like to look at my subject and compare the shape that I'm working on to the shape next to it. When I'm making a color decision, do the same and compare the shape you are working on to the shape next to it, while squinting at your subject or set up.

Color temperature decision making is one of the more difficult things for a painter. Color itself can be tricky. We get a little confused because we sometimes think that a color is either warm or cool. Not so! It is all relative. Try to make your decisions based on whether your color/value shape is darker or lighter and also warmer or cooler than the surrounding shapes.

This will be a little easier after you have blocked in the original color value shape - and you get it right or nearly right. At this point you can judge more easily.