Color theme

"Tools of the Trade",  Acrylic 14 x 11 inchesAVAILABLE AT DPWS

Today my three colors are:Ultramarine Blue (Golden brand), Nickel Titanate Yellow (Daniel Smith), and Quinacridone Coral (Daniel Smith).  Picked these three just because they are colors I like, pretty simple reason, but why not? Thought I would mention the brands because different brands of paint are a little different.  Yesterday the Viridian green I used was Liquitex and I think it is a little less blue than other brands.
When I am planning these "harmony paintings" I pick the colors but also decide on one color being a dominate color, in this case it was the blue.  Probably will do another but using a different one of the group as dominate.  Called this Tools of the Trade, wine and paint brushes, why not:)

Mary

Painting with Leftovers

Acrylic 10 by 8 inches, acrylic skin and paint knife

      

I Thought II             I thought I would share a neat way to use leftover acrylic paint.  Depending on what you use for a palette, often the dry paint film can be pulled off.  There are palettes of plastic that are made for just that, but plastic sheets used as drop clothes work well to.  I often cover the whole table I am working from with a plastic sheet then use the whole table as a palette.

Once there a     Once there are enough dry layers of acrylic you can catch an edge and peal it off.  Usually, the under layer is the most interesting.  You can then cut the piece of acrylic film, often called a skin, and glue it down to a painting surface with an acrylic gel medium, let it dry and paint over and around it to make a new and interesting piece of art.

A dry acrylic film ready for my next work

This is the underside, it is usually shinny, smooth and very interesting

Color Please

I love doing this style of abstract painting; it is like putting a puzzle together.

This can be done in watercolor or acrylic.  If you use acrylic, fluid acrylics work the best.

The trick is to let the colors flow and blend on the paper or board (I am using Aqua boards in the examples. Blowing on the colors will help direct drips and runs.  But the key to making it work is to really plan your color choices first and then stick to them.  The main colors; magenta, crimson red, viridian green, Quinacridone gold, (golden fluid acrylics) teal and Indian red ink.  The first time you do this try using just 3 colors.  Limiting the colors will help prevent ending up with a puzzle in shade of mud.  Wet your paper or board in random areas, then drop colors in not letting them touch until you tilt and move the paper.  When you get some interesting colors and drips set it aside and let it dry.  There should be distinct colors, blended colors, and plenty of white spots in random shapes with a far amount of drips. I also just use one large flat brush and a disposable pipette, because at this point I want the picture to paint it’s self in the water.

   After it is dry, start painting in colors, mixing some neutral colors from the ones you started with adding white or black to create light and dark neutrals.  Let that dry completely.

     The last step is to add some detail, I use paint markers.  Also, Working on more than one at a time, help pass the time as each one is drying.

my tools that start the painting.

randomly wet areas

the first drops of colors, I usually start with just 2 colors.

one more color and some more swirling.

My colors choices, for the 3 boards I will work up.

drops and swirls

more drops

more drips

Starting to add more color

the three mid way thru

 

 

 

One done 2 more to go.

An example in watercolor and ink