In this post, I’m sharing a fun way to build an interesting palette of colors for a new painting.
OK, I’m not one of those artists who uses only three colors and then mixes them to produce every other color in their painting. That’s very impressive, but it’s just not me. When paints are on sale, I like try out new hues and experiment with those, mixing them with one, then another of my “old” favorites to get a range of new and exciting colors. With each new mix, I swipe a palette knife into the paint and add it to an ongoing sample sheet. Next to the swatch, I jot a quick note of what went into it. These sheets are really helpful when I’m looking for that perfect color to add to a painting that I’m working on.
Here’s a shot of one of my sample sheets where I’m working to produce natural-looking earth and vegetation hues. Note the sequence of colors--I start out by mixing two colors, then I add a third into the mix and swipe that onto the sheet as the next swatch, and so on:
While the sample sheets are helpful, I’ve come up with a fun way to plan out some new color palettes before you begin painting:
1. Pick a mood, scene, or subject matter and think about the full range of colors that you’d like to consider using. Pull those colors from your paint supply. (Obviously, black and white can be part of any palette if you wish). If you're not sure about what colors look best together, check the end of this post for some helpful links.
2. Using a sheet of watercolor paper or heavy white stock, place a daub of one of your colors at the top and use a palette knife to spread it into a 1” by 1/2” swatch. Write the name of the color beneath it. If you want, you can use a moist paper towel to gently wipe off some of the color at one side to show a “wash” of that color. Repeat this for each of your choices until you have several rows of swatches. Remember that you want to keep an open mind, so don’t hesitate to pick colors that you think might be interesting. You’re not going to have to use all of them the first time out!
Example: I wanted to create some palettes that are mostly neutral in feel. So I pulled greys, beiges, creams, and very soft pastels--some warm, others cool. Then I pulled darker hues that could increase my tonal range. I threw in a few brighter hues for accent colors.
Here’s what my color sheets looked like for the neutrals. Yes, I pulled some colors that might raise eyebrows, but since I’m experimenting, what’s the harm? They might make good accent colors. And remember I can tone down any color with black, or create a lighter shade by adding white.
3. With a pair of scissors, cut up the sheet into individual swatches. Be sure to cut across the top of each color (and down the side if you want) to create a color edge--a white margin will prevent you from really seeing how the colors look next to one another.
4. Now play around, combining colors….Start with two that look good together, then expand to three, adding, subtracting, exchanging swatches until you build several groups of 4-5 colors that you can arrange as shown. After you’ve played a bit, you’ll be able to tell what seems to work together. You might even come up with some surprisingly interesting combinations.
Here’s what I came up with (I’ll probably add some of my previously-mixed colors to these groups):
5. While you have them grouped, write down a list of what colors are in each group for future reference. You can paper-clip your groups and keep them in an envelope or container to refer to while painting. You’ll have a lot of swatches left over, but you can come back to them after you’ve tried out your new palette combinations. Have Fun and let me know how it works for you!
6. Helpful Links: If you’d like some help with selecting colors, here are links to two excellent color-picking aids online:
Sessions College for Professional Design
Color Wheel Calculator: https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/
Palleton.com Color planner: https://paletton.com/#uid=75A0v0kpDoBjMNTkOr-ssjXth6h
