As I start to think about various assignments for my advanced painting students this spring, I remember the four-color palette with which I experimented eight years ago. This small study was painted in oils using only four colors: Yellow Ochre, Indian Red, Lamp Black and Titanium White.
To Go, oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches, 2004
The nature of this palette is color temperature and color relativity. Place a cool gray against a warm red and the cool gray appears blue. I will post more example of my paintings using this limited palette if I come across them.
Other variations of four-color earth tone palettes are out there. Experiment, substitute and see what color and spatial relationships you create in your paintings.
EARTH TONE PALETTE:
Titanium White
Yellow Ochre
Indian Red
Lamp Black
Thoughts/Notes:
Venetian Red (more orange/warmer; makes a better orange); Terra Rosa (better pinkish red); English Red is more brown. Lamp is a cooler black, which is good for "blue;" while Ivory Black is warmer. Yellow Ochre substitutions might be explores with Pale Yellow or Naples Yellow for Ochre? 
1 comment:
Hi, Emily - I recall this exercise from university days - thanks for the memory. Sure makes me want to paint, but off to the mighty mighty day job I go today. Will you join the drawing challenge this week? I am hosting for the first time. xxoo, sus
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