I'm often asked, "What colors do you use?"
Since we know that all the colors we see are created by the three primary colors, I limit my tubed colors to these three primaries plus white and mix my colors.
I use a double primary palette - two versions of each of the primaries - red, yellow and blue, plus titanium white. I chose a bright and a dull version of each.
You can alter your choices of these three primaries. This will give you a slightly different nuance of color and that makes it interesting. It's also a way to use up those extra tubes of paint. Just make sure to stick to versions of these primary colors, otherwise you color mixtures will be limited by the pigments you choose.
Occasionally, especially with my night scenes I might need to add a spot of bright color for artificial and neon lights. Flower paintings may also require bits of brighter colors. But these colors are infrequent additions and are stored in a separate container.
For landscapes, be sure to choose the versions of the colors that fit the region where you paint. I live in Maine. Here I see cool, deep greens, earth colors, blue-grays. Years ago when we went to Florida for the winter, on our first trip I made the mistake of taking my “Maine” palette of colors. Big mistake - Florida colors are bright and tropical.
By keeping your color palette simple, you will have better color harmony, simplify your painting procedure - and save money, too.
So, to answer the question, “What colors do you use?” Here is my current double primary palette.
Cad Yellow Light & Yellow Ochre
Light Red & Alizarin Crimson
Ultramarine Blue & Cerulean
Titanium White
Remember that you can switch out different reds, blues and yellows. Have fun!
Happy painting!
Celene
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