All those extra tubes of paint

Ok, so you want to simplify your palette of colors but what about all those extra tubes of paint you bought?

Sorting - Get out all your tubes of paint and sort them into 7 piles. A pile for each primary color - red, yellow and blue. And a pile for each secondary color - orange, green and purple... And one pile for all the "odd" colors.

Now choose two versions (a warm and a cool, or a bright and a dull) of each of the three primary colors  - 2 reds, 2 yellows and 2 blues. This is your basic double primary palette. Six tubes of paint.

As you become familiar with this simplified palette, you can begin to expand your primary color range - example - substituting a purple or green for one of your blues, or an orange or purple for one of your reds, etc. See image above.

You can also add special colors for a special needs. But try to limit your palette to 6-8 colors, plus white.

You now have an interesting and controllable range of colors that you can adjust as needed.

(Remove that "odd" pile of colors and put them away for another use.)

After you have sorted through your tubes of paint, you might find that you have enough choices so that you won't have to buy any more paint - except maybe white - for a long time. Isn't that great!

Happy painting!        

 Celene

My Color Palette

I'm often asked, "What colors do you use?"

Since we know that all colors are created from the three primary colors, this is a good place to start.

I start with a double primary palette - two versions of each of the primaries - red, yellow and blue, plus titanium white. I pick a bright and a dull version of each.

Often a painting will require a special color or two. I add these as necessary but I always start with the basic primary colors - two versions of red, yellow and blue - and build from that.

When painting landscapes, I will often add a violet, orange or burnt sienna - three very helpful and convenient colors to mix with blue to create a variety of greens.

If I am painting lilacs, I will add purple. I can mix a purple, but nothing says "lilacs" to me except Dioxazine Purple and Cobalt Violet.

Seascapes may see the addition of Veridian or Thalo Green.

By starting with the basics - 2 versions of the primary colors and adding the extras needed, you will have better control over your color mixtures.

So, to answer the question, “What colors do you use?” Here is my current basic double primary palette.

Cad Yellow Light & Yellow Ochre

*Light Red & Alizarin Crimson

Ultramarine Blue & Cerulean Blue

Titanium White

Other colors as needed

*Just a note - Light Red, an earth color, is a very saturated, heavy, dull red. It is very strong, so just a little bit goes a long way. A bit added to white makes beautiful, gentle pinks, just a bit added to other colors imparts warmth. It may be a difficult color to handle but I like the subtle reds it produces.

For a brilliant red, mix Alizarin Crimson with Cad Yellow Light. Interesting!

Now what to do with all the tubes of paint you bought and don't need... See ideas in my next post.

Happy painting!     Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

My eBay Store -  eBay Store Celene Farris, Maine Artist

My Facebook Page -  Facebook Celene Farris, Maine Artist

Email me - mail@CeleneFarris.com

Inexpensive Plein Air Kit to Make

Even though it's snowing (again!) this evening, it's time to start thinking about plein air painting. Make this super simple mini pochade kit for 5x7 canvas panels. Very inexpensive. Very efficient.

This box is totally self-contained and small enough to carry anywhere.

My $1.95 pencil box measuring 5x8x2½

My mini pochade box - all set to go.

This box is just the right size for two 5x7 panels. I tape wax paper on the bottom for easy clean-up.

I used a limited number of colors and adjust the consistency of the paint with medium when I add it to the box. (A very small container, maybe something lip balm might come in, can be used as a medium holder if you wish.

Two small packets of handi wipes are taped to the inside lid. A small plastic sandwich bag with two or three paper napkins goes in my pocket.

I was asked how I clean my brushes without turps. I don't carry turps in this kit. I use separate brushes for the darks and the lights, wiping them well between mixtures.

.

I brace the canvas with my thumb while painting, using the lid as my easel.

The box is deep enough to securely hold two wet 5x7 panels placed back to back and on an angle. The used paint brushes, wrapped in a bit of tissue, go back in the box.

A perfect fit.

It closes up, nice and neat.

These inexpensive plastic boxes come in many sizes so you can easily make up a kit to suit the size canvas you prefer.

It's fun to just grab the box and go without having to carry all our usual plein air gear. Great for painting in your car.

Thanks for visiting. Happy painting.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

All those extra tubes of paint...

Ok, so you want to simplify your palette of colors to the double primary palette. But what about all those extra tubes of paint you bought?

Sorting - Get out all your tubes of paint and sort them into 7 piles. A pile for each primary color - red, yellow and blue. And a pile for each secondary color - orange, green and purple... And one pile for all the "odd" colors.

Now choose two versions (a warm and a cool, or a bright and a dull) of each of the three primary colors  - 2 reds, 2 yellows and 2 blues. This is your basic double primary palette. Six tubes of paint.

As you become familiar with this simplified palette, you can begin to expand your primary color range - example - substituting a purple or green for one of your blues, or an orange or purple for one of your reds, etc. See image above.

You can also add special colors for a special needs. But try to limit your palette to 6-8 colors, plus white.

You now have an interesting and controllable range of colors that you can adjust as needed.

(Remove that "odd" pile of colors and put them away for another use.)

After you have sorted through your tubes of paint, you might find that you have enough choices so that you won't have to buy any more paint - except maybe white - for a long time. Isn't that great!

Happy painting!        

On Facebook at -  Celene Farris, A Maine Artist

 My Ebay Store Link

My website link - www.CeleneFarris.com

Simple Mini Pochade Box

I thought I would share this post again since it's almost plein-air time here in Maine. The weather has warmed up a bit and this small kit is perfect to take in the car when you go to town or for a ride. The sun is shining and the snow is just asking to be painted.

My kit is ready. I only have to put out my paints and I am ready to go. I work with a limited palette of white, cad yellow light, yellow ochre, perm rose, ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. How simple is that.

My dollar pencil box measuring 5x8x2½

My mini pochade box.

This box is just the right size for two 5x7 toned panels. I tape wax paper on the bottom for easy clean-up and adjust the consistency of the paint with medium when I add it to the box. I'll be looking for a very, very small container, maybe something lip balm might come in, to use as a medium holder. But for now this works just fine. Two small packets of handi wipes will be taped to the inside lid. A small plastic sandwich bag with two or three paper napkins goes in my pocket.

I was asked how I clean my brushes without turps. I don't carry turps in this kit. I use separate brushes for the darks and the lights, wiping them well between mixtures.

.

I brace the canvas with my thumb while painting, using the lid as my easel.

The box is deep enough to securely hold two wet 5x7 panels placed back to back and on an angle. The paint brushes can either be placed at the bottom edge of the canvas or in the box, wrapped in a bit of the handi wipes.

A perfect fit.

It closes up, nice and neat.

These inexpensive plastic boxes come in all sizes so you can easily make up a kit to suit the size canvas you prefer.

It's fun to just grab the box and go without having to carry all our usual plein air gear.

Thank's for visiting. Happy painting.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store

Drying Cupboard

One of the hazards in an artist's studio is the vapors from drying oil paint. There were days when the paint odor was so strong in my studio that I had to open all the windows and run a fan for a few hours before I could comfortably and safely work there. This was especially inconvenient in cold weather. Now we have solved the problem.

My husband converted this beautiful two-door oak cabinet into a drying and storage cupboard. It works perfectly and the air in my studio is now fresh and clean. 

      

Inside the cupboard he mounted a small exhaust fan at the rear of the top shelf, vented it through the wall and into the garage. Now all the vapors from the drying paint are removed from my studio. This is a small electronics fan designed to run continuously and quietly.

I have always stored my palette and tubes of paint in covered plastic boxes but it was the drying paintings that caused the problem. Now I store all my new paintings and works in progress vertically (separated with clothespins) or in racks in my new cupboard, close the doors and the fan does the rest. 

Oil paintings take a long time to dry completely. Even when they are dry to the touch, they continue to emit vapors while the paint cures. And when you have a large amount of paintings in various stages the odor is very noticeable.

There is also plenty of room for supplies. The shelves are adjustable and I can easily add another shelf if needed. Goodbye clutter.

I feel like I have a new studio.

Thanks for visiting,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store

My Mini Pochade Box

I thought I would share this previous post since it's almost plein-air time here in Maine. We still have a bit of snow on the ground and the wind today was damp and cold, but it won't be long now.

I wanted a small box that I could easily take with me anytime I thought I would have a few minutes to paint. I keep the box ready and only need to add my colors. It's even handy to use while sitting in my car.

My dollar pencil box measuring 5x8x2½

My new mini pochade box.

This box is just the right size for two 5x7 panels. I taped wax paper on the bottom for easy clean-up and adjusted the consistency of the paint with medium when I added it to the box. A small packet of handi wipes goes in my pocket.  

.

I brace the canvas with my thumb while painting, using the lid as my easel.

The box is deep enough to securely hold two wet 5x7 panels placed back to back and on an angle. The paint brushes can either be placed at the bottom edge of the canvas or in the box, wrapped in a bit of the handi wipes.

A perfect fit.

It closes up, nice and neat.

These inexpensive plastic boxes come in all sizes so you can easily make up a kit to suit the size canvas you prefer. It's fun to just grab the box and go without having to carry all our usual plein air gear.

Thank's for visiting. Enjoy.

Celene

Books and Stuff

For days now I have been cleaning and reorganizing my studio. How did I ever collect so much stuff?

The job has taken longer than it should because of the books. I have a large collection of art books that need to be reduced. I sorted them into three piles – keep, sell and maybes. It’s the maybes that have taken the most time because I have to go through them all, sometimes just flipping through pages, others are put aside to be read again.

Books have always been a very important part of my life. I grew up with a den full of books and a library within walking distance of home. Today we still have a den full of books, plus a large bookcase in my office and, of course, another large bookcase filled with art books in my studio.

The art books to be sold have been listed in my Ebay Store and only a few maybes are left to be added after I check them out.

I am also a collector of still-life stuff – old crocks, vintage copper, brass and silver items. Old figurines, vases and other vintage and worn treasures. Chips, dents and cracks only add to their character. Most are remnants of our antiquing days and trips to flea markets and thrift stores. Some are family heirlooms. These are my painting treasures and have been dusted and replaced on their shelves.

It’s so hard to get rid of anything. Maybe I just need a larger studio, or more shelves.

Here is the link to the book section of my Ebay Store  - just in case you need to add another art book to your collection.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

Using My Kindle in the Studio.

I have been sorting through my reference photos stored on my computer and transferring them to folders in my Kindle. I can then use the Kindle image in my studio. This eliminates printing the photo and the annoying problem of color shifting by my printer. 

Reference photos from our trip to Acadia National Park.

My Kindle is clamped to my easel and I have begun the block-in. I am working with a limited palette of the three primaries - yellow, red, blue - plus white and burnt sienna. I have experimented a lot this summer with different color palettes and gamut masking. I do enjoy the color harmony of limited palettes.

The basic block-in is complete. The rock structure is established, but needs simplification.  I want the energy of the water to be dominant. The painting is left to dry overnight.

Acadia Surf, 9x12, oil.

This painting has a new home in Pennsylvania.

Thanks for visiting.

Celene

Making a Mini Pochade Kit.

I have really enjoyed using my small plein air painting kit but sometimes wished that I had an even smaller kit to take with me.

My new mini pochade box.

So I bought a small plastic pencil box, measuring 5x8x2.5.

My dollar pencil box.

The box was just the right size for two 5x7 panels. I taped wax paper on the bottom for easy clean-up and adjusted the consistency of the paint with medium when I added it to the box. A small plastic sandwich bag for trash and a packet of handi-wipes goes in my pocket. No turps are needed as I clean my brush with the handi-wipes. I use one brush for darks and another brush for the light colors. You can also add a small palette knife. I shortened the handles of the brushes to fit the box. 

.

I brace the canvas with my thumb while painting, using the lid as my easel. 

The box is deep enough to securely hold two wet 5x7's placed back to back and on an angle. The paint brushes can either be placed at the bottom edge of the canvas or in the box, wrapped in a bit of the handi-wipes.

A perfect fit.

It closes up, nice and neat.

There is a good selection of inexpensive plastic boxes available to make up a kit to suit the size canvas you prefer. It's fun to just grab the box and go for that "spur of the moment" occasion without having to carry all our usual plein air gear.

Thank you for visiting. Enjoy.

Celene

My Mini Pochade Box

I have really enjoyed using my small plein air painting kit (shown below and described in a previous blog post) but sometimes wished that I had an even smaller kit to take with me.

My original small pochade box (Click here to read previous post.).

So I bought a small plastic pencil box, measuring 5x8x2.5.

My dollar pencil box.

My new mini pochade box.

The box was just the right size for two 5x7 panels. I taped wax paper on the bottom for easy clean-up and adjusted the consistency of the paint with medium when I added it to the box. A small packet of handi wipes goes in my pocket.  

.

I brace the canvas with my thumb while painting, using the lid as my easel.

The box is deep enough to securely hold two wet 5x7's placed back to back and on an angle. The paint brushes can either be placed at the bottom edge of the canvas or in the box, wrapped in a bit of the handi wipes.

A perfect fit.

It closes up, nice and neat.

Comparison.

I added a note to myself to check the paint before I go.

There is a good selection of inexpensive plastic boxes available to make up a kit to suit the size canvas you prefer. It's fun to just grab the box and go without having to carry all our usual plein air gear.

Thank you for visiting. Enjoy.

Celene