The Emotion of Color

I found an interesting article about color and thought I would share my notes with you.

Yellow – Airy, unsubstantial. The color of sunshine. Happy, joyful and warm, yet slightly disturbing if too intense. Often used on caution signs. Taste - sour, acidic.

Ochers and umbers, the darker, duller yellows. Warm, rich, calming, comforting and grounding. The subdued browns of mother earth and nature. The richness of gold and honey. Taste - sweet.

Orange – A happy, luscious, stimulating color, exciting, very warm. Too much can be overstimulating. The color of fire, heat, warning signs. Taste - pleasantly lively and sharp.

Siennas, the darker, duller oranges. Earthier, solid, comforting and rich, but still having a feeling of heat. Taste - sweet, pungent, spicy.

Red – Bold, exciting, intense and forceful. The sign of danger, blood, anger and stop signs. Also the color of sex and romance. Taste - pleasantly rich and sweet.

Advertisers use the colors above to stimulate our senses, especially in the food industry.

Purple – A moody color. The color of mourning, stormy skies and royalty. Somber, aloof, yet richly beautiful. Taste - rich, semi sweet, cloying.

Blue – Calm strength, dignity, honor, truthfulness. Solid and dependable. Uplifting. Often used by banks, the military and law enforcement. Taste - cool, clean and sharp.

Green – Comforting, nurturing, healing, nature's growth. Safe and grounding. The color of grass and money. Often seen in banks, hospitals, libraries and schools. Taste - clean, pleasant but slightly bitter.

Gray – A variable color. Mysterious, somber, dignified, quiet, cold. Can be gentle - fog, mist, rain. Or strong and solid - granite, marble. Taste - cold and damp.

White - Purity, cool, elegant, clean, sanitary. The color of wedding gowns, religious garments, medical uniforms, snow, ice. Taste - cold, clean, refreshing.

Black - Somber, mysterious, dangerous, dignified, sophisticated, powerful. Death and mourning. Funeral attire, tuxedos and formal wear, judicial robes. Film-noir. Taste - unpleasant.

It's interesting to note how these colors and their variations are used by advertisers in designing their logos. And interesting to study our emotional and physical response to colors. Enjoy.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store

Going Fishing, 6x8, oil

Going Fishing, 6x8, oil  SOLD

A fun little painting.
This painting is available in my Ebay Store - landscapes.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com 

November's Virtual Paint Out - Istanbul

This month our Virtual Paint Out Group traveled to Istanbul.

Me and My Shadow, Istanbul, 9x12, oil

Busy reference photo

This painting is available in my Ebay Store - Virtual Paint Out.

To see all my paintings from our Virtual Paint-Out tours, please click here.

Thanks for visiting.
Celene

My Ebay Store - Home

www.CeleneFarris.com 

October Plein Air

Enjoyed a warm day last week to paint outside. This is looking across our fields toward the Camden Hills. The weather is getting a bit chilly and plein air painting is almost over for me this year. Sigh.....

October in Maine, 9x12, oil.

This painting is available in my Ebay Store under Landscapes.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store - Home

A Simple Start

To answer a request from a former student...... "Please help, I've forgotten how to start a painting!"

For me, the start of a painting is very important. If my foundation is correct, the painting will go smoothly. If my foundation is not correct, it will be a battle all the way.

My goal is not to copy exactly what I see, but to create a painting that is well balanced and conveys my feelings about the scene.

Step 1 - The Value Pattern

Step 1 - Beginning with a thin wash of a neutral color on a toned canvas, I lay in my value pattern, breaking the scene into 4 values - dark, mid-dark, mid-light and light. Checking for compositional errors, I adjust shapes, adding, subtracting or moving elements as needed to create a strong composition.

Step 2 - The Foundation Colors

Step 2 - Following my established value pattern, I thinly lay in my foundation colors as correctly as possible and set my extremes - the darkest dark, lightest light, strongest edge and most intense color. These will be my guide points. Then I set the painting aside to dry a bit before working on the finishing steps.

Wilson Stream, 6x8, oil SOLD

Finishing Steps - Respecting what I have already done and using my extremes to guide me, I apply the finishing layers with thicker paint and cleaner colors. I make minor adjustments as needed.

By working carefully and correctly at each stage, you have a good chance for a successful painting.

Thanks for visiting and happy painting,

Celene

My Ebay Store - Home

www.CeleneFarris.com

The Philippines revisited.

My second painting for October's Virtual Paint Out - The Philippine Islands.

Sarangani, Philippines  9x12, oil

This painting is available in my Ebay Store under Virtual Paint Out.

Thank for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store - Home Page

October's Virtual Paint Out - The Philippine Islands

This month we are traveling to the Philippine Islands, an archipelago comprising more than 7000 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. 

Located between Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, the Philippine Islands are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator making these tropical islands of mountains and rain-forests prone to earthquakes, active volcanoes and typhoons. 

The areas covered by Google Street Maps are limited, but I enjoyed reading a bit of the geography and history of the country before touring around and picking my scenes to paint. I was struck by the beauty and poverty of this region.

Plantation
Sarangani, Philippines  9x12, oil SOLD

To see all my paintings from our Virtual Paint-Out tours, please click here.

Thank for visiting,
Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com

My Ebay Store - Home Page