March 26, 2019
A few weeks ago I mentioned I was heading into the studio to experiment with a more limited color palette. I thought I’d show you the results of that experimentation.
Oil on Canvas, 60×40
The painting “Shadows on the Taylor Fork” uses five colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, and blue-violet. OK, truth be told, a little bit of blue’s complementary color found it’s way into the painting. How did that orange sneak in there? But for the most part the painting succeeds on the strength of analogous color harmony.
When using a limited color scheme it’s the modulation of value, lightness and darkness, of each color that keeps the composition engaging. My eye keeps moving throughout the painting and slams to a stop when it hits the orange. That’s what creates the visual tension I want in my work.
Always trying to keep things a little off balance guys. Let’s not get TOO comfortable!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall