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| Loving me some NEUTRAL TINT! |
We all have our "go-to" colors and today I'd like to share with you my new favorite one. It's called "Neutral Tint" and a dear friend and student of mine, who sadly recently passed away, told me about it a couple years ago. Only recently did I decide to purchase it and I'm so glad I did. Thank you, Carolyn!
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| All the shadows on the white building are painted in neutral tint. |
When I first began painting I limited myself to only the primary colors - Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue and New Gamboge. Although I had read a lot about the different properties of the pigments and made charts, I didn't really fully grasp how the paints interacted with water, paper and/or each other. I needed to experience them in "real life." Rather than risk mud, I stuck with the primaries, and always mixed my neutrals from these three pigments.
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| "Big Grapes" - wip Here I used all three primaries to achieve the varying shadows on the white surfaces |
Gradually I added new colors to my collection, sometimes using Winsor Green and Alizarin Crimson for dark blacks for example. When I didn't mix all three primaries for shadows on white, I would often use Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine (and still do sometimes).
Although my palette has expanded, even now when I begin to formulate a color palette for a painting I think in terms of the primaries, plotting out my attack.
Although my palette has expanded, even now when I begin to formulate a color palette for a painting I think in terms of the primaries, plotting out my attack.
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| "Backyard Sunlight" French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna with a little New Gamboge were the chosen colors for my shadows in this painting |
Generally with regards to neutrals, I have always had a bias against using them straight out of the tube, always preferring to mix mine as I feel you achieve much more depth through mixing. For example I don't own any type of black.
I will sometimes use Payne's Gray, but very cautiously, always mixing it with some kind of blue. I feel that neutrals out of the tube tend to be flat and dead. (Ouch . . . that sounded harsh!)
And when I teach, I really frown upon neutrals . . . at least for beginners. They can be "lazy" colors -- easy choices that often bring down a painting, rather than lifting it up. I think it's very important for students to REALLY understand color through a limited palette. It's less frustrating and their use yields more successful results.
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| One of my notebooks where I work out my mixtures and color palette. |
I also encourage charts -- I use them -- but in the context of specific paintings. I "try out" mixtures and take notes in a notebook before using them in a painting. Because there is an immediate purpose and the information is limited I learn it better.
HOWEVER . . . with all that being said . . . along came Neutral Tint! It's quite transparent and just plain lovely. I haven't read up on it, but in my experience, I can use it straight out of the tube and to me, it doesn't appear flat, but remains interesting, appearing as if two pigments are mingling on the page. I like that I can use it on large areas or where I have lots of shadows to paint and not worry that I won't be able to mix enough paint to cover the area and remain consistent when necessary. I'm still cautious though. It seems to stain, so I can't lift it and must be careful with my values. Those of you who follow my blog know my struggles with value! And I still will often mix it to alter its temperature when needed. I guess I still believe that mixing neutrals is probably the BEST method, but in terms of a more "fool-proof" tool, this fool LOVES her Neutral Tint!
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found this post helpful. Feel free to share some of your favorite pigments, I'd love to hear about them.
