Tip of the Month - May 2001
BLUE, a most wonderful color. Like the other primaries, there is no perfect one. It is better to have 2-4 different blues to cover all your needs. These are the blues that I suggest:
- French Ultramarine Blue; a blue-violet, partially staining, & sedimentary.
- Phthalocyanine Blue; a greenish blue, staining, & very transparent
- Cobalt Blue; an almost perfect blue, reasonable transparent, & not strong
- Cerulean Blue; a greenish blue, opaque, & sedimentary
Your choice of the ideal blue can be made by first determining the color you wish and next by looking at the physical properties of the chosen color.
Like the red & yellow primaries, the blues lean towards one of the other 2 primaries.
Keep in mind that 2 primaries in the mix create vibrant colors and 3 primaries in the mix create dull or muted colors. Choose according to the effect that you are looking for.
Each of the blues have been mixed with 1) cadmium yellow, 2) permanent rose:
Sedimentary colors can lift when additional color is glazed over it. Soft brush movement in the glaze can help, but it is better to use the sedimentary color on top of other color to avoid dirtying the mix.
Our old friend INDIGO: (mixed with 1 cadmium yellow, 2 permanent rose) is a blackish-blue & can be quite dull. It can block out the brightness of your paper completely.
Try mixing phthalocyanine blue with cadmium red light both on the palette and on the paper.
In value, blue is the darkest of our primaries. Have you ever thought that each time you add blue to your mix , the color darkens?
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