Tip of the month – July 2009

More than anything else, I have found that glazing has made me examine my colors closely. I look at a single hue and I discover some of its complexity.

On the left half, I painted Aureolin as the under color. On the right side, Indian Yellow is the under color. The glazes on both of the yellows are Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red. The resulting oranges range from an almost gray-orange to a fully saturated red-orange.

Color that was not evident in the hue will become clear when I glaze with a cool color or a warm color.

On the left side, the under color is Alizarin Crimson. On the right side, the under color is Cadmium Red. The glazes on both of the reds are Aureolin and Indian Yellow. Notice the differences in the oranges. When a light-value color is glazed over a middle-value color, the resulting colors are dominated by the middle-value under colors. The oranges are dark in value.

To find an ideal primary to create a vibrant and clean orange, green or purple, I need to try various choices keeping in mind that 2 primaries in the mix will be the optimal choice.

Phthalocyanine Blue and Ultramarine Blue are the under colors in this example. Red over the blues should result in a purple. I painted Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red over each of the blue under colors. The result is 4 different colors. Only one of the glazes resulted in a true purple.

In my classes, I talk about the hidden colors that exist in each of your colors. Make a mix of any two colors. Is the resulting color what you expected?

A glaze can change the light or the atmosphere of a painting. It can change the mood.

On the left, IRISLIGHT is softly muted in the negative space with Cobalt Blue and Viridian Green. By increasing the contrast in the negative space on the right, the atmosphere has become clearer.

On the left, WESTWARD is a work about the quiet at the end of the day. By using complementary glazes during the painting process, I can create the feeling of a storm.

On the left, BONJOUR L’ETE (Hello Summer) shows an early morning light. By glazing the painting with Permanent Rose, I have changed the hour to the setting sun.

In NOVEMBER 2006 and DECEMBER 2006, I discussed the under wash and the layering of color over these washes. These thin layers or glazes made changes to the hues by muting them or emphasizing them.

The Aureolin on the left and the Indian Yellow on the right have been emphasized by a dark-value glaze of blue and violet.

Here the Phthalocyanine Blue and the Ultramarine Blue appear to be luminous. By glazing a darker value over the 2 blues and leaving small shapes of the under color, a luminous effect is achieved.

Think glazing to create stronger paintings. It is not a new technique, but it is an important one.

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