Mixing Colours
By the Seashore - Watercolour on Paper - 30 x 21 cm - 2019
I like paintings that have shades of different colours mixed creatively. This allows the viewer to see things not seen before or see it in a new light, literally. A good grasp of colour theory is important. I am still learning that and hope to achieve some mastery in using the theory to create nice looking shades that decorate my paintings which in turn makes it pleasant to look at for others.
The use of paint on canvas may seem simple but there are many ways of doing so. The most basic way is by painting directly onto the surface with water based paints such as acrylics, oils and tempera's. These types of paints can be used wet or dry depending on how you want your final result. Wet techniques allow for more control over what you're trying to do whereas dry paints require less skill and time to complete an image.
Another option would be to work with gesso. I have read about it. But I am still learning by looking into the internet about its intricacies. Gesso is basically prepared plaster ground up into fine particles. It has been sanded down until it is smooth enough to accept oil-based paints without cracking. Once painted upon, the gesso will become hard and durable. When dried, it becomes almost transparent allowing you to see through to whatever was underneath. For example, if you were to take a piece of paper and draw something on it then lay it atop the gesso, when it dries it turns black leaving behind the drawing. This is very interesting! I never knew such a technique exists.I am willing to try this idea in the future and I am excited about what possibilities this new medium can bring.
Talking of colour theory, it is amazing how the three primary colours of red, blue and green meld together to form an almost infinite combinations of colour shades. While RGB is important for screen display based painting such as those in digital art done in tablets, cyan, magenta and yellow form the basis of colours when painted on a white substrate. RGB is additive as light adds up to enter our eye, whereas CMY is subtractive as in the paint absorbs certain colours and reflects the remaining which interact with our eyes to form colourful images. If one knows this then they could mix their own unique shade of paint.
For me personally, I prefer working with water based paints because they are easier to handle and clean up after. They also dry faster than oil-based ones making them ideal for quick sketches. However, both methods require patience and practice. You must learn to observe the world around you and try out various techniques to see what works best for you. Practice makes perfect. But allocating little time regularly to paint gives me the consistency which is the key aspect of practice that helps improve the technique. For example, I find myself always thinking about the next thing I want to paint even while taking care of other tasks. So instead of just sitting back and watching TV, I now spend my spare time practicing my skills in creating paintings. Sometimes I do this using an app called procreate on an iPad.
After reading a bit about mixing colours, I decided to give it a go myself. To start off, I bought some cheap brushes from a local shop and started practising on small canvases. My first attempts were not too great but I kept at it and eventually got better. I am still nowhere near as good as I want to be. But there is always time pressure and I find myself planning a lot of my activities but end up doing much less than I originally intended. There is no doubt that I need to dedicate more time to painting to achieve the results I want.
I have also discovered that I like using mixed media such as acrylics on canvas. It's fun experimenting with different materials and seeing how they react with each other.
In essence, all the effort is directed at making the painting colourful and evoke a sense of beauty with the mix of colours. Mixing colours as a creative process gives a deep sense of satisfaction for me and I always hope that the viewer gets their own personal "good feel" observing a painting made with a variety of colour combinations.