Developing Sheen and Luminescence; the Illusive Art of Mixing Color

"Fuchsia Fantastic" acrylic on 18 x 14 canvas

My latest project above, is finished. I do wish I could have achieved a better “hot pink.” There are so many variations of red, and when you add a touch of dark blue and a small dab of white sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes not. I wanted the painting to be seen as a whole and not have a bright color jump out and grab you, so maybe the compromise I made works best. I’ll let you be the judge.

"work in progress" hot pink!

One of the most complex colors to paint is white. If you’ve ever spent time in a paint store trying to select a white hue for your walls, you know what I mean. We currently have an off white color on our walls. I chose a sample square of “Marshmallow White” to make some touch ups. Ooooops! My color choice showed up grayer and darker on the wall.

I have another sample of “Antique White” which I’ll try next. I’m hoping this will be a match. There is a slight undertone of gold in the mix rather than gray.

Trying to paint white on a canvas is quite another matter. White isn’t just white. White reflects the colors you have in your painting and may essentially mirror every color in the rainbow. White is neither a primary color, nor a secondary or tertiary color. It is considered an achromatic color “of maximum lightness,” according to Ora Sorenson in her article “A Rainbow of White” in “the Artist’s magazine,” Jan./Feb. 2009.

“White is not the absence of color but a combination of all colors in the visible spectrum in equal proportions,” said Sorenson.

(Notice how the white costumes reflect every color in the painting and seem to glow from within)

When painting an all white composition, each element of white must differentiate itself from the one next to it in order for it to reveal its shape and appearance. Using a distinct set of complimentary colors in the shadows and contours of each object such as red and green, yellow and purple, or blue and orange, not only separates forms, but adds a luminous quality to the finished piece.

Another method of adding distinctness is through glazing. Once the painting is dry, adding a simple glaze of color over each object can add a glow and a hint of color. Contrasts and highlights can also add depth and interest to an all white painting.

(Notice how the white feathers reflect the water and lily pads)

Using too much white in the mixing of color can sometimes be overkill. Colors may look pasty and lifeless. But if white is the main color in your composition, play it up big and make it take on a life of its own as it shimmers and reflects from within all of the colors it actually contains.

Don’t be afraid of white. Use it sparingly in mixing colors, but turn it into something splendid when you use it as one of the main players.

(The whites in this paiinting reflect the colors that surround each object)

Spring Green, Lime Green, and Fern Green are Hot Trends

In the 70s, I had a hallway that had light green walls, white baseboards and door, and a black table. Flipping through a current “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine, I discovered those same colors are a new trend teemed up with orange, hot pink or watermelon accessories.

Trends come and go; they also get revived and recycled. The problem is so does taste in fashion and art. Instead of buying art for aesthetic reasons or because of how it makes you feel, people buy art to decorate a room or to add a pop of color.

It has always been so. Our day and age is no different. At least there is a reviving interest in the arts, if only for its ability to shock or entertain. Street artists and their messages of activism and boldness are exposing more people to art and its impact on political action.

Chalk artists spend hours on three-dimensional art that is often a singular experience enjoyed by a few. Temporary by nature, better ways are being found to save and preserve these artistic expressions by housing them in covered walkways and on interior walls. 

Acrylic paints enable bigger and broader coverage that is changing the urban scene and filling its dark decaying walls with hope and color.

Artist Joe Bucci, who combines impressionist and expressionist styles was featured in a June “the Artist Magazine.” I was impressed with his colorful landscapes and his use of vibrant color.

Speaking about the changing art scene down through the centuries, Joe said: “one thing hasn’t changed: in order for a visual statement to become art, it must have an abstract quality. It’s not enough that a painting be a picture of something—it must communicate via composition, shape, color, rhythm, line, texture, mass and planes (visual or ‘plastic’ elements).

“The skill that causes an outstanding artist to rise above the pack is not the talent to draw or paint objects, but the ability to see relationships between those visual or "plastic" elements and their relationship to the artist's overall vision.”

How well an artist pulls this relationship off makes the difference between remarkable art that's remembered or so-so art that's soon forgotten.

Featured Artist

Deb Haugen – the “Organic Artist” has been featured in galleries and museums, and has won many prizes and awards. Deb is from Malibu, California. Here is a fantastic sample of one of her paintings. To see more of her work, go to Deb’s facebook page (see below):

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Deb-Haugenthe-organic-artist/112218349805?ref=stream#!/pages/Deb-Haugenthe-organic-artist/112218349805