Category Archives: Class 18

Class 18 | Muted Color Studies

Materials Needed

  • all gouache paints from Supply List
  • brushes, water containers, palette
  • ruler, t-square, exacto knife
  • pencils
  • 9×12″ bristol
  • Flashdrive or CD with your digital painting

Lecture

REVIEW

  • Color Concepts and Vocabulary (See Classes 16 and 17)

Critique

Chromatic Gray Studies #1 & #2

Lab

Muted Color Studies PREP:

  • Prepare 2 pieces of 9×12″ bristol by defining a 6×6″ square on each using your pencil and ruler.
  • Muted colors, which range from just outside the Prismatic zone to the most saturated Chromatic Grays, are created by adding a chromatic dark, complementary color, or white to a prismatic color.
  • You may have some tests from the last study that may have been too saturated to fit into the Chromatic Gray category-  feel free to use them for this study.

Muted Color Studies – Exercise #1:

  • Make a 6×6″ gouache, painted-paper collage using at least six shapes. All colors should be MUTED with a BROAD value range (light and dark) from a BROAD range of hues (colors). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface should be covered with paint.
  • Use scrap pieces of bristol to create your painted paper shapes. Cut these out with scissors or exacto knife.
  • Starting with a Prismatic Color (paint straight from the tube) add either the complementary color, white, or pre-mixed chromatic darks to achieve your range of muted colors. Adding white will create a lighter value, adding a pre-mixed chromatic dark or complementary color will create darker value.
  • Arrange your shapes until you achieve a unified composition and then carefully glue down your pieces.

Muted Color Studies – Exercise #2:

  • Make second 6×6″ gouache, painted-paper collage using at least six shapes. All colors should be MUTED with a NARROW value range (high, middle, or low key) from a broad range of hues (colors). The white paper is not considered a color – the entire surface should be covered with paint.
  • IMPORTANT NOTES:
    • Yellow and its adjacent hues can be used to create high-key muted color compositions. They cannot be darkened enough to reach low-key without losing saturation and becoming Chromatic Grays.
    • Conversely, violet and its adjacent hues can not be lightened enough to reach the high-key value range without becoming Chromatic Grays.
    • Violet, Blue and Green can be used to create low-key muted colors compositions.

HINTS:

  • To prevent streaking, thoroughly mix paint before use, only adding enough water to get the consistency of cream.
  • Wash and dry your brush on a paper towel after each use.
  • At the end of  your painting session, paint out any extra paint onto scrap bristol for future use.
  • Use the technique demonstrated in class for gluing down your painted bristol shapes.

HOMEWORK

  • Finish Muted Color Studies #1 & #2