Workshop 22: Bare Bones: Exploring Limited Palettes in Watercolour

Instructor: Shari Blaukopf

Workshop Description

You
never know where accidents will take you. Recently some Cobalt Teal pigment
leaked all over my palette, and the next time I went out to sketch I was
determined to use it up. It made its way into all my sketches for quite a long
time, and in the process it led me down a new path with colour. Most of us tend
to always dip into the same wells: green for trees, blues for sky. But what if
the sky is yellow? Or the trees purple? The idea for this workshop is to open
participants’ minds: to give them fresh ideas and options for using vibrant and
luminous combinations of colours, as we explore two and three-colour
combinations of pigments.

Learning Goals

In this workshop participants will explore new ways of working with colour through limited palettes: brights, neutrals and opaques. We’ll see how painting the same scene in different ways changes our perception of the place. Students will be encouraged to move out of their comfort zones and explore new colour combinations.

In this workshop we’ll look at:

• Exploring new triads of colour, both bright and muted
• Creating a centre of interest through use of pure colour
• Creating unity in our sketches by limiting our colours
• Retaining luminosity and keeping colours fresh
• Defining value relationships and creating lively darks through a wet-in-wet approach and modifying viscosity of paint

Workshop
Schedule

Introduction

We
will start by looking at sample sketches and discuss different combinations of
triads for creating limited palettes. I will introduce three or four
combinations of colours, and then demonstrate the possibilities that can be
created with each of them. We will look at creating vibrant neutral colours from
our primary colours. As well, each of these triads will include one dark
pigment, and I will show how to create lively darks by introducing pigment into
wet washes.

Exercise 1

In
the first exercise, participants will create a small sketch using a triad of muted colours. Emphasis will be placed
on finding a focus in the sketch by using the purest, most vibrant colour in
one area.

Exercise 2

Next
we will create a small sketch using a triad of bright colours. This time the emphasis will be on retaining white
or light areas in the sketch.

Discussion

Group
will gather to evaluate and compare the two sketches.

Exercise 3

Moving out of your comfort zone. Students will be encouraged to experiment with a
triad of colours that is different, unusual, unlikely or seemingly inappropriate?
In this final sketch, we’ll look at how value relationships take precedence
over realistic colour.

Final Discussion

The
group will gather again to discuss and evaluate the final sketches.

Supply List

• A selection of tube
  watercolours. I will be using several triad combinations (but feel free to try
  other combinations if you have similar hues) Brights (Hansa Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Red and Ultramarine
  Blue); Muted (Cerulean Blue, Yellow
  Ochre, Organic Vermilion); and Unexpected
  (Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Gold and Permanent Alizarin Crimson)
• Portable
  watercolour palette
• Watercolour
  sketchbook (Moleskine or other) or small watercolour blocks
• Small plastic
  water bottle
• Brushes: medium
  size round (size 8-10), small round for details (size 3)
• Pencil, pen for
  drawing
• Bulldog clips,
  kneaded rubber eraser, paper towels
• Small folding
  stool