Double Posting

So I’ve started another blog which I’ve designated as my “writing” blog. It’s called Through the Looking Glass: My Life as a Mystery School. I’ve been writing a multi-part faerie tale in drabble format, which means that each part is done in a one hundred word segment. Although I’m going to keep my two blogs distinct (this being the ART blog, and that the WRITING blog) there is some overlap when it comes to artwork. I thought Flying Pony Studios fans might like to see my newest pieces, illustrations that go with parts II and III of the story, called “A Patchwork Tale.” You can read the entire thing (without the pictures) here.

“The Faerie-Knoll,” watercolor & gouache on paper,
8″ x 10″.  Copyright, Sara Light-Waller, 2014.

"The Elfin-Knight's Mount," pen & ink.
Copyright, Sara Light-Waller, 2014.

Two more studies

Seattle view, two studies, watercolor

...showing the same location as the studies done yesterday. I am exploring different methods of laying down paint. The two studies today, and the two yesterday, used two colors of paint: Ultramarine Blue and Orange, either Cadmium Orange or Permanent Orange. It's amazing how much you can do with only two colors. And you learn so much in the process!

A couple of landscape studies

What I'm doing this afternoon. Two landscape studies handled differently but both using only two colors: orange and blue.

A scene from Seattle looking at Lake Washington, watercolor.

How Color Affects Color

As I get back to painting after nearly a month off (NaNoWriMo month) I wanted to start with something simple, an exercise showing how complementary colors affect each other.

Here’s what I did:

I drew six large boxes with a smaller box inside the first. I chose two paint colors, red and green, which are direct complements, directly across from each other on the color wheel. (For those of you who are interested I used Quinacridone Rose and Cobalt Green watercolor.)

 Here’s the key for what I did and the results I saw.
(Descriptions are from top row left to right, then bottom row left to right.)

1. Neutral gray box painted around an inner red box. The red box is activated and “pops” forward.
2.  Black outer box with the inner red box (I got the black by mixing the red and green together.) The red box looks bigger and brighter.
3. White outer box with inner red box. The red box looks duller and smaller.
4. Green outer box and inner red box. The two colors compete to come forward, creating an interesting vibration for the viewer.
5. A red outer box with a neutral gray inner box. Because your eye seeks balance the inner gray box looks cooler and more green.
6. A green outer box with a neutral gray inner box. The inner gray box looks warmer and reddish, reflecting the missing complementary red color.

Aren’t optical illusions fascinating? More than that, they’re useful. By understanding how one color affects another, a painter can better plan their paintings leading to more frequent successes. Sure it takes practice, but the results are well worth it.