Beginning Watercolor Homework, 9/18/ 2020: Mixing Complex Colors

Here's an exercise that will give you practice knowing where to begin when you feel challenged by a complicated color. 

Imagine that you live in a world where there are only 6 names for colors; Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Orange and Violet. 

Hold that notion while we gather some colored objects: Look around the house for a few things that are complicated in color; a paper bag, for example, or the palm of your hand. Eggplants are in season.

Using just one red, one yellow, and one blue. consider how you would begin to mix the color of one of your objects. How about a paper bag? If you're inclined to call the color brown, remember that in our world that is a meaningless word. You'll have to make an approximation and come as close as you can with our limited vocabulary.

 Now, what color is the bag? Maybe yellow. or orange? Whichever of the 6 color names comes closest is the dominant color. That is the most efficient place to begin mixing. Starting with the dominant color gets you pretty far toward a good duplicate of the color of your object. Go ahead and make the best match you can with your set of primary colors. Make a wash about 4x4 inches of your color on a piece of good paper.

Next, use a different set of primary colors and mix a match of the same object. Make a smooth wash of this match beside the first one. Take note of what you observe. Write the n\ames of the colors you used.

Do this same exercise for a few different objects. Save your color washes and the object you were matching for our "show and tell" next week.

Have fun