When I took this one back from the field it didn't work at all. It was missing dominant color. The painting was also missing a dominant temperature, but it did have a dominant value.
The fact that the pastel was a total failure made it easier to attack ruthlessly. I changed the temperature to be more cool than warm. Lime green, lemon yellow, light blue. It's glazed almost completely with a lemon green. I chose lemon green because I don't like that color. The challenge was- I had to make it work. Perverse, eh? Of course a landscape is predominantly warm so I added punch of warm burnt sienna with an underbelly of violet. That is on the opposite side of the color wheel and an almost complement. I also without thinking about it chose the best landscape combination- a triad of secondaries- green, orange and violet.
Important ideas to remember:
A painting needs a dominant : value, color and temperature. Take one of your failures and have a little fun.
6 comments:
Interesting ideas, Loriann. I admit I don't think about dominant anythings in my work - I need to! It's like we have to take all of the information that nature throws at us and pick out that which best represents our reaction to the scene. If all the colors, temperatures and values are painted like we see them then none of them will stand out. BTW, yesterday's work is amazing! I would say it has a dominant mood but that's just me.
Hi Donna, You are so right...we all take the information that nature throws at us and tries to pick. Having a mental list of questions including , what color is the light? the dominant hue? what will I choose to be the dominant value are all important. We don't accept we create illusions- magician of a kind!
Hi B,
I looked at this when I was drinking my coffee this morning. Now I've thought about it all day.
Here I sit, still not sure what to say. My failures don't exist they're all in the dumper. Soooooooo ... I like this piece ... it basically has two values to my squinted eyes and that is a mid tone and a bright tone. The closest I can come to a dark is the shore line. Three colors jump out at me ... the burnt orange in the trees, the green along the shore line and blue in the sky and water. However you've succeeded in making the landscape mostly warm.
So where am I with this, Pardon the pun but it really does not have a dominant impact for me. So I was honest because I know how many beautiful pieces you do on a regular basis. I think you threw this up on the blog so I could be puzzled and not know what to say. har har.
Just came from a football banquet, guess I'm just tired. Take care dear friend,
pb
Har har...got you thinking eh PB? You are so right I did not say this was a successful piece, a keeper, honestly many of the small paintings I post I never keep. What I did like was how I changed it from being the biggest speckled dog to a painting with a quiet mood of a soft light blue grey. Quiet. It's all about process and learning here. Looking for the holy grail, finding new ways to find her (the grail.)
I've done that before, purposely choosing colors I don't like and seeing if I can do something good with them. Mostly I can't, but occasionally I can and it feels good to challenge myself.
Can't wait to see pics of your new fluffinmuffins!
Hi Jala, So you do it too!? It's a good thing to make ourselves uncomfortable and see where we go! The new fluffinmuffins will come home tomorrow evening! I can't wait! Photos then!
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