Speaking of Art Blog

Cedar Waxwing, pastel, 12x9"

This is my latest pastel.  Pretty loud background colors, right?  Here is my reference photo.

I know, quite the difference in color saturation between the two.  So why did I choose to do that?  Bottom line, because I felt like it that day.  It’s February and it’s really cold outside here in the upper Midwest, with drab brown barren-looking trees and branches and semi-thawed patches of dirty snow covering the ground here and there.  Ick.  I ache for bright dramatic color outdoors this time of year.  So I ramp it up in my artistic creations at my easel.

The other more important reason, though, is that I have learned through trial and error that my paintings turn out best when I reach for colors that I like to use.  Yellow-greens and royal blues and all shades of blue-violet excite me, but not the grayed down versions.  I want the in-your-face versions of those colors.  I want the ones that make my eyes light up and bring a smile when I swipe them across my pastel paper. 

While seasoned artists develop a signature style, I also believe we have signature color choices.  Does that mean we veer away from scenes that don’t possess our favorite colors?  No.  What we do is we tip the colors that we see in a scene toward colors or intensities that excite us more readily IF those colors or intensities aren’t already present.  The background in my reference photo here just didn’t excite me.  So, I stuck with the same general color palette, but I turned up the heat.  The gray bird suddenly seems more interesting as a result.

Do some artists lean in toward more grayed tones?  Absolutely, and they do it with great finesse, but that’s just not me.  Do I ever use grayed down colors?  Yes, I do, all the time.  A grayed color juxtaposed next to a loud color helps the loud color sing even more loudly.  But I only use enough of a grayed color to help the loud color notes sing, no more.

My point is this: If you like certain colors in the rainbow, go ahead and major in those colors.  And if you have to buy more of only certain colors in your art studio supplies because you consistently run out of those, it’s probably because you are using your signature colors. Your artistic voice will be that much stronger with those chosen colors in your hands.  So go for it, sing those color notes with bravado.  Then run out and go buy more.  As a result, your artwork will probably flourish and you’ll be happier, especially on a cold gray winter day.