Finding The Right Colors For Your Art.

Color is such a personal thing.

Some of us are drawn to the bold contrast of black and white. Others to pale and faded pastels, or vibrant primary colors or maybe moody tones.  There is no right or wrong in your color choices. You love what you love!

If you look at my artwork, it is more than obvious that I love pink!  I can't hide it, nor do I apologize. It is a glorious color -  I never met a pink that I didn't fall head over heels madly in love with.

However, I'll let you in on a little secret, there is a color that I love more than pink. I know, shocking!  It is a deep dark charcoal gray. I love how everything paired with it looks! Green golds, Yellow Ocher, Bright Pink, Vintage Pink, Vibrant Reds, Pale Blues and a shimmering gold. 

These particular colors make my heart beat faster, ideas begin to flow and art happens. So I am going with it. 

Because I'm very committed to my color palette, it makes purchasing art supplies so much easier. I don't spend a lot of money on colors that I won't use and I rarely buy a set of any supply.  Don't get me wrong, I do experiment with new colors, I think it is important to the development of my art. And, I want to see if I have the same reaction and if I do, then I will add it to the mix. 

As a tool on keeping my colors organized, I made  a color deck to catalogue my favorite colors and brands.  It is also a great way to play with the value range of a color, and to experiment mixing colors. 

To create your own color deck, tear a sheet of mixed media paper into pieces - mine are 4 x 6. Then add color in the medium of your choice. Make sure you record the name of the brand and color on the back. If I'm mixing colors, I write down the formula as well.

In addition to creating my color deck, I have a few great books that I refer to over and over to get a better understanding of this big topic.

My few favorite books on color. 

1. Color Mixing Bible by Ian Sidaway - a must for every artist! 

2. Color Lab by Deborah Forman - great projects, especially for Mixed Media artists.

3. Making Colors Sing by Jeanne Doble - main focus is on watercolors

4. Interaction of Color by Joseph Albers - A masterwork and must have for all artists. 

5. The Magic Palette  - color mixing deck - I love this.

I believe it all comes down to how color makes you feel and then you will create what you feel in your art.  So, look around your house, your wardrobe, your garden. What colors do you really love?

What colors make your heart beat faster? 

Have a beautiful and creative day!