Painting With a Limited Palette

Southwest Sunset
Acrylic on Arches Watercolor Paper

16 x 6 in/40.6 x 15.2 cm

Copyright Byrne Smith 2018

I think most painters already know this, but in case you didn't: your work will be more successful with the fewer colors you have on your palette.

I'm not talking about just one color (plus white), although there is a school of thought that says that's a good way to start because it makes you concentrate more on values than color. I am talking about using the absolute minimum number of colors to achieve your painting goals. That usually, but not always, means a variation of each primary plus white (maybe). With just these limited colors, you can mix all the rest. It's an exercise in learning about color.

You've probably heard of Anders Zorn and his famous "Zorn" palette. He was a famous Swedish painter who used only three colors plus white. He used mars black (the blue), yellow ochre (the yellow) and vermilion (the red). His somewhat muted paintings are beautiful and it's surprising the number of values and colors he achieved with just these three plus white. If you're not familiar with Zorn, you should read up on him and his palette; it's fascinating if you paint.

Another thing about a limited palette is that it makes your paintings more harmonious. That's because every value and color variation in the painting was produced from just the few colors. All the colors in the painting go together, and you get instant harmony.

Today's image was not painted using Zorn's palette. I did use a limited palette, however, consisting of cad red light, cad yellow light, raw umber plus titanium white. I was pleased.

Just think how much you'll save on paint.

Pretty In Peach

Pretty in Peach
Oil on Canvas Panel
5 x 7 in/ 12.7 x 17.8cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2018

As I mentioned in a couple of recent posts, one where I painted a sunflower and the other a small vase of flowers, I haven't painted many flowers as still life, although occasionally I have painted them en masse in a garden or in broad meadows.

I said I didn't have much of a relationship with florals. However, since the beginning of the year I have spent time looking more closely at the work of excellent floral painters, such as Richard Schmid, Neil Carroll, and many, many others.

As somewhat of a learning experience, I have tried my painting hand at several works with a flower (or flowers) as the subject. I tend to agree that one of the great things about being a painter is that there is always the opportunity to learn and experience more.

Much to my surprise, today's image turned out to be completely different than either what I had envisioned or how I had begun the painting--the surprises and joys of the painting life!

You Can Improve Your Paintings

The View
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
20 x 16 in/50.8 x 40.6 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2018

Whether you refer to it as a re-work, a re-new, a do-over, an update, or simply a fix, it's never too late (or too soon) to go back and look at your paintings with a fresh eye. You may be surprised at what you see, or can now see, after the passage of time.

You may be surprised at how your artistic eye now perceives your work after your eye, your brain, and your hand have continued to gain experience since you first completed it.

I'm sure some painters can't bear the thought of going back and making even the slightest change to any of "their work." Really? The work is not trapped in amber in whatever year it was done.

In a recent post I mentioned how I had gone through my old paintings that were taking up too much space. I said it was entirely permissible to throw some of them away, which I did. But I also saw several I thought could be worked on with my more experienced eye, brain, and hand.

Today's image was painted in 2015. I added chroma in the upper sky and the foreground to add more contrast to the composition. I added some elements, such as the blue flowers in the foreground, and improved some lost-and-found edges in others. I re-titled it, too.

Consider carefully how to go about making changes and remember rules, such as not painting acrylic over oil, still apply.

 If it can be improved, do it!