Our August Challenge is to use only a yellow, plus black and white, to make a painting.
It was my turn to choose what we'd paint this month and since I'd been thinking a lot lately about that limited palette we used in the May Challenge, I wanted to take it a step further and see if I could make an interesting painting using only a yellow pigment plus black and white.
I chose a transparent warm yellow (Gamblin's Indian Yellow), Titanium White and Gamblin's Chromatic Black. I thought long about the possibilities for subject matter and how much I could push the color range and contrasts. I also considered painting on a toned board (such as light blue, or red) and letting some of that show through. Although that would've given me more color variety, I decided to simply use the limited paint colours on a white board and see if I could make it interesting.
And what to paint... a winter scene with mostly greys? I recognized that a bumblebee would be an excellent choice but finally landed on a sunny landscape for subject matter.
(left) "Sunny Back Light"
5"x7" Original oil on hardboard
©2010 Diana Moses Botkin
The very limited palette gives this piece an interesting vintage lookwhich reminds me of duotones. In my commercial artist days, I often employed duotones to add photo emphasis in a layout using only one extra color. The greys have to stand for the cool tones and do look a bit blue compared with the warmer yellows. I did miss using a little ultramarine, though.... and a little red too.
It looks like the other Challenge Group members were able to get quite a range of hues. I am so impressed with everyone's work! I'm especially impressed that our new member, Elizabeth Blaylock, jumped right in with this month's challenge after she accepted my invitation to join and produced the lovely piece below, shown with the rest of the group's beautiful paintings.
(left above) "Yellow Man" (indian yellow, ivory black and titanium white)
12"x12" Oil on panel ©2010 Robin Cheers
(right above) "Grisaille in Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black & White"
11"x14" Oil on panel ©2010 Vicki Ross
(left above) "Behind This!" (indian yellow, ivory black and titanium white)
12"x12" Oil on canvas ©2010 Suzanne Berry
(center above) "Rose in Yellow Solo" (pale cad yellow, lamp black and titanium white)
5"x7" Oil on Raymar Panel ©2010 Elizabeth Blaylock (right above) "Waterlily in Evening Pond" 6"x6" Oil on panel ©2010 Jeanne Illenye
Sunday, August 15, 2010
August Painting Challenge: Yellow
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5 comments:
These are fabulous.
I'm always surprised and delighted when I see how limited palette can produce colors that are hard to imagine given the colors used.
Great idea.
A marvelous challenge-- the range and variety among the artists is very impressive. All great!
these are really interesting. I hadn't seen this challenge before. Looks like a lot of fun.
Diana, beautiful answer to the challenge! It's lovely. You have such a deft hand with light and shadow.
My answer wasn't all that creative but I didn't want to miss a month so I chose something quick. Thanks for your comment, the bumble bee did make the short list! :0)
Mary: I so agree! Although I had a pretty good idea of how the colors would mix and relate to one another, I still learned a lot with this Challenge.
R: Thank you for dropping by. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance and am enjoying your work at your blog, too.
Becky: Oh we DO have fun with the Challenges. It's a rule.
Suzanne: I LOVE your Challenge piece. The simple and elegant composition and choice of subject made me want to hit myself in the forehead. I couldn't help but think, "Now why didn't I think of that?!" It's part of the beauty of doing these puzzlers every month when we all delight in each other's paintings!
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