Color Notes

I think that you are ready for some posts that are more art related, rather than personal.  OK!  In my next few blog posts, I will give you some observations I have about oil colors and how I use them.  I am by no stretch of the imagination, an expert, but I do have some basic knowledge I would like to pass on for you beginners out there.
Lets start with my latest color discovery.....Sepia.  I heard about this color at the Illustration Master Class that I attended the last two years.  It was on our supply list, so I bought it.  Never used it at the class, but when I returned home, I played around with it.  WOW!, a great color for painting the ocean.  I recently did a stormy sea with a huge wave rising.  I used Titanium White, Sepia and Cerulean Blue.  Blending and mixing various amounts gave me a wide range of color for the ocean and wave.  I even took a bit of Cadmium Scarlet and made a pale pink to add to the tops of the foam on the waves.(This pink trick I learned by studying the painting of Niagara Falls, by Frederick Church at the Corcoran in DC).    Sepia is a bit transparent, which I love.  I really lean towards the transparent colors and glazing.  Sepia also works wonderfully to tone down my brighter colors and works well in my dark backgrounds, with Sap Green and Alizarin Crimson.  I am going to try doing an entire under painting (grisielle) for my next painting and then glaze color over it.  I will report back in a future blog post.