What colours?

Over the course of the 50 odd years that I’ve been painting, I’ve seen, heard and read a lot about the palettes that different artists choose for their work. Some folks like to work with a large array of colours and others with very few. I suppose it all is down to personal preference. Personally, I have nearly always used the same choice for everything I have done. I gravitated early to a simple selection, reasoning that if the printing industry can get away with 3 colours plus black, that should work for me. Of course printing can get away without using white, but we can’t. In the end, I chose a double primaries palette, using cool and warm shades for each colour. As far as oils go, My “standard” palette consists of Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Red Medium for the reds, Cerulean and Ultramarine blue and Cadmium Yellow medium and Naples yellow for the others. I usually don’t use black, preferring to mix my own, which I think gives a more harmonious blend that marries nicely with the other hues in the painting. I’ve occasionally thrown in a bit of Viridian or Sap green, but can usually get the greens I want without them. I’ve found that this palette, or a variation of it (exchanging the Ultramarine for Thalo Blue or Cobalt for example) suits the type of painting I usually do.

I’ve recently been experimenting with Gouache, and have been playing around with various palettes that seem more suited to that medium. At the moment, I’m playing with James Gurney’s Triad palettes as they are basically the same concept I’m used to in oils. If you’re not familiar with Gurney or his methods, have a look here: https://gumroad.com/l/color2

One difference from my normal practice is the occasional addition of black to the three colours plus white in the triad. I’m not used to using black in creating the hues I’m mixing, so there is a bit of a learning curve here. So far, I’m pleased with the results I’m getting, but it’s early days with gouache, so trial and error is the main event, so to speak.

I would love to hear from anyone out there about their own thoughts on colour and palettes.

On another note, I’ve been pondering over the different styles one sees when looking at Aviation Art. Looking at various sites, I’ve seen comments about the accuracy of depictions of aircraft and scenes. I’m well aware of the tendency of aficionados of Aviation paintings to want every rivet and air scoop to be photographically correct, but I think that some of the most effective artwork I’ve seen is not particularly accurate in a technical sense, but rather conveys an emotion or sets up an atmospheric scene. As one who has spent pretty much his whole adult life pushing aluminium tubes through the sky, the most memorable memories I have are the scenes which evoke a feeling. A case in point is a painting I did some years ago, which seems to elicit a marmite-like response in viewers: The title I gave the work is “Shockwave”

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Now before you start complaining, yes, I know that’s not what a shockwave actually looks like. I’ve spent hours demonstrating the build up of transonic shockwaves on various aircraft and creating situations where the initial wave front is visible on the upper surface of a wing, but the accurate depiction of the wave was never the point of the picture. It was meant as an almost movie poster-like evocation of the effect that the first supersonic flights had on the aviation world: A breakthrough that would eventually lead to such marvels as Concorde. Whether or not you see it that way, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I commend those who strive for photo-realism in their work, and I admire the skill and craftsmanship that goes into such art and I also think there is room within the aviation art community for both that and the more evocative and atmospheric styles you can see in the works of artists who employ a much looser style, where not every rivet and screw is technically perfect.

Go to some of these links and see what you think:

https://www.facebook.com/PaulWarrenerArt/

https://www.ragged-edge-art.com/ragged-edge-art

https://benart.studio

As usual, here are some things going on art-wise that you can access and enjoy during this enforced time at home:

Stella Grace Lyons has some interesting talks on various artists. I’ve seen a couple of them and consider them quite worthwhile. Here’s next week’s offering on Edward Hopper: https://www.facebook.com/events/415201243026173

There’s also one coming up later in the month about Grant Wood and the Regionalists: https://www.facebook.com/events/415739243205091

The National Gallery has some virtual tours on offer: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours

And as usual, here are some links to great aviation art:

David Bryant: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100049977051153

Charles Mchugh: https://www.aeroartist.com

Paulo Gonçalves: https://www.facebook.com/groups/22410068000/user/1800041828/

Stay safe. See you next week.