The darks in the background can be added by mixing a little Phthalocyanine Green (or Viridian) with the same violet-red. When kept deliberately simple, harmony is available.
The range provided by just two colors, particularly if they are mixing complementaries, can be more than sufficient for many a piece of work, or a passage within that work.
If any additional colors are required they should be chosen with care and for sound reasons. Not just because they happen to be left over on the palette!
 When leaves are damaged or the stems become loose, (as in the Autumn/Fall) the green Chlorophyll is restricted in movement. This triggers off certain chemical changes which lead to the yellows, oranges, reds and violets as shown above. The changes also lead to the amazing free color show provided in the Autumn (Fall) in many countries.
When depicting such colors in a painting, it will aid color harmony if the yellow used to paint the yellowing leaves is the same as that used when mixing the greens.
If the yellow of the damaged leaves leans towards orange, it will help if the greens are mixed from the same orange-yellow.
If the red-violet shown above in the leaf to the right, is also used in the stems we have another close relationship.
A further aid to harmony comes about as the yellow and violet are visual complementaries. This factor can be emphasised in a painting. Perhaps by touches of a slightly brighter violet, or the conversion of a few green leaves into yellows and violet.
Two colors can be enough for an entire painting, or certainly for passages within a painting. Three colors and we have a very wide range at our disposal. Four hues will give an enormous array to work with.
Five-six or more and most painters have lost control of color harmony almost before commencing the work.
A restricted palette, used with thought and a little skill, offers the best opportunity for color beauty. If you need help with color mixing, let us know. |
