Color and Value

Understanding color and value are two basics that really help in learning to paint. The book by Richard Schmid listed here convinced me to take the time to experiment with color before starting to paint. Making your own color wheel and value scale first, then making color charts for each of your colors is the first step. Making color boards/charts takes time, but by the time you are finished you won't need them. Well, not really, because they really are a great reference. The process of painting them puts you way ahead on the learning curve. Have I convinced you?

MAKING A COLOR WHEEL: (here is where the work begins)

First put out the two yellows, two reds and two blues on your palette. These colors are listed on the supply list.

I made this about 10 years ago on a piece of poster board and still use it especially when planning a painting. Don't buy a color wheel yet. The process teaches you what you need to know.

Draw in pencil two cirlces like above, then divide the circles into twelve segments:

Paint the primaries on your color wheel, then mix the secondaries, and finish with the tertiary colors.

Primary colors (those colors that you cannot mix)

red

yellow

blue

Secondary colors:

green - mix blue and yellow

purple - mix blue and red

orange - mix red and yellow

Tertiary colors: (colors in between the primary and secondary on the wheel)

yellow-orange

red-orange

red-purple

blue-purple

blue-greenyellow-green

Pleae e-mail me if you have any questions. cbjmail@cox.net