{"id":1555,"date":"2019-08-23T16:23:32","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T21:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hagermanart.com\/blog\/?p=1555"},"modified":"2021-01-25T16:42:51","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T22:42:51","slug":"chasing-color-and-capturing-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hagermanart.com\/blog\/chasing-color-and-capturing-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing Color and Capturing It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chasing color and capturing it has in many ways been elusive for many trying to paint. Further it’s been a course of intense study for a very long time including the artistic and science side to it with many opinions. Recently, I came across an old book published in 1895 or so, that was written for teachers on color study. My how the English language has changed since then! Despite the wordiness, it got me to thinking on the subject of color once again and thought I’d share some insights gained from 41 years of painting.<\/p>\n

Color is Personal<\/h2>\n

Color perception and taste is personal. No two people likely see colors in the same way and artists have their favorite paints and often no two have the same exact palette. Color preference is seen in other areas. As an example, take shopping for a neck tie. Pick any tie and someone will love the colors in it, while another wouldn’t want to be caught dead wearing it. Yes, color is personal. Likely you can harmonize your tastes in clothing and its accessories and even in your home furnishings and decor. So it goes with painting. Artist’s works can often be recognized by their use of color, not just technique or subject matter. Someone may like the color scheme chosen, while others hate it. That’s how it is. What’s important for an artist regardless of preference is simply to learn to mix and duplicate the appearance of colors they see and then put them in the right place in their painting.<\/p>\n

We really don’t need to know the science of how we see color. Be happy that you can, even if your vision isn’t the same as others. It brings variety, but you can develop your color sense to a higher degree through practice and careful observation.<\/p>\n

Paints to Mix By<\/h3>\n

First you need a set of colors that will give you a good vivid representation of the 12 hues on a color wheel. For that I list the following as primary colors.<\/p>\n