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The Role of Color Temperature in Painting

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When I wrote my book on painting with a concept, I listed five key elements for creating a  workable, harmonious painting: Values, Edges, Paint Quality (integrity of the paint), Agent  (you as the painter guiding the work), and finally, Color/Temperature. It’s the last element I’d like to explore here. 

When I began to paint, I saw local color first and foremost. It’s easier to see than values and edges. Beautiful reds, blues and yellows naturally draw the eye much like impasto  (opaque) paint will. Color, or the lack of color, has an inherent emotional feature. 

It’s generally accepted that color begins and ends with the Color Wheel. I never saw the relationship to the color wheel and the painting problems that were before me. Many teachers use it as an absolute truth to be rigidly followed. But, the color wheel is NOT an absolute truth. It only represents a theory. Theories are not absolute-they are grounded in principles but don’t contain the truth in an ultimate way.  

A theory merely points us in a direction.  

Included is an image of my palette used when I teach. To help students, I list below each color whether I view it as a warm color, or a cool color. To me, the neutrals, including Naples Yellow, are all cool; the yellows are warm with the exception of Lemon Yellow, which appears cool because it has less warmth than the other yellows on my palette. Likewise, Cadmium Red Light is the only red that appears warm. Alizarin and the other Cad Reds appear cool.  

Cadmium Red Light mixed with black and white (both neutrals)  Notice the neutrals achieve two things: the value of the Cad Red Light, a warm red, is changed and the temperature. (The temperature of the red is made cooler.)

The Blues are all cool with the exception of Ultramarine Blue. It’s the warmest Blue in the family of blues meaning it reads warmer than the others because of its mixture when produced and those materials used to create the paint Ultramarine Blue.  

Think about Cerulean, Thalo, Cobalt, King’s Blue…..they are very cool when used next to UM Blue. In a warm set up or composition, I would use UM Blue to complement the other components of a warm set up. 

Yellow Ocher is an interesting color. I paint with it to warm a background or turn an edge (cool).  It seems to absorb whatever temperature is placed near it. It’s an opaque paint so it has the quality of a neutral or cool hue. But, if painting a white cup, you could mix some yellow ocher to develop a shadow plane. It won’t drop the value too much but can assist the shadow in anchoring the object. Painting with black as a shadow for white objects is too abrupt or harsh. To me it reads “dead on arrival.” 

Two Pears by M Kathryn Massey OPA 
9″ x 12″ – Oil

As we grow as painters, we begin to develop our own language and that language includes color choices. We become more sensitive to how temperature plays a role in our work. For me, I reach for a color based on its temperature and what is needed by the painting. What do I  mean? 

Let’s say you are painting a portrait. The subject is Caucasian and fair. Most of the flesh you paint will be colorless. But, there are moments on the face you want to come forward and show the topography of that particular fair model. Conversely, there are moments in the picture that will need to recede, or turn back. 

Cad Red LT is warm and it will read closer to the viewer. Cad Red Med/Cad Red Dark will recede more than Cad Red LT. Why? Because the Medium and Dark have more blue in them when they are produced as a color. Blue is a color which recedes. 

The principle here: Warm colors appear to advance; Cool colors appear to recede and give the painting a sense of air space and time. You must decide on the color structure of your painting EACH TIME you go to the easel.

A Word About Neutrals. 

Commissioned work in progress.  
Cosmo by M Kathryn Massey OPA
14″ x 11″ – Oil
Notice how little color is seen thus far in the painting with the dog being black and white; both cool, neutral colors.  

Neutrals are used to change both the value and the temperature of a color. In principle, Black,  White, Grey, and Naples Yellow are used to cool down a color OR, to change its value.  Because they are cool, when mixed with any other color they will immediately cool that color  AND change its value. This is why I view color and temperature as married. I don’t understand them as being separate. Temperature changes are paramount to good painting.  

We don’t know these more advanced ideas when we begin to paint. How can we?  In closing, a few thoughts on color: 

-If you are having trouble incorporating a color into your work, take it off your palette for a  month or so. See if you can achieve what you need without it. 

-Each family of reds, blues, greens, yellow, blacks, etc., are warmer or cooler within the family of that color. Determine for yourself which is warmer and which is cooler within the family of color. 

-Using both cool and warm temperatures in the same painting will make more color disharmony and tension. (Think Vuillard) 

-A still life up, a model, an interior, etc., will be either warm or cool as a concept. Use the paints that will depict your concept. 

-Use a neutral to turn an object away from the viewer so the illusion of dimension is realized.  Do not use pink, red, yellow, orange for instance to turn an object as it goes into shadow. The illusion won’t work. Use cool grey, blue, or violet to help with your conceptual illusion. 

-If you break any principle in painting, know why you are breaking the principle.

-There are no mistakes…..only better choices.

Melon with Grapes by M Kathryn Massey OPA
20″ x 16″ – Oil

How Do Your Paintings Sound?

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Leveraging All of Your Senses to Create More Impactful Paintings

The importance of a strong composition is well known to painters. Once a good design is selected, we make choices and adjustments using our toolbox of techniques to create a  successful outcome. Some of these techniques include imagination, values, edges, paint application, color, line, and harmony. There is an underutilized technique to consider adding to your painter’s toolbelt: leveraging the dynamic senses of sound, feel, smell, and taste. 

After selecting a composition to paint, I ask this question: “How should this painting sound to  best reinforce the composition?” Adjusting the question by inserting other senses (feel, smell,  taste) identifies additional sense-based choices to consider adding to the composition. Answers to these questions are prioritized and worked into the artwork, as appropriate. 

Having a musical background, sound is a sense I gravitate towards. To reveal my approach, let’s  review a recent example of how I answered the question, “How should this painting sound to  best reinforce the composition?” The example is titled “Paris Rain”. It is shown below.

Paris Rain by Mark Daly, 2020
30″ x 24″ – Oil

I’ll discuss five sense-of-sound answers that I chose to incorporate into “Paris Rain.” Similar to edges, there are harder and softer sounds. As such, I consider intensity and variety. I also take into account pitch and location to determine how and where to visually portray sound in a  composition. 

1. Swirling Water Flow (softer sound, close to viewer) 

The first subtle sound that was added to reinforce the composition is in the lower-left quadrant of the painting. The runoff of rain, as it flows down the sidewalk and into and around the drain,  adds a rainy day swirling sound to the scene. This is a softer sound. It offers variety to harder sounds. 

2. Slapping Windshield Wipers (harder sound, nearest vehicle shape to viewer) A second, sense-of-sound addition to “Paris Rain” is the windshield wiper on the Mini Cooper vehicle (located center left). This was done with a single upward brushstroke. It brings a  distinctive slapping (harder) sound to the scene. It connects the viewer to a sound that occurs when it is raining. The wiper blade was added to only the largest vehicle shape (closest to the viewer). The mind fills in the blanks through association. It “hears” windshield wipers on the other vehicles after seeing the one on the Mini Cooper. 

3. Swooshing Vehicles (varying background noise) 

The third sound included in the painting is the swooshing of the approaching vehicles. The choice of vehicles communicates varying noises. These range from the low-frequency rumble of the bus to the high pitched whines from motorcycles. They add authenticity to a rainy day  European city experience. 

4. Raindrops Hitting Umbrellas (harder sound, close to ears) 

The fourth example of intentionally adding sound to enhance the picture is the tilted, wet umbrellas. We all know the close-to-the-ear pitter-patter sound of rain hitting a tightly stretched water-repellant fabric. The visual cue of the angled wet umbrellas engages you in the scene. It connects you to a personal experience—the sound of rain beating on an umbrella a few inches away from your ears. 

5. Splashing Footsteps (moderate sound, near viewer) 

The fifth and last example of adding a visual sound clue is less obvious. It is the anticipation of the large figure’s foot (center right) about to step on to wet pavement. Raising the left foot adds more audible drama. The viewer anticipates a slapping, splashing sound. The dark foreground reflection of the figure deliberately leads you into the painting and to this foreseen sound. 

These five sense-of-sound choices (among others) are designed into the painting along with value, edge, paint application, color, line, and harmony decisions. As shown in the image below, the sounds are spread around the center of interest. Collectively, they reinforce the main idea of the composition (the emotional experience of a rainy day in Paris). They help to create a more convincing, successful scene.

Variety of Sounds Spread Around Center of Interest

Another way to look at the power of these audible cues is to delete them. Imagine the painting without the swirling water, slapping windshield wipers, swooshing vehicles, pitter-patter rain on umbrellas, and foot about to splash a wet surface sounds. “Paris Rain” would sound different. Its impact and emotional connection with the viewer would be reduced. 

Let’s look at another example of leveraging senses but in a different location and season. Winter cityscapes provide opportunities to have the viewer feel cold and warmth. Below is a recent example titled “Art Deco Building in Winter”. On the one hand, grey clouds, heavy clothing, blowing flags, and snow-lined buildings all reinforce the feel of the painting’s winter-based composition. On the other hand, a feeling of warmth emanates from the lights on the streetlamps, store windows, cab, buildings, and glowing globes above the fence. These visuals provide a welcome contrast to the cold features. Through the sense of feel, the cold and warm elements amplify the compositional intent.

Art Deco Building in Winter by Mark Daly, 2020
30” x 24” – Oil
Exhibited in OPA 2020 Eastern Regional. Semi-Finalist in the 15th ARC Salon Competition. Best Building Award in the PleinAir Salon 10th Annual Competition (August, 2020)

The last painting example, “A New York Treat,” demonstrates the senses of smell and taste. Portraying smoke rising from chestnuts roasting on a NYC side walk vendor food cart adds smell to the painting. It helps connect the viewer to the memorable taste of chestnuts that are sold under colorful umbrella-topped carts found along the streets of New York City. 

A New York Treat by Mark Daly, 2019
12” x 9” – Oil

As painters, we are not confined to a two-dimensional world. There are ways to add dynamic impact through all five senses. Before starting your next painting, be open to new possibilities to expand your toolkit. Ask the question: “How should this painting sound (feel, taste, smell) to  best reinforce the composition?” It will set your paintings apart from others. It will make a  more emotional connection with your viewers. 

Painting and Parenting

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Many people with young children wonder if they can paint at home while their children are still young and not in school. The answer is yes! I questioned whether it could be done and doubted my efforts initially. I would tell myself one day, when the children are in school I’ll paint again. The opportunity to paint always seemed to be replaced with child care and household chores as many of us do.

My name is Ashlee and I’m a stay at home mom with three children under 5 years old. I’m also a prolific oil painter with a passion for painting and a drive to create. As painters we share a creative spirit, it’s a part of who we are. For those of us with young children, it can be difficult to find the time to paint. With good time management skills and structure to your day, you can paint and enjoy time with your kids. In fact, the two can compliment each other beautifully. 

 A typical structured day throughout the week typically looks like this; each morning I will set aside an hour of painting while the kids are enjoying snack time and doing their crafts. This routine allows me time to paint and the kids get to be creative as well. It’s important to step away from your painting to clear your mind and refresh your ideas. That is why after an hour we all clean up and enjoy outdoor time together. It’s helpful as a painter to simply leave it for a while. Once everyone has had some fun and lunch I will set aside another quiet hour for myself and keep the kids occupied with educational activities. Does this always run smoothly? No not always, lots of times I have to be prepared to stop and assist the kids if they need me but otherwise this sort of daily schedule flows nicely and keeps everyone happy. 

Painting and parenting can go hand in hand. It takes determination and a genuine passion for our craft to maintain a consistent painting schedule but if you structure your day in such a way that the kids also benefit from creativity it will definitely be a great day and you’ll find that you’re painting just as you always could. So don’t put it aside, make the time for yourself and everyone will benefit. Cheers and happy painting!

“The Ravioli Kitchen” by Ashlee Trcka
12″ x 16″ – oil on linen canvas

 http://www.ashleetrcka.com/

Making The Most Of Your Art Studio Space

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Do you wish your studio space were more functional? Do you want to paint more comfortably? Do you have limited space and wish to utilize as much of your available space as possible? I have found some fantastic ideas for my art studio space that I would like to share, and I would love to hear from you. What are your favorite things in your studio that make your life easier? 

I’ve been oil painting since the age of 11. I have had everything from a walk-in closet as a “studio” to using a small corner space in a studio apartment. I now work in a spare bedroom that I converted into my studio space. I spent most of my painting life with my tubes of paint in a tackle box or scattered about in random drawers. I have had canvases and frames scattered about so much at times that I have walked through a maze to get to my easel. The biggest struggle I have had is being comfortable at my easel! I stand when I paint, and I paint from life. I have stacked boxes on top of boxes to get a setup at the eye level I desired. I even spent one painful time painting with my knees bent and back hunched so that my eye level was ideal to my desired painting. 

There were a few years where I had the same “bird’s-eye” view because I couldn’t figure out a functional way to stand and paint with any other view. So, wherever you are, in a tiny studio or corner of a room or even if you have the luxury of a large studio space, we can all use some tips and tricks to make our lives easier. What I am about to share is affordable and easily obtained. 

MY #1 ALL-TIME FAVORITE STUDIO IDEA THAT HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE WAY I PAINT IS: a simple rack/ shelving system that can be found at any hardware store. I think these were originally designed for closets. I saw the studio of a dear artist friend of mine, Trish Wend. She also likes to stand when she paints and with her contractor designed a functional way to hang brackets on a wall and use adjustable bracket holders for any eye level she desired. Well, I immediately thought, “I want that!” I had a spare wall in my studio, so I excitedly went into the hardware store and purchased the simple items that changed my painting life forever. (I realize I am being dramatic, but it is the truth. I treasure painting from life and I am so happy with this little invention.) 

48″ bracket holders at $5 a piece – I bought four of each. 

I hung the bracket holders on the wall at various distances apart. For those who like to work from a computer monitor or photos, you can put your device at any eye level you wish and paint comfortably – no matter your height or stance. 

The brackets themselves run about $5 a piece as well. I bought four standard sizes and I did buy two special order 24″ brackets for my heavier table scenes. I think these were $10 a piece. 

Don’t judge. 🙂 My engineer husband had to leave the room when he saw how I was hanging them. In case you’re curious too, there were already nail holes from a previous shelf. I used those holes for two of the bracket holders and the other two bracket holders are in studs. I love it because it gives me great flexibility in what I want to create and, also, the option to have two setups at the same time if I desire. 

So, for about $50 – I finally have a comfortable, interchangeable system for any and all of my still life setups. The moment of reckoning occurred as I tested my contracting skills to see if they would actually hold weight. I was quite proud of myself, pink drill and all. 

Some examples of the shelving system in action: 

I would guess the above entire “scene” weighed about forty pounds. That back panel is an antique and heavy. I have not run across any issues with weight limitations. Now, I suppose if I had a model sit on a table, there may be some buckling walls or falling debris; but I’m not that silly. 

I know many artists are fancy; but I just use fabrics and cheap foam core from the dollar store for my shadow box configurations. I also use the dollar store foam core as my light blockers, and I have a collection of gorgeous fabrics that I love to play around with in scenes. The possibilities are endless. I have even used towels or shirts as “drapery” or “tablecloths”. There have been times in my life where I felt that I didn’t have the “perfect” props or supplies. Now I know what a huge waste of time that was for me. Nothing is perfect. Make do with what you have and believe me, you have a lot! 

The above red cloth is from an old ottoman I used to have. I cut the fabric off the top before throwing the ottoman away. I then just wrapped the cloth around a piece of foam core. The pears are sitting on an old cutting board and I have blue painter’s tape keeping them upright. I called this one “The Pears From Hell, and Grapes” Gosh, those things were changing colors on me by the hour! Anyway, I digress…. back to the studio shelf examples: 

So, you get the idea. I can do anything and everything with these brackets and bracket holders. I do recommend getting the 24″ bracket for the heavier projects – the additional depth is very helpful for tables or furniture. 

My other favorite things in my studio are: 

PAINT TUBE STORAGE – I’ve seen some artists use shoe holders. I found this at an art supply store (Artist’s Loft makes it) and don’t know how I lived so many years digging around for paint in drawers or toolboxes. 

SPACE SAVERS – I love, love, love this panel/canvas holder. This can be configured in three different ways, and I personally like this version for my specific needs. This is called “Rue Panel Ladder and Storage Rack”. 

TUBE WRINGER!!! – I’d love to know what took me so long to get one of these babies. Goodness gracious! The amount of paint I can get out of an otherwise “empty” tube is amazing! 

My favorite one is: “TubeWringers Metal Rollers By Gill Mechanical Co”. I know some artists who use plain ole’ toothpaste tube wringers. I also cut the cinched part and fold the bottom. 

FRAME STORAGE – One other thing that I love that saves me so much space is hanging my frames in a closet. It just so happens those bars lift up, so I decided to stack some frames on them with bubble wrap on the bars to stop scratching. Frames used to take up an inordinate amount of space in my studio. 

CONCLUSION – The possibilities are endless for more efficient art studio space and I have discovered my favorite things by implementing ideas from so many clever artists. Save interesting old fabric, save beautiful vases and props, and maybe get art supplies up off of flat surfaces into accessible, vertical storage of some kind. 

I would love to hear your favorite Studio Tips and Tricks in the comments below.

Indispensible Art Book

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When I attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, my life-drawing instructor, the legendary Bill Parks, often spoke of Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis. In fact, one time he even said, “All I try to teach is what’s in that book.” Of course, I wanted to buy a copy but it had been out of print for years and was trading for around $550 on E-bay. Fortunately, one of my fellow students had access to a copy, so a number of us chipped in to have Xeroxes made of the entire book! Even though the section on color was reduced to black and white, I still found the information invaluable!

Not withstanding the title, the book is more about creating good representational art rather than just “illustration”.  I read the book cover-to-cover, and then went through it again several times underlining and highlighting key concepts. Finally I made an outline of the important principles, just to try to cement them in my mind.  A couple of years ago I was thrilled to learn that the book had been reprinted. Right now it’s available on Amazon for $22.95!

Why is it so good?

It is pragmatic. It was written in 1947 when “fine art” was firmly in the grasp of  “Modernism,” (with all its pretensions and affectations). So this book was designed to quickly and efficiently teach the principles of 400 years of the representational art tradition not to effete artistes, but rather to humble illustrators – who had to be good or they wouldn’t get work.

Loomis states that everything in the book is based on the Form Principle – “The convincing illusion of form must do so first by the rendering of light on that form.”

He then explains how light behaves when it strikes an object and its environment.

Every chapter is filled with nuggets of information such as:

  • “No area in the shadow [including reflected light] can be as light as the areas in the light.”
  • “The big form makes the subject carry, not the incidental surface forms.”
  • “The best pictures run to a few simple values.”
  • “The design makes the picture, not the subject or material.”
  • “Contour becomes lost and found and interlaced or woven into other areas in nature.”
  • “The darkest part of the shadow appears nearest the light, between the halftone of the light and the reflected light within the shadow.”

All these quotes appear within the first three pages of the first chapter!

Loomis provides practical thoughts on materials, drawing, various methods to begin a painting, design principles, avoiding common flaws, dramatization, and narrative…among other concepts. He also ties various approaches to historical masters like Sargent and Zorn.

Well worth the price!