LUMINOUS, GLOWING, SATURATED COLOR PAINTINGS

     After watching You Tube videos, scanning Handprint.com, reading art magazine articles and searching my art book collection I have gained some knowledge about glowing/luminous/saturated color paintings.

1. I did the test where you crisscross all the paints on your palette
    ( watercolor using the Steven Quiller palette)

Messy but homework done!

2. Use transparent watercolors
3. Glaze over dried paint with another transparent color
4. Keep the brush strokes to a minimum; like one stroke
5. Don't layer warm colors with cool colors

complementary / neutral surround

6. Colors seem more glowing next to a complementary color or a neutralized color

 7. Only combine a maximum of 2 colors; 3 gives mud

2 color/ 3colors & analogous colors

8. Paining with colors adjacent on the color wheel will remain clear and bright

   9.  I have chosen three transparent colors to do a test painting.
 Painting #1 uses: Magenta, Cerulean Blue & Cad. Orange (diluted down to be transparent)
               #2 Yellow Green, Red orange & Cobalt Blue
               #3 Indian Yellow, Yellow Green & Ultra Marine Blue

    RESULTS:   I did not achieve the "glow" that I see in other artist's paintings but I won't give up. I have observed that using any yellow/ orange color plus leaving some of the white paper adds to the glow illusion, that you can add 3 colors and not get mud and that I have a long way to go before I sleep on this lesson.

My next blog will be watercolor attempts at luminous, glowing, saturated color paintings!