Why You Need a Color Plan Before You Paint!
Many artists love the feeling of freedom they get while making art, the sense of being unsure of the outcome but enjoying the process. When we paint, we tap into our intuition and our deepest selves. But that’s not a reason to select your colors intuitively while painting! If you’ve been working this way, consider this post my soapbox plea to you to create a powerful habit: create a color plan before you put paint to canvas.
The Difference Between a Nice Painting and a WOW Painting
I’m not knocking your color sense. I’m sure that you pick some great colors as you work. But I firmly believe that paintings that begin with careful color selection turn out to be the most successful visually. If you’re choosing colors intuitively, you may miss the fact that you don’t have any neutrals, or your neutrals are not related to the other colors. You may end up with an inadequate range of values. The colors you thought would pop may not land with impact.
If you start your painting by spending time carefully selecting your colors, you’ll create a GPS that will get you to your intended destination: a dazzling painting. If you’re an abstract painter like me, you know that color plays a bigger role than in representational painting. Picking your colors is a critical step that sets you up for a happy, successful painting session.
One Palette, Multiple Paintings
Investing a little time in color selection will lead you to an array of colors that you’re very excited about. Don’t just make one painting with this palette—create a series that explores these colors! This is a great way to create a cohesive series of work. And you can mix up jelly jars of your intended colors and then paint away! It’s fun to see how each painting in the series is unique, and yet the series looks terrific together. Creating cohesive series of work is an important part of an artist’s professional practice.
Are You Color Confident?
If you lack confidence in your color palette creation or if you’ve been winging it when it comes to color, I encourage you to focus on strengthening your color skills. It doesn’t have to be a dry and confusing color theory book or class! Find an approachable resource and then work the program (it makes no sense to take a class or read a book on color without getting out the paints and mixing them on your own).
If you’re reading this in February 2023, I have a 90-minute color workshop, Creating a Signature Color Series, taking place February 21st at 1:30 EST (replay available after). Just think, in 90 minutes you can gain a better mastery of color in a relaxed way! If that date has passed, be sure to get on my email list to be the first to learn about my programs as they are announced.
Preplanning your color palette is the most powerful way to set yourself up for success. Don’t skip this step!
Caryl