Get your pigment palette salivating!
With Crazy Colour Swatches!
All artists at some point will want to do colour swatches in order to know what sort of palettes they want to use and the colour combinations that result from that choice of hues.
Quite often, We use a system whereby you methodically lay down each of the colours and mix them with each other, plus black and white, to see what happens. However, there’s a fun alternative way of doing this and, thanks to the wonderful artist and educator, Alice Sheridan (please look her up), I've discovered crazy swatches. Actually, Alice named them, Freeform swatches, but I'm sticking with the crazy version, it appeals to my need for variety and play. the benefit of this approach is the discovery of pleasing compositions. Firstly, you stick three or four large sheets of paper together and you literally just make marks put paint on the surface and have fun. the colours can be mixed on the paper or the pallet, it really doesn't matter.
Once your painted papers are dry, you cut 2 L borders, which you can move around to find interesting compositions and colour effects on your painted pages. Then, cut or tear these samples from your painted pages, any shape or size you like, and stick them into your sketchbook like this.…
Personally, I then make notes according to what I like, or how I achieved this or that effect, and of course I list the colours used.
If you’re an artist, come and say hello to me. Tell me if you’ve tried anything like this. If you’re not an artist, this is fun to do anyway. Colour lights up life!
I really love this, what a fun way to create colour swatches and create some wonderful pieces along the way.