Some beginning artists are so overwhelmed with all the pretty colors in their tabouret that they tend to go overboard with their palette. Too many colors in a painting can be distracting and the overall appearance lacks harmony. Limiting one’s …
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October is one of those months that’s unpredictable. You may have warm, sunny swimsuit weather one day and a snow flurry the next. October’s birthstone is a bit capricious as well. The traditional birthstone is an Opal. However, Tourmaline is …
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One sure sign of a novice painter is the pale, tentative look their paintings possess. It’s a good beginning to master drawing, perspective and composition. However, when a student begins to add color, light and dark to the design, all …
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September’s sapphire is perhaps one of the most popular colors. Everyone seems to like blue, and there are so many shades and tones that an artist could never possibly buy all the hues available. Sapphires can range from very pale …
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When you’re selecting your palette, you choose the basic colors you’ll be using to create your painting. However, once you get started putting paint on your paper or canvas, it gets a lot more complex. How bright is that red? …
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The pale green Peridot is the happy birthstone for August, and represents luck, success, courage, dignity, passion and fame. If you’re a lucky painter whose birthday is in August, your stars are in alignment to become a successful, passionate artist …
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If you’ve been at all interested in art, you probably have a passing acquaintance with the color chart, primary colors, secondary and complementary colors. What you may not be familiar with is painting with a select group of colors based …
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Like many gemstones, the ruby can vary a great deal in color and saturation. Rubies range from pink to a deep, vivid red called pigeon blood red. If you’re painting calls for ruby red, there’s a number of choices you …
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Blue is one of the primary colors, but there are so many variations that it’s not an easy color to pin down. There are blues that are so brilliant that they don’t seem to be natural and others that are …
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It’s springtime everywhere, and the drab monotone of the sullen winter fades and is replaced with the fresh, soft colors of the season. Dig out your favorite, bright pastels and add a burst of sunshine to your spring paintings! Colors …
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If you’re pondering your next painting or series, this is a great time to consider an Easter palette. While many of us still have many weeks of snow, sleet, shovels and overcoats with which to contend, it will lighten your …
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As the cold winds of winter keep us indoors and bundled up, the images of a tropical island and warm, sandy beaches warm the soul. That image gives us the promise that the fierce and frigid jaws of winter will …
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Well, it’s that time of year again. Bring out the red, green and metallic colors, and put away those orange and brown fall hues. Christmas colors are all about tradition. Santa’s red suit, the green of the evergreen tree, and …
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Let the brilliant greens, neon pinks and iridescent blues fade as the temperatures drop, and summer packs her bags to join the snowbirds in the southern climes. You’ll be enchanted with the warm, muted colors of fall that speak of …
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There’s special colors associated with every holiday. Halloween’s colors come from ancient traditions, the season of the year, and most recently, marketing strategies. Halloween has a combination of traditional colors, as well as hues that are more contemporary. The two …
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Lightfastness is the ability of a pigment to maintain its color when exposed to the UV rays of sunlight. Some colors lighten, while other pigments darken or become gray over time. This changes the artist’s original concept and can ultimately …
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Green grass, green trees and the green waters of the Caribbean are all compelling and frustrating for a beginning painter. If you’ve deviated from an instructor’s suggested supply list, you’ve probably snatched a tube or three of lovely green hues …
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