[Chris Saper]

Dear Susan,

Perhaps you might post the colors on your palette, and it would help to see what you have. If you are starting with a red and yellow of your choosing, the resulting color shouldn't be too dark. To gray-down, or neutralize, the red/orange, try Grumbacher's Thalo Yellow Green. TYG is a very strong color, but far lighter in value than a Viridian or Thalo green; so you can control your color intensity without darkening it(and therby tempting the addtion of more white to restore the right value). Depending upon the skin tone hue of your particular subject, you might also neutralize with violets or blues.

My teacher, Phil Beck, said to me often, "Go BRIGHTER, not lighter." Rather than continuing to lighten higher values with white, you might evaluate using a temperature shift to show subtle form. I have never seen anyone do this better than Burt Silverman; if you have "Sight & Insight", take a moment to see how effectively he uses this technique. The temperature shifts should follow the principle that shadow colors are opposite in color temperature from the color of the light source.

Good luck!