Color wheel tools

Cynthia Daniel · 02-19-2002, 09:24 AM

Here's a really nifty looking web site that offers a variety of color wheels, not only for the artist, by printer and web designer.

When you get there, be sure to click on the black "color wheels" button to see all their products.

http://www.colorwheelco.com

Chris Saper · 02-19-2002, 07:57 PM

In addition to the traditional wheels available through the above site, Hal Reed's Analogous Color Wheel is a wonderful studio fundamental.

You identify what you see as the dominant hue in a scene/image/painting, and Hal's wheel shows the full range of analogous color, if this is the type of color harmony you are after. Cut-outs also identify color discords for any given scheme.

Available at www.artvideostore.com or through (888) 513-2187.

Chris

Karin Wells · 02-24-2002, 10:10 AM

I have a $3 "Gray Scale and Value Finder" that I have found useful in my studio. It is available from http://www.colorwheelco.com/

Here's how I use it: When I need to match a color, I mix a pile of neutral color to get a small quantity of paint that matches the value of the paint I am trying to match. (This "neutral" is usually raw umber + white.)

To this neutral pile of value-matched paint on my palette, I add pure color until I get the match I'm looking for...

Margaret Elvin · 03-05-2002, 05:20 PM

These are welcome hints, with click on the address convenience to boot. What more could an artist ask for? Just what I've been needing to learn more about and as usual, here they are on SOG. Thanks Cynthia, Chris and Karin!

-Margaret

Elizabeth Schott · 10-07-2002, 09:22 PM

Based on a suggestion is Chris's book, I purchased a color wheel with values, color relationships and tones (doesn't have the analogous reference), A "Quiller Wheel" - that I for the life of me, cannot figure out how it helps with pastels and the Michael Wilcox "Color Mixing Workbook", which is a wonderful rainy day exercise, I also like to document each work by journaling the color here.

But is there anything that is just helpful to the pastel artist? Sometimes the simple statement "grayed down" can take on so many applications because of the nature of pastels.

I would really appreciate a "Pastel" tool suggestion.

Thanks!

Chris Saper · 10-07-2002, 10:55 PM

Hi Beth,

I love the Quiller wheel for pastels, as well as oils. With pastels of course, it is not really possible to ever FIND a stick of a certain color (unless you're VERY organized, like Daniel Green's). However I find its use in really considering the color I am "hunting for" and what I want the end product to be. The analogous wheel is probably a little more useful for pastels, but then, it is specific to an analogous-type scheme.

With regard to the "grayed-down" concept, everything inside the perimieter of the Quiller wheel has some desaturation.

Michael Georges · 10-07-2002, 11:29 PM

I use the Munsell system of color created by Alfred Munsell in his book A Grammar of Color published in 1924.

An artist mentor told me once, "Never use a color wheel from someone who wants to sell you paint." You will notice that the Grumbacher wheel has about 40 "colors", all conveniently matching their paints, but not very useful for learning color theory.

I actually found a copy of the original 1924 book in my local library! They got it in 1943 and it had been checked out about once every ten or fifteen years since then. The book had most of the color chits still intact and in good shape. A good copy of that 1924 book can go for up to $1,600 today.

Here is the wheel I made using his system:

http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/Pics/Wheel.jpg

Cynthia Daniel · 10-08-2002, 05:52 AM

Does anyone have any experience with either of these and know whether they are worthwhile?

Pastel Painter's Pocket Palette

Oil Painter's Pocket Palette

Mari DeRuntz · 10-08-2002, 11:19 AM

Useful as an introduction to a basic 12-color palette comprised of:
Lemon yellow
Cadmium yellow
Cadmium red
Alizarin crimson
Ultramarine blue
Cobalt blue
Viridian
Sap green
Yellow ocher
Burnt sienna
Raw umber
Ivory black

The book is printed on a heavy card stock that is fairly

Elizabeth Schott · 10-08-2002, 01:19 PM

Thank you to all your posts. Michael, thanks for showing the wheel you produced, but tell me how it helps you as a tool? I find basic color wheels to be common sense to an artist. For me - my frustration is the subtle differences in color, not the overall scheme, rather complementary or analogous.

But say...using pastels here...I am going to reference Sennelier and Winsor & Newton, they have a slight variation in their (for lack of a better word) stepping of shades (temp). Sennelier N088, N0344, N019, N018, Winsor Tint 1285 AA, Tint 2 076 AA etc. I know there is a subtle difference between cool and warm, but sometimes it is hard to see. Maybe the manufactures put out a chart saying yes this really light color has a tad more yellow...but I missed this. This is my frustration, since the colors are "pre mixed", how the wheel will work for me.

Chris, I have tried to relate my colors to the "Quiller" but find it so inhibiting because it is such a mixed medium tool. I must just really be missing something here!

Cynthia, thanks for posting those, I checked out the pastel one, but couldn't really find what it was about. Maybe the answer to my problem is to just sit down and do the Wilcox journal.

Chris, is Daniel Greene an artist here or someone you studied under?