Limited Palette

[Michele Rushworth]

I think you could pretty much paint any portrait from those colors. Other pigments might be needed for some types of clothing and backgrounds, but a whole painting with neutral-colored clothing and background could easily be created with your limited palette.

The colors you mention are very similar to an old master's palette. It is said that Rubens used only white plus Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre and Ivory black.

For painters just starting out with color a limited palette such as the one you describe is often highly recommended -- and can also be a good discipline for many more advanced painters too.

[Allan Rahbek]

Hi Michele,

I am sure that you mean well, but about Rubens using only the colors you named, I am afraid it is not enough. I have reproductions of his pictures that shows that he used both Vermilion and a strong blue in addition to those you mentioned.

It is not easy to paint. Not even if the colors are limited.

I am not seeking the easy way out, nor am I trying to complicate things. But I know that many artist ( new and experienced ) is misled by the fancy names of colors, covering that many "different" colors are in fact made from the same pigments.

A concrete example : Raw Sienna is the same as Golden Ocher.
Mars Brown, Oxide Red, Indian Red, Venetian Red is also basically the same pigment, made from the same source, which is earth (clay) polluted more or less by iron oxide and other metals.
To achieve an all-round overview of available colors it is essential to understand there origiens.

Allan