Very limited palette

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Marvin, students should not get to set the tone or direction of any school by their inabilities. The instructors should teach them how "to handle" their mere tools. Because, paint and brushes are just tools.

Where would this logically end? With students using only 5 colors and 6 brushes they could handle? Learning isn't a completely comfortably enterprise. Indeed science tells us that education can actually make your brain tingle.

Woe! that students should run a classroom, that's the instructor's job. Students should leave a workshop or school way better than they came in-including not being unable "to handle" cadmiums.

[Marvin Mattelson]

Wilma, I teach students of all levels from those who have never painted to national award winners. I think that there is a tremendous amount of validity in the teaching of Frank Reilly. I have had far better results since I eliminated the cadmiums and switched to the earth colors.

Tim, I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Wilma Hill]

Mr. Mattelson I am very sorry if my bad choice of words when asking my questions inferred I was trying to tell you what to do. I was just very happy that you were familiar with the method I had chosen and since from your experience you had made changes on paints connected with it I was naturally wondering if you had made any changes from that same experience with the method of approach for a beginner. A person like me has to begin somewhere and it gets confusing since there are so many approaches to consider. But there comes a time when you have to make a choice and I made mine. Thanks again for all your constructive help.

Wilma

[Marvin Mattelson]

Wilma, There was nothing wrong with your choice of words so there is nothing to be sorry about. I understood exactly what you were asking and tried to respond appropriately.

The Reilly palette arrangement, which is based on seeing value first and considering hue relative to value, followed the basic approach used for artists' academic training which was taught for centuries. That is until the Impressionists put color first and things spiraled downward from there. Fortunately, through the efforts of Reilly, and others like him, the basic tenants of this tradition were kept alive and have survived. Now there is a real momentum back to a more logical approach.

I find it quite ironic that the very colors that were championed by the impressionists, the cadmiums, are now embraced by many of those who claim to teach a traditional approach. My hero, Paxton, was an artist, who though academically trained, was able to marry the concept of impressionist color observation into the academic credo of seeing form first. My innovation was to transpose Reilly's palette arrangement over Paxton's choice of colors. Another marriage made in heaven, the way I see it. This of course eliminated using all cadmiums in the flesh. A move I've never even given a second thought.

Reilly studied with George Bridgeman and Frank Vincent DuMond who were students of Gerome. He was also an apprentice to Dean Cornwell the great illustrator and muralist. Reilly's teaching incorporates a tremendous amount of insight garnered from the above sources. The only thing I find questionable is the use of cadmiums in the flesh. Like all things in life, we need to sort through the options afforded us and cobble the best solution based on our own judgment. My only allegiance is to the effectiveness of what I employ. Show me a better way and I'm there.

[Timothy C. Tyler]

Originally Posted by Marvin Mattelson

Reilly studied with George Bridgeman and Frank Vincent DuMond who were students of Gerome. He was also an apprentice to Dean Cornwell the great illustrator and muralist. Reilly's teaching incorporates a tremendous amount of insight garnered from the above sources. The only thing I find questionable is the use of cadmiums in the flesh. Like all things in life, we need to sort through the options afforded us and cobble the best solution based on our own judgment. My only allegiance is to the effectiveness of what I employ. Show me a better way and I'm there.

Marvin, this whole section on color and another on palettes mentions several "better ways" as espoused many many of the members here. Many of the books featured here on SOG (in the ad section) mention better ways. You keep listing a hand full of painters that use your palette (or rather) you list the lineage of your teachers. You do realize that for every painter you list there are 200 world famous artists that don't?

As for the Impressionist's palette they were but one group in the entire world that began using the "new colors" (along with metal paint tubes) as these were introduced to the world at that time. Some of these people were Sargent, Sorolla and Waterhouse. It will be helpful the the young artists here to read the facts. There are entire books written about artists' palettes and the evolution of the art of painting. I only mention that here as a reminder.

The one truth one is left with from researching art history is that the are many ways to great painting. Most artists prefer having all the best new materials from which to choose so they can make the best work available. In the last 20 years all sort of new improved colors have been introduced to the market. None of these were used by Rembrandt or Raphael but theses painters would have loved these new tools.