A question for Marvin about his palette of limited color

[Ngaire Winwood]

Thanks guys for the responses. Sorry I didn't reply earlier, I have been a little busy.

It looks a very interesting way to set out a pallete. Have you found any disadvantages to it yet Patricia.

Did you find it an easier way to use Patricia than the old 'around the outside type setup'?

I will re do this in my sketch book and have a play with it.

Thanks heaps Richard, please explain the reference more?

Would you like to go into more detail?

[Richard Budig]

Ngaire:

Not having studied with Marvin, I would be presumptious trying to explain his system. That said, the pictures, above, seem pretty clear as to how he lays out his palette.

If my limited knowledge of art history counts for anything, I see his palette as one version of those early-on very simple palettes you will hear and read about as you go on studying art. Anders Zorn, for one, used a very simple palette such as this, and produced exceedingly beautiful art, as did quite a few other very well known artists from times past.

Since the basis of this palette has been used by such well known artists and has stood the test of time, I doubt that there will be many "drawbacks" to it. I find none. In fact, I would say my work has improved since I began using Indian Red, Venetian or English red, black and yellow.

Marvin, it seems to me, goes to a bit more effort by setting out his grays, reds and yellow in value steps that make value selection easier. Go up to the top of this page, find Search, and type in Marvin Mattelson. A lot of posts will come up, several of which will be copies of Marvin's work. If you look at his art, you will see the terrific results that can be obtained from this palette.

[Ngaire Winwood]

Thanks Richard for your take on Marvin's pallete. I will also do as you suggested and do a decent search to learn more as I am becoming more interested in this pallete the more I learn about it.

I ended up emailing Marvin with the same question, but although he is very busy and didn't go into real detail, he did clarify my question.

[Patricia Joyce]

Ngaire,
I cannot compare Marvin's palette to any other because my experience is so limited. But I will be back in three weeks, after a workshop with Marvin and will give you any insight I may gain, for what it will be worth

[Richard Budig]

Patricia:

Pay attention to Marvin. His is not the only way there is to paint, but he achieves remarkable results. The proof is in the puddin', as they say, and Marvin's puddin' is very tasty, indeed.

And, I, too, would be interested in your observations about his workshop. I've been contemplating going to one, but so far, they are so distant from me. I'm hoping that someday, he will have one in Tulsa.

[Patricia Joyce]

Richard,

I attended Marvin's one week workshop in Atlanta in January and couldn't wait to attend his two week workshop this summer! I tried to get into his two week since New York but was closed out, so that is why I am attending in Vegas next week and the week after.

Marvin is a phenominal teacher. He gives you so much information and it all makes perfect sence. The admosphere in his workshops is very friendly, nonthreatening and very conducive to learning. Before attending his weeklong workshop I had never painted a portrait in oils, so my learning curve was, well, you can imagine!

That is why I cannot wait until this weekend when I get to go back for more...and for two weeks. Will report back!

[Richard Budig]

Patricia:

I'm dying to hear your report about Marvin and his palette.

[Douglas Flynt]

Hi Everyone,


This is my first post here on the Forum, I was reading these threads on a limited palette consisting of three or four strings and thought perhaps I might be able to give a little insight into this type of system.


The system is quite simple and I found it quite useful when I first began painting with color. It basically breaks the color selection process into a three step system pertaining to the three components of color; "Value", "Hue" and "Chroma."


The palette is laid out as follows a red string (a string being globs of various values moving from light to dark or vice versa all of the same hue family, often nine), a yellow string and a blue string. Some artists also perfer to add a neutal gray string. All the strings are laid out left to right according to which string they belong to. Additionally, the values are the same as you move up and down between the various strings.


The way this is then used is the artist first considers the value they need and scans left to right or vice versa to the correct grouping of values.


The artist then decides on the hue choice they want. Hue meaning red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and or some combination such as red-orange. The artist then mixes the appropriate strings together to make the correct hue choice. For instance If the artist wants orange they would mix from the red string and from the yellow string. Because the values they are mixing from are already the same they do not cause an alteration in value as they are mixing the color.


Lastly, the artist must then decide if the hue and value mixture they now have is correct in terms of chromatic intensity. If the color is too chromatically intense they need to either mix up the complement from the hue choices they have at that same value and slowly add it to what they already have or if they have a neutral string slowly add the neutral of the same value until they have sufficiently grayed down their mixture.


Wow, for something relatively simple that came out quite lengthy. Basically this palette allows the artist to address value, hue and chroma one at a time.


Hope that helps someone.

[Rui Manuel]

Very good explanation, Douglas!

Thanks for your time!

Rui.

[Rui Manuel]

Specially mentioning the possibility of including the complement rows.

Rui.