A question for Marvin about his palette of limited color

[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.

[Brenda Ellis]

I have looked at this thread several times over the last month. I have looked at that photo of Marvin Mattleson's palette several times. And tonight, looking at it, I finally get it. I finally see what he's got laid out there. It makes sense to me! This is exciting for me because it means I'm learning something by hanging around this forum.

[Patricia Joyce]

Richard and Brenda,

I feel so inadequate. I have tried to write more about Marvin's palette and his approach but feel unqualified as I have only been painting for eight months. Marvin's way is the only way I know. I took oil painting classes in the past two years that left me so frustrated and muddled (mentally and literally, my colors were MUD!!!)

I needed direction and clarity. I got it from Marvin's approach and his instruction. I knew what I wanted to see in my paintings but I didn't know how to get there. Now, though I have years to work this out, I am happy when I put my brush to a canvas, the colors that happen upon my canvas now are exciting in their beauty! I guess Marvin's palette is just exactly what I see in the master's paintings, like Bouguereau , Paxton, Jerome and that is what I want in my paintings - the rich colors of the earth. I don't want to see green and purple in my fleshtones and I never will when using Marvin's palette. I want the reality, the softness, the nuance Marvin can get.

I think that the best way to learn about Marvin's palette is to reread everything he has written here. I would also suggest you talk and listen to Janel Maples and Enzie Shahmiri and Val Warner. They are far better portraitists than I and use Marvin's palette also. And while Marvin works on his book, let's hope it is published in record time!!

Best of luck - you are on the right path!! I've attached a ref pic of a closeup of one of Marvin's paintings I keep in my studio - inspiration!

[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.