Why learn another

[Elizabeth Schott]

I think there have been many interesting debates about choosing a certain artist's palette and the color variations they use.

I think there is an interesting point that seems to be left out repeatedly in these discussions. This may apply to the more beginning artist, (comparably to those here), which I would place myself just a bit above. But that is the usability of the palette when practically applying it to your own work.

I had the pleasure of meeting and attending a lecture by Robert Gamblin, and it was eye opener for me to see the comparison of a

[Elizabeth Schott]

Here is just another example, perhaps others could post examples of the palettes they use and how the values are handled.

[Julie Deane]

Hi -

Right now, being new, I sometimes look up the colors used in an artist's painting and apply it to my own.

For example, I have Roberta Clark's portrait book which lists different mixtures she uses. I am currently working on a portrait in which I am using a limited palette. I started with her colors, and added a few I needed.

This is helping me to expand my color vocabulary.

[Elizabeth Schott]

Julie, Chris Saper has a thread somewhere about the "Quiller Wheel", it says it helps her immensely as a quick reference. She knows so much about colors. I haven't ventured in to different artist palettes other than my teachers who have all believed in the K

[Chris Saper]

Beth,

I'm glad you started this thread. If you study with an artist whose work you like (and that should always be the case!), I think it's waste of time and energy not to at least try out a new palette (or a new technique, or a new anything).

By "try out" I really think a new palette should be used for a minimum of about three months in order to really explore which, if any, aspects will work for you. I find that I need to get into a new rhythm and mindset when I work with a new or amended palette. I don't make changes often, but I'll change in a heartbeat when I can see something works better, more reliably, or is just plain easier.

Julie, I was surprised to see how much is written here already on Stephen Quiller

[Tony Pro]

I agree here.... Remember using a "Famous Painter's Palette" won't make you a better painter... the more colors you add to your palette, the more confused you will be and the less you will learn about proper color mixing.

Look at Anders Zorn's paintings for example, he uses 4 colors in most of his paintings Black, White, cad red and yellow ochre... and he achieves the most beautiful color harmonies.... Why? because he understands color and how it works and why.... and he also knows how to draw the figure extremely well which is what most people suffer from.

Trying to use a great painter's palette without knowing how to mix warm and cool of any color with a limited palette is like buying a high end race car and having a bus driver drive it.

Don't bother trying to use someone else's palette until you master a basic limited palette.

Then go to a good painters palette and do color charts for it... see Richard Schmid's explanation of this....

This is how I teach my students.... First you use Pthalo Blue, Black and White or some other simplified monochromatic palette to paint to get used to "drawing" with paint and getting values... then you move to Zorn palliate. understanding warm and cool color in flesh tones.... If you don't understand that, you never get any further in my class...

Draw, Draw, Draw! Then paint, paint, paint!