Dominant Color

Major Assignment: Dominant Color Painting

“How important it is to know how to mix on the palette those colors which have no name and yet are the real foundation of everything”… Van Gogh

Color swatches have been used by painters for a long time… swatches are a form of drawing…they are the most direct form of visual-color thinking…when a painter wants to change color in a painting, he or she places the color object (swatch) next to a color in the painting so as to visually compare its position. The swatch visually answers the question… does the color that is on the surface have to be darker, redder, more neutral?... color for the painter is not a name, it is a visual object.

Materials:
Prepared Stretched Canvas 16" x 16", Acrylic paints, Monoject syringe for measuring paint
References- Dominant Color Palette

1. Begin by developing your design in your sketchbook. Your choice in design for this project is up to you. It may be representational, geometric or abstract.
2. Prepare your surface: Stretch your 16”x16” canvas and cover it with gesso. Use sandpaper for any rough patches.
3. Design: Recreate your design using a ruler, compass, stencils, tracing paper and/or transfer paper for precise measurements. Use light pencil on your canvas to redraw your design.
4. Choosing your dominant color:
There are many possibilities for choosing your dominant color.
• Look at the work you have done over the past few months…
Is there a one color being used more than others?
Use opposition: is there a color you hate?
Use color as a symbol: if your painting is about fear- use the dominant color of fear
Use color as convention: use a color that represents something, i.e. blue for heaven
Use local color of an object: yellow school bus
5. Swatches:
•Choose one color to be your dominant color. A dominant color does not have to be one specific pigment it could be a combination of two. Your dominant color can also be black, white, gray or an earth color.
•What other pigments will you add to your dominant color? Think about how colors interact. If your dominant color is red a green would set up a neutral color situation. It would de-saturate the red, a blue would produce violets and give it cool sensations, a yellow would produce orange-reds and give it warm sensations, and a violet would produce clearer red violets and create warm orange earthy colors. Also, take into consideration how the hue shifts and value contrasts. Is there clear (saturated) vs. neutral areas or is it more one than the other.
•Begin with an equal mixture of your dominant plus additive color
•Use toners—a third group of colors that have a neutral appearance… earth colors, black, white, or gray
Add various quantities of toners to your dominant additive mixes. A standard earth tone is an equal mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber. This gives a grayed effect to most color mixtures.
• When creating your 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"swatches put the paint on evenly without too much texture. Do not dilute the paint. We want to see the exact color of the pigment.
* Step back and make wise choices when picking out your palette. Be aware of when the dominant color is no longer dominant and becomes the additive color- in this case you may want to add more of the dominant color to your mixture.
•Make swatches of assorted colors all containing your dominant hue. Make several and choose a palette from these. A minimum of 10 colors is necessary. Take into consideration color interaction and all you have learned thus far. Put your swatches and palette choice in your sketchbook.
Tips:
- Mix your paint with a palette knife
- Mix equal amounts of the dominant color with the additive color to begin
- Use your Monoject to measure and record amounts of paint in case you need to mix your paint again.
-Add white or Black to further alter the color or to create either a high key (lighter end of the grayscale), middle key or low key (darker end of the grayscale) painting
- When mixing only two colors together, do only 5 swatches—the others would be more or less repeats
6. Paint your canvas.

Keep your design simple. Your design should be painted in a neat and flat manner. Punctual completion, presentation and accuracy of color mixing are the primary factors in determining your grade.