Yellows only Watercolour Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow deep and Indian Yellow
Yellow, the sunshine colour; just what we could do with today! Opposite purple on the simple colour wheel this is the colour intrinsically pale in tone, even the yellows that are nearer to orange are pale in their most saturated form.
Yellow paints in your box may range from the very pale lemony yellows nearest to green;
Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Light
To the middle yellows;
Cadmium Yellow Medium, Chromium Yellow Light
And yellows that are almost orange;
Turner’s Yellow, Chromium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Indian Yellow
You can do any of the suggested projects below with one pale or lemony yellow and one that is nearer to orange or at least in the middle range of yellows.
Have a look at the Pinterest board to see how other artists have worked with yellow as the principal colour in a composition.
Then try any two of the following (more if it’s pouring with rain outside).
1. Try making an abstract or representational painting, using any pure yellows. If you need to because you are using an opaque medium like pastel or gouache you may use white.
Do not use earth yellows such as the ochres. These are already de-saturated colours. By mixing yellow with black, or as we shall see next week with purple, you should be able to mix your own approximations to these.
2. Find how the yellows in your box mix with black and make a hard edged composition with at least some pure black areas, some pure white/white of the paper areas, and blocks of pure yellow and yellow mixed with black or white. This may be representational or abstract.
Hard Edged Shapes in Watercolour Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Indian Yellow, Black Note how the deep orange mixes, two middle columns make warm brown mixes with black but the pale lemony yellows make greenish mixes.
Hard Edged Shapes in Watercolour as above with Blackbackground Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Indian Yellow, Black Note how the deep orange mixes, two middle columns make warm brown mixes with black but the pale lemony yellows make greenish mixes.
Watercolour with Soft and hard edges Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Yellow deep and Indian Yellow and Black Yellows were dropped on to the paper wet in wet. A swirl of black was run through the still wet wash with a rigger brush. The handle end of the brush was use to make curved lines into the wash while it was still damp and paint settled into the indented grooves and allowed to dry. Guided by some of these lines, opaque white, yellow and mixes of black and yellow were applied in a rather decorative manner. If you enjoy doodling and working intuitively, this is the exercise for you!
3.Make a painting with hard and soft edges with any mixes of yellow, black and white, abstract or representational. For textures as in the Sargent portrait you may consider using pastel instead of a wet medium.
Yellow Watercolour with Analogous Colours (unfinished) The same pigments were used for the yellows, plus black and a hint of vermilion was added to some of the yellow for the orange vase and a hint of cerulean was added to lemon yello for the yellow green colour.
4. Make a painting using the same colours as in 3 but you may add touches of closely related colours like a reddish orange or a yellowy green.
With your paintings try to find ways of sorting out major tonal areas. The dark and unsaturated colours will be the perfect foil to pure or almost pure colours. Be very aware of when you are using pure colour and when you are using de-saturated colour. Look at how pure colours seem to stand out from duller unsaturated colours demanding attention.
Your paintings;
The Laburnham Arch, Bodnant Gardens Watercolour by Sarah Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Indian yellow, Black, White
Winter Hellebore Watercolour by Sarah Lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, Indian Yellow, Black Touch of Ultramarine for yellow green colours
After Turner Watercolour by Maricarmen 15 x 12 cm Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium yellow, Indian Yellow, Payne’s Grey
After Gwen John Watercolour by Maricarmen 10 x 15cm Cadmium lemon, Indian Yellow, Payne’s Grey (and a touch of violet in the shadows)
After Craigie Aitchison Gouache by Maricarmen 19 x 26cm Two Yellows, Payne’s Grey and White
Canadian Birches by Ann Waterolour in Yellows and Black
Tulips Watercolour by Ann Analogous colours plus Black
Yellow Still Life Watercolour by Heather
Study in Yellow and Black Watercolour by Heather
After Diane Leonard Watercolour and gouache by Heather
Colour mixes by Shirley
Yellows and Black Watercolour by Shirley
Luminous Abstract Watercolour by Shirley
Watercolour mixes by Jan
Tree inspired by Mondrian Watercolour by Jan Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Indian Yellow, Black
After Goya; Black Painting Watercolour by Jan Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Indian Yellow, Black
Still Life Watercolour by Jan Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Hue, indian Yellow, Black and a little red
Watercolour by Liz Yellow Medium, Yellow Deep, Indian yellow and Black
After Hopper: Empty Room watercolour by Liz
Yellow Poppies Watercolour and Gouache by Liz
Pattern Digital image by Malcolm Background deep yellow, fill medium yellow
Disconnection Digital image by Malcolm As previous image but with white line
Shape Digital image by Malcolm As previous image but with black line
Blur Digital image by Malcolm As previous image but with Lemon Yellow line
Just another Stone in the Wall Acrylic by Malcolm Arylide yellow and Carbon Black Please note; yellow and black make green
Colour mixes yellow and black watercolour by John Note the lemon yellows make green with black and the deeper yellows that are nearer to orange make brown.
Tea Ceremony, Kyoto Watercolour by John Note the attention demanding power of the small areas of red in this mainly yellow and black painting
Yellows Watercolour by Barbara Pale lemon Yellow wash with more Lemon Yellow and Cadmium Yellow Hue
Yellow and Black by Barbara Previous image was photocopied and black watercolour and marker pen lines added.