Three Color Palette, Part 2

8" x 10" Oil on Panel

Here's another experiment using a very limited palette. You can read the first post about a three color palette here. In the earlier post the three colors I used were cadmium yellow, permanent alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue, plus titanium white. In the painting shown above, my palette was cadmium yellow, permanent alizarin crimson, and ivory black, plus white. No blue. I had read about using black instead of blue for cool tones and wanted to try it. My understanding is that ivory black has a slightly bluish cast when mixed with titanium white. When lightened and placed alongside very warm tones (yellow and red), ivory black appears rather blue.

This painting was made on a hazy, mostly overcast winter day in Heber Valley, using cad. yellow, alizarin crimson and ivory black (plus white). That palette fit the day perfectly. I'm not about to give up my split primary palette, but becoming familiar with other palette combinations increases the "tools" I have in my "painter's toolbox". That allows greater variety in the overall body of work. It also enables me to say what I want to about particular landscapes in different ways.

Incidentally, a couple who live close to where I made the painting shown above (and many other paintings) have stopped to visit me as I've painted a couple of times. On the wintry day I painted this they invited me into their home for hot chocolate (dairy free) and homemade apple pie! That was a good day!