Colors of Green: Watercolors

Inspiration was sparked,  by the feeling  my Contemplative Photograph collage had evoked.   And now,  the color green beckoned for more.

 

 

The Color Green is Relaxing

Green is a refreshing and cooling color.

Tranquil, peaceful and so relaxing. Perfect for  blistering hot summer days,  or as a way to relax at the end of your busy day.

 

 

 

 

And with so many hundreds of watercolor green variations possible, even from mixing with just 3 primary colors   –   red, blue, yellow  –

I never get tired of mixing ie  (playing with)  my greens!

 

 

 

 

Artistic Creative Liberties

The color green in the photo  Emerald Green Sydney Water was a “catalyst.” This Photo,  simply ‘stirred’  me to create…. things!

 

 

Green is a very creative color.  Its very nature is one of growth, development, building, stretching…creating.

Tropical Flora,   a Wednesday Watercolor color study was created and inspired by the color green and simply looking out my window.  Seeing the giant Bird of Paradise leaves out in the garden, fresh after a welcome rain. Thats it.

Winsor Lemon, Burnt Sienna and Prussian Blue were the 3 triad color I used to create this painting.

By allowing the leaves go off and out of the paper,  allows the mind the freedom to imagine.  To imagine and engage the viewer.   If I’d have ‘contained’ those leaves,    I would have blocked and stopped the viewer from moving and from getting engaged.     Drips, splashes that accidently happen… no worries!

Just think Wabi Sabi !       There is much beauty to be found in imperfections around us.

 

 

It is a wonderful thing to    …..  be a creator,  To Create and take artistic license and liberties at will.  According to how you see it,  how you’d like to see it.

Artistic License  

• To be totally Free:
• to  alter and enhance,
• to look deeper underneath the surfaces,
• to move things around,
• to change colors and delete as the spirit moves,
• to answer the call within.
• This is exciting and fun!
• No ‘stiff laced soldiers in a row’….  but organic, flowing and zen and Wabi Sabi.  

 

 

 

Letting Go.   Getting cooled off and refreshed with Sea Greens.

(This was create with the Triad of  Prussian Blue mixed with Lunar Black and Phalo Green)

 

 

 

Favorite Green Mixes and Greens

 

I generally speaking, 80% of the time,  will Mix my greens.

From scratch.

 

 

Foundation Colors:   cobalt pb28,  winsor lemon py175, permanent rose pv19

adding

ultramarine pb29    and  prussian blue pb27       and  burnt sienna pbr7

I find  that about  80%  of all my   greens are created with these for  (non – abstract paintings.)

 

Without having learned to mix my greens from scratch, I would be still making mud.  Still wondering what was going amuck.

By making myself,  start with few, and slowly add along the way….. I got better at mixing my greens.  It makes sense!

 

 

 

Other Greens of Interest ……….

• cobalt teal blue pg50  is a lovely green blue color
• “zoisite”   Daniel Smith watercolor, is absolutely exquisite granulator, lovely sage green
• perylene green is a wonderfully full bodied deep range of tones, a very cool green color
• green earth  is a soft, gentle dull mint green that is versatile, mixes well, but is  pale
• cascade green by Daniel Smith, is a mysterious, 3 chromed color in one. so intriguing.
• phalo green  can be useful upon a rare occasion

 

 

(I do already have plenty of posts and information on CTB cobalt teal blue;   but currently,  also working on a Series of Green Colors, which will include the zoisite and perylene, amongst some other goodies too.)

 

 

on very Rare occasions I’ve used viridian, phalo green, sap green, hookers green, etc… and when I have,  I  mute them down.

I tone them down with white or umber or naples yellow…. or something!  In order to ‘soften them up’ a bit, so they don’t look so loud and ‘shouty’ in the painting.

unless,  of course…. I am wanting the artwork to Be      “SHOUTY”  !!

 

But, for me mostly, when I paint…. I prefer a softer look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posts of Interest

Foliage Greens

Cobalt Teal   Fresh Spring

Cobalt Teal Trees’ Reflections

Green Earth Prussian Blue Umber   making your own paint

Prussian Blue   mixing ideas

Lunar Black Watercolor, Daniel Smith,  mixing ideas

 

 

websites

Cheap Joes art shop online,  Watercolors,  Daniel Smith brand   

danielsmith.com