By Brienne Brown
Artists have a passion for color. We admire a piece with stunning neutrals, bold chromas, and a thoughtful color accent that ties an artwork together. We appreciate the vivid and lively as well as the understated and soft. However, mastering the art of painting with color can be daunting, particularly for beginners. Questions abound: Which colors should I select? What hue am I observing? How do I create that specific color? Where should I begin?
There is no formulaic color palette that ensures a successful artwork, but the silver lining is that you can utilize any shades—you just have to learn how to effectively apply the ones you select. The most effective approach to develop a tailored palette and leverage the complete potential of color is to begin with simplicity and gradually diversify as you build your skills. Working with a limited palette is an excellent method for achieving this.
There exists a variety of limited palettes and color combinations, but I consider the triad scheme to be the most adaptable and straightforward for beginners. It simplifies back to the fundamentals with red, yellow, and blue—so much can be achieved using solely these three hues. As you gain more confidence in color, you can introduce additional shades that harmonize with your foundational triad or modify its composition over time to form a palette that resonates with you.
The Power of Threes
The steps outlined below will guide you through my technique for creating a painting utilizing just three primary colors.
Step 1: Prior to commencing a painting, whether in a studio or outdoors, I always sketch a value study to define the value pattern and composition.
Step 2: I outlined the composition on watercolor paper using a 2B pencil.
Step 3: I prepared small pools of my triad colors—cobalt blue, quinacridone rose, and permanent yellow lemon—on my palette, employing a generous amount of water and minimal pigment. I initiated from the top of the paper and worked downwards, painting around the unpainted areas and blending colors both on the palette and directly on the paper. This initial wash established my light areas. Note that the only regions with vibrant color are the sky (blue) and the foreground flowers (yellow). The remaining areas are filled with mixed or subdued colors.
Step 4: I allowed the initial wash to dry completely. Once dried, I replenished my triad pools with more pigment and painted the background with neutral shades created from my primary colors. I connected shapes while painting, applying wet into wet techniques.
Final Step: Utilizing even more pigment, I incorporated the darker shapes, delineated the foreground, and added the final details by navigating around my light and mid-tone shapes. My darks were created by combining different ratios of red, blue, and yellow paint with very little water. With a clean, damp brush, I softened edges where necessary, resulting in a completed piece.
About the Artist
Award-winning watercolor artist Brienne Brown is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society, Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, and Utah Watercolor Society. Her artwork and writing have been featured in numerous art publications, and she conducts workshops and online classes.
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