Under the Bridge, 24×24″, Acrylic, by Lucinda Howe, with collage used to develop color scheme
Did you make a collage of your favorite color combination in part 3, Analyzing Your Personal Color Palette? If so, it’s time to use this as a basis for creating art.
Start by collecting your favorite art supplies. You can use paint, pastels, fabric, or any other medium. Mix or select colors to match your collage. Pay attention to value and intensity.
Once you have mixed or selected colors, then choose your subject. You can choose an abstract or geometric design or find an image that relates to your chosen color scheme. Draw the design and then paint it with the colors you have chosen. If you use a photo, you may need to replace some exiting colors with a different color of the same value, but stick with the preselected colors. This will result in a harmonious color scheme.
This process shakes up the usual method of selecting the subject matter first and reminds you not to be constrained by “real” colors. The painting at the right is an example of this process. In reality, this bridge is gray stone, but I replaced the natural colors with colors from my blue and orange collage.
Now it’s your turn. Make some art and post comments about your results. Have you enjoyed this process? Have you developed a color palette that works for you?
Read the other parts of the series..
Part 1: Developing Your Personal Color Palette
Part 2: Developing Your Palette Using the Munsell Color Wheel