[spooge demon]

This is an exercise that was part of a color theory class at Art Center. The teacher was Judy Crook. The two small studies are tiny and done a long time ago that is why they are a bit crude.

The idea, if I remember, was to take a photo of some complex outdoor architecture and do three studies-

The first is to use correct values, but make the colors arbitrary. There should be no color dominance in any area. This is an exercise to make the mind separate value and color.

The second and third follow these general ideas:

After the cool night, a lot of moisture is in the air, like being under water almost. The sunlight is shifted a little cooler, greener and yellower. After the sun creates wind and heats up the land, the moisture burns away and dust is picked up and blown around. A sunset is warmer and a bit less diffuse. The arm cool contrast of light and shadow is a bit more pronounced.


So the second study is cool light, warm shadow. The colors and values are softer, and the warm/cool difference is a little more muted. But the relative difference is definitely there. And it is not something that should be brutally followed, as you can see there are breaks in the formula. If it were followed too closely, it would look cartoonish.

The third is warm light, cool shadow, more like afternoon into evening. Again, it is not a formula that will guide every last color choice, as what determines color is a million different little mechanisms. But it is a general starting point.






this one you might have seen on my site

[BooMSticK]

these are looking very nice Craig. I would like to comment on the last one as this one seems to be the most developed one...

The warm colors in the arcs doesn't really fit. I have a hard time defining the local color of the arcs. From what I have learned the local color is derived from the color that lies between the lightend and the shadowed area. But you have so many colorvariations in the this area it makes it a quite difficult task. I see variations from greens over pinkish to red tones. Also the arcs are abit too high value to make sense, I think, if there's no secondary lighsource. The floor doesn't seem to take any of this warm secondary light which makes it even more odd looking. To me the first two studies seem more realistic in lightning...

but, maybe you were going for the less realistic and more impressionistic feel?

Another thing I usually pay alot attention to is to 'carry through'. By this I mean to make sure to not have big jumps in value/hue or saturation when going behind objects or jumping from one object to another. I think the way you have pushed the right area back by using slightly less saturated colors is great, but it makes it look as a whole other scene when abrubtly cut by the colum closest towards the viewer...

Dang! it is difficult explaining this in you second language - hope it makes abit of sense, though Great paintings, craig. Thanks for sharing!
,Boom

[SolarC]

Spooge: Thanks for the great pictures. The excercises also sound very usefull. I'll have to do them next weekend if I can't manage myself enough time during the week.

[Jason Manley]

these would be nice in the color theory thread.

am wondering what you would do differently today vs what you did back then.

j

[-Tepox-]

Thank you for really useful information/exercises. uh, have to go sleep now...

[Socar MYLES]

Although they are exercises, these are very appealing, Mr. M. I will remember these ideas when I finally get to paint in colour again. (Finishing up a series of grayscales right now.)

I find the colours and light in the third one particularly appealing--looks like a lot of enjoyment went into painting it.

[Lunatique]

I'm looking at the third one and wondering why is the ceiling so bright? Would light bounced off of the floor make the ceiling that bright?

I think the first two exercises are awesome. I have a difficult time distinguishing between different value and color(I'd have to squint or convert to b/w to make sure). I should do one of these exercises.

Thanks for sharing!

[horstenpeter]

This sounds interesting. I'm gonna go find some reference pictures and try it myself. I hope I get to to it, lots of work these days.

[Gimbal8]

I don't know, I really liked looking at that last one. It is very pleasant on the eyes to me. I liked the way everything moved in an almost sweeping pattern from cool blues to the warm colors and then the greens. I didn't even consider an issue with the colors not being right on the arc. So much for my artistic eye I guess.

I'll have to incorporate these excercises in my speed painting. Especially the correct values, arbitrary colors one. That should come in handy for learning limited palette work....amognst other things.

[The Magic Pen]

That's a really neat excerise thanks for showing it.

[surferboi]

i love this exercise.. but i think its way outta my league just yet.. i dont have that kind of grasp on value, to be able to keep my values correct and swap around colors. im gonna try anyhow tho =)

[Tron]

hmm, very nice!
i like those exercises.
3.pic: the way you handle th background is very interesring, but for me it�s too bright, there�s so moch contrast compared
to the foreground.

but this is great!