Beryl Appleby

The shades of autumn are many and complex with beautiful vibrant colours which can be difficult to portray. Some of the available autumn colours are :-

Naples yellow , a beautiful peachy cream Indian red, a rich earthy red
Yellow ochre, an earthy yellow which most trees show in autumn
Olive green, a green with a hint of brown
Alizarin Crimson, a purple red often shown in blackberry leaves
Purple madder, a purple brown with a hint of blue again useful for acer leaves.
Scarlet Lake, a brilliant vibrant red ideally suited for acer leaves
Indian yellow, a rich orange red
Raw sienna, a light brown with a hint of yellow
Burnt umber, a dark brown with a hint of red.

All of these can be bought as tubes of paint from your local art shop.

Please remember to take your camera out and photograph autumn scenes so that you have something to work on in the depths of winter, and before the gales blow the leaves away !

Winter

Winter Scene by Beryl Appleby ©2004

When painting winter scenes the colours are mainly found in the colder spectrum. This means that there are blues, greys, greens with a hint of blue in them some reds and yellows.
Snow reflects the colours in the sky and its surroundings. So if there is yellow in the sky then the snow will reflect that colour.

When painting frost the ice crystals have a shape and form of their own. It is easier to see this by taking photographs which can show this quite clearly.
Painting this effect can either be done by masking out the crystals, painting with gouache or when the painting is nearly finished , scraping out with a sharp knife or scalpel.

Some of the more useful colours to have in your palette for winter paintings are:-

Oxide of Chromium
Terra Verte
Paynes Grey
Neutral Tint
Winsor Violet
Naples Yellow
Prussian Blue
Alizarin Crimson

Painting outside in winter can be quite hazardous unless you are constantly moving to keep warm.
If you have to paint outside in the cold you may have problems with your water pot freezing over. Either use hot water from a flask ( it can also be used to keep you warm !) Or put a few drops of pure alcohol into the water this will stop it freezing over. If you cannot get this then a few drops of gin or vodka will suffice. Do not drink this yourself as you will be putting yourself at risk of hypothermia.

Preferably take photographs and then you can work in the comfort and warmth of your own home / studio.

To achieve the effect of falling snow, this can be done using white gouache mixed to a creamy consistency and spattered using an old toothbrush. To make the effect blurred spatter water first, then spatter gouache which will mix into the water diluting the effect. Larger flakes can then be painted in with a no. 2 brush.

 

Spring

Bodnant Gardens - Conway

Now that the Spring season is well under way with snowdrops, crocus and narcissus coming into flower, this means that the artists palette must change.
Brighter colours are needed to enhance the feeling of Spring into your paintings.
Balance is also required so that the colours do not appear too garish.The sky too will change colour so even the blue will need to be adjusted to a slightly warmer colour.

These are some of the colours that I will be using for my Spring Palette:-

Terre Verte	A very useful colour for bulb foliage such as Snowdrops, Narcissus & Iris
Oxide of Chromium	Again a useful colour for bulbs but also for fields in the distance You may need to add a little Cobalt Blue for distance.
Lemon Yellow	A pale yellow which exactly matches some of the spring flowers
Cadmium Yellow (Hue)	A darker yellow useful for a number of applications
Cobalt Blue	This I use for the skies but to warm it up I mix a little French Ultramarine blue
Alizarin Crimson	Useful for some of the pink colours that appear in Hellebores
Burnt Sienna	A colour that is widely used for mixing with French Ultramarine Blue to make greys. Also for adding some warmth to the ground.
Olive Green	At this time of year you very rarely see brown deciduous trees because the bark has been in the light therefore algae has taken a hold and gives trees a green appearance on the bark. This colour can be used as a glaze over a very light grey

If your flowers are spotted a cocktail stick may be used to apply colour. Using a fine brush has the danger of being over loaded and the risk is larger spots than you wanted.
For very fine veins I would use a water-soluble pencil if the right colour is available, otherwise I would use a rigger brush with a very fine point to apply the colour.

You may need to use masking fluid over an already painted piece of work. Do remember when removing the masking fluid that your work is completely dry before doing so as you may tear the paper. You may also loose some of the colour so adjust before applying another colour.