Friday, April 4, 2008

Grab Bag Palette - "The Painting"

If you did not read my intro to the Grab Bag Palette, see here.
This one was fun. I was able to get much better color than I had feared when I picked my tubes. Purple Lake was out, so I had Magenta, Terre Verte, Cerulean Blue, Chrome Yellow and White.
Mixing lots of colors first, like I showed in my last post, was the way to go. That way I knew what I could do with what I had.
After making the value board, I scraped what was left into three piles of "mud" that were helpful to me in the painting.


My palette, with a lot of the colors that I will use in the painting, pre mixed. They are reflecting a lot of blue sky since I shot this photo in the shade.
That is some liquin in the bottom right corner of the palette.
The thing with an odd limited palette like this is that the mixes need to be seen RELATIVE to the other colors that you will be painting with. Perfect place for pre mixing some colors.

Below is the finished painting and a detail.



"Team Work", 6" x 8" oil on board, 2008
$500. Framed, Available at Galeria Gardner



Detail of "Team Work"


We are going to a Camp Out / Birthday Party for one of my daughter's friends tonight and tomorrow.
Have a great weekend.
As always, thanks for stopping by.

31 comments:

kathrynlaw said...

I *love* this!! I just knew you'd hit one out of the park with this grab-bag thing. It's done me a lot of good, struggling with unfamiliar (crappy) colors and paying so much attention to the color relationships. You make it look easy, and it's not. The colors on the horses are just wonderful!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Kathryn, I was hoping you would come check it out.
I don't know about out of the park, but at least it wasn't a grounder.
I think I got lucky with my colors. I am going to set those aside and pick a few more.

Christine Mercer-Vernon said...

ok, what makes your last post even more impressive is that you pulled together a great little painting out of those random 5 tubes of paint! i agree with kathryn, the colors on the horses are truly wonderful. thank you for these posts, they really are very enlightening!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks again Christine. I'm glad that you are enjoying the posts. They take a bunch of time, so it means a lot to me that folks are enjoying them.

Jason Waskey said...

Putting the ball in play is what's important... :)

I'll throw in my 'ditto' along with everyone else-- your posts over the last couple of weeks have been true gems, and quite inspirational.

Huzza!

FCP said...

Wow, this is most impressive, Frank. I'm sure it is tougher than you make it look, but the clean colors in this great little painting show you must have had fun with it.
Faye

Frank Gardner said...

Spoken like a true baseball fan Jason:)
Thanks for the ditto. I've been putting a little extra time into the blog. My wife probably wants to kill it. Ha ha! just kidding.
I appreciate your stopping in.
Love that incense painting!

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Faye. It was tough, but I almost feel guilty that it came out well.
I'll have to try it again.
You are the lucky one, going to study with the man himself;)

Barbara Pask said...

Hi Frank, It came out wonderful, I don't think anyone would know about your limited palette if you hadn't told us. The light on the man and horses is wonderful. Thank you for doing these blogs on color, very interesting. Barb

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Barb.

Dean H. said...

Love it, Frank! Another great post. Challenging ideas....Might have to try this...ya already got me going with the pre mixed palette. Funny thing...you seem like the Pied Piper here and I kinda feel like...well...ahem...the Rat. Lol.
Good work!

Anonymous said...

Wow! I love your creations - from beginning to end, from mixing the paint to putting it on the canvas. Makes me want to learn to paint or something. Can one learn to paint or s/he has to have some kind of talent already? Very nice paintings.

Paz

Elizabeth said...

Amazing peaceful colors - as always.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Don Gray said...

No feeling at all that this is a limited palette. Terrific painting, Frank. I enjoy your dance with representation/abstraction in areas like the foreground strokes.

Unknown said...

Well Frank, I feel like everyone has said it all... you could take any limited palette and come up with a painting that is wonderful!

I am finding these postings so informative, even though I don't paint with oil. It is great how the basic principles of good art transcend the medium used - so thank you for all the effort you have put into these postings. It is like having a distance-learning workshop straight from a master painter. (That would be you! My little attempt at humor.)

rob ijbema said...

Frank,if you had not mentioned it,i would not have guessed,that is a wonderfull result anyway the colors went...so fresh and bright!

Ambera said...

So sculptural when looked up at close, and yet so tenderly painted. I never get tired of your work.

Holly Noel said...

I love this! This is an amazing piece of art! You have skill! Keep up the good work!

<3 Pinky

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Dean. Give it a try.
Pied Piper huh? hmmmm.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Paz. I am not sure about that. I would say that anyone can learn if they are willing to put in the effort.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Elizabeth, thanks. You too.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Don. I kind of felt guilty that it did not look more awkward.
I appreciate you picking up on areas like that. The line between abstract and representation would make for another good topic. I have some ideas on that too.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Joanne.
Master painter? You are too kind.
I think the grab bag would translate into any medium well.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks a lot Rob. I appreciate your stopping by.

Frank Gardner said...

You are very kind Ambera. That makes me feel good.
Thanks!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Pinky!

Joe Kresoja said...

Just found your blog. I enjoy it very much.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Joe, thanks. I'm glad to know that you are visiting.

Anonymous said...

Hi Frank- I love returning to your site frequently. To view your beautiful, light filled paintings, and the generous exercises you share with the readers of your blog.

We, who work in our caves, benefit so much from your descriptions, and the visuals you provide are so helpful. You make it look so easy.

I've had to add you to my bookmarks so that I can check regularly.

Anonymous said...

As always, I look at the painting and then read the post. What I noticed was the earth and the plough. The clods of clay-like soil portrayed by your brushstrokes. I LOVE that. And, of course, the horses!!!!!!

THEN, I read about the limited palette. I'd read that entry before, but didn't relate it to this painting, so it was a post-viewing surprise. Awesome!!!
Solveg

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks S.