Color Schemes

Frequently when taking art classes the instructor will discuss color schemes in your art.  Monotonic, Complementary, Adjacent, and Triad color schemes are those most frequently discussed.  Even though this is common knowledge I find I need to be reminded regularly or I drift off course, using too many colors to have good color harmony in my work.

I recently learned about a website called "Color Scheme Designer" that is intended for web designers, but can be quite useful to painters as well.  You can plan not only with the color schemes mentioned above but also Tetrad and Accented Analogic.  While playing on this site http://colorschemedesigner.com/ I discovered I had used a Tetrad design in one of my most successful paintings this year.  See if you agree?

For future reference I have added Color Scheme Designer to my links.

To view other posts on color schemes check:

• A favorite color scheme

2010 Exhibit at Johns Hopkins University, Montgomery County

I have two paintings, based on my travels to Guatemala, on exhibit in this Laurel Art Guild exhibit at Johns Hopkins University, Montgomery County.  I just love the native clothing worn by the women in Guatemala.  My work tries to bring these women to life.  The pieces in this exhibit show a girl relaxing before her day at the market and a contemplative age-worn women waiting outside her church.  I hope you get to enjoy this exhibition which runs until January 17, 2011.

"Guatemalan Girl": Never Stop Experimenting

Guatemalan Girl

This painting was done on nine 5" by 5" Aquabord that were 2" deep. Normally I work on either cold press or hot press paper using a lot of wet-into-wet techniques, so this was my first experiment with Aquabord. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I could blend colors on this medium.

My decision to use nine segments for this painting required me to design the piece taking into account the 1/4" gaps between the Aquabords. I wanted to make sure that each segment of the painting was an interesting painting of its own. That made placement of the girl critical and the abstraction of the patterns in her clothing important to ensure the viewer's eye continues to move through the entire piece.

Knowing galleries would not want to deal with hanging 9 separate pieces, I attached these to a piece of Plexiglas and drilled a hole in the Plexiglas for hanging.

"Out of the Sun",26.6" X 27.5" fluid acrylic and watercolor - SOLD

Out of the Sun by April M Rimpo

Out of the Sun was inspired by the wonderful architecture in Antigua, Guatemala and the affects of the sun shining through the pillars and archways.  This painting captures the mood of the people relaxing in the shade, the great patterns created by the sun, the glow of reflected light on the inside of the pillars, and the halos that surrounded the people about to emerge from the shade at the end of the walkway. 

I created this painting using a combination of fluid acrylic and watercolor on hot press paper.  I love the texture I can create using fluid acrylics and the great blends of colors possible with watercolor.  This painting was awarded second place at a Baltimore Watercolor Society exhibit at Kentlands Mansion in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Painting for a themed exhibit

Normally I paint based upon inspiring things I have seen or places I have visited. I have thousands of photographs I have taken that I combine and morth to recreate a feeling I experienced or a vision that I think will draw others into my work. Lately I have decided to enter some socially themed exhibits and have found this way outside my comfort zone. Instead of starting with inspiration I start with someone elses concept and try to find something I share that fits the theme.

This feels much like being in school trying to answer an assignment; not something that makes the juices flow. Often I abandon the exhibit when nothing comes. Sometimes I can play around with ideas long enough until something that does inspire me finally arrives. Do you have techniques you use for these themed exhibits?

"Celebrate" (shown below) is the final work I created in response to the "Cupcakes for Claudia" exhibit in support of the courageous journeys of those coping with cancer.  The reception for the exhibit will be held on April 16th, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.

Self Critique

You have no doubt read or heard about many approaches to critiquing your own work. Some include looking at the painting in a mirror, standing at a distance, putting the piece away and looking at it in a few weeks. All of these are attempts to have you look at your art in a more objective fashion. They can also force you to stop painting to assess, which may save you from overworking, a big danger for those of us who work in watercolor.

I have found that photographing my work as I go is a tremendous help to me. I generally photograph after each painting session on larger works. Writing down your thoughts about what you see in the photograph is also very helpful in forcing you to be objective. I note what I like and what is not quite working. This approach seems to help me see where I need to increase or decrease value changes or adjust the color. I am always surprised when I look at my photographed work..sometimes in a positive way and sometimes not. Either way I know I end up with a better painting in the end. This approach may help you; give it a try.