Every artist loves and enjoys color. Artists delight both
in observing the myriad, subtle variations of color in nature
and in mixing pigments together to reproduce those infinite
hues. Painting becomes increasingly delightful as we begin
to master the complexities of color mixing. The Portrait Institute
Color System was created to add to the pleasure of painting.
These colors, and what you can do with them, will simplify
your task in color mixing and give you a whole new range of
delicate, dependable hues specially formulated for portrait
and figure painting.
The Two Keys to Success
There are two keys to the mastery of color mixing in painting.
The First Key is to accept the concept that all good
painting is based on good observation, not on rules or formulas.
Nature herself is the great instructor in color. The Second
Key is the willingness of the artist to carry out conscientious
color mixing exercises and commit the results to memory as
he or she proceeds.
We learn as children that yellow and blue make green. Years
later, in painting class, we discover that yellow ochre, cadmium
red light and white will yield an exquisite range of flesh
tones. Both discoveries must be committed to memory to be
valuable.
The Quickest, Best Way to Learn
You can acquire a working knowledge of color mixing as you
produce actual paintings, but this is the slow way to learn.
The rapid, practical way to learn color mixing is to set for
yourself a series of exercises, patiently observing what specific
colors do as they interact and committing the results to memory.
Thus, Rule One is "Every color mixture should be based
on observation." Rule Two is "Patient color mixing
exercises produce knowledgeable artists." The two rules
work hand in hand. Once you have mastered color mixing, you
will know what to mix to reproduce what you see.
I hope that my Portrait Institute Color System will be helpful
to you.
John Howard Sanden
INTRODUCTION TO THE PORTRAIT
INSTITUTE COLOR SYSTEM
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
THE PORTRAIT INSTITUTE PALETTE
LEARNING ABOUT COLOR QUALITIES
THE FOUR STEPS IN EVERY
COLOR MIXTURE
ADJUSTING COLOR TO MATCH
OBSERVATION
PAINTING THE NECESSARY
COLOR EXERCISES
NOW LET'S PUT THE SYSTEM
TO WORK IN A PORTRAIT
..AND IN A FIGURE PAINTING
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