In the obsidian indigo depths and the cerulean shallows.
I find the colors pleasing. Soothing. Melodic.
A beautiful summer’s melody you can only hear if you stop and really listen for it.
Cerulean Shallows & Obsidian Depths
Abstract Oil Painting on Wood
Where is the gold?
Hidden underneath.
Unseen.
We have to dig.
Search it out.
Or we will pass it by.
Findings from the storm
The storm rages.
Torrents of water flood downstream.
Carting along the dirt, the sand, minerals, and gold in its wake.
The dark currents of indigo, churn the minerals and sediments as they slough off the hillsides and course down the river bed.
The dense nuggets and flakes of gold bounce along, buffeted, finally settling.
Into little protected pockets, small little envelopes.
Perfect for resting in, perfect for hiding in.
So its right after a really big storm….
that is the best time to go on your gold quest.
Give the water time to settle and clear.
Then head for the hills.
There’s new gold, in the river.
In the obsidian depths and past the cerulean shallows.
Oil on Wood
I had a lot of fun playing with oil paints, this time using an old wood board.
It was quite beaten and rough.
The textures of the grain show through.
Diversifying my painting supports is a great way to both challenge myself and to obtain something unique. Something worth repeating.
Its a risk! I win some, I lose some.
But, I never know unless I give it a go.
This worked out nicely with river like textures showing through.
How the paint was applied.
The old wood board was primed and gessoed, then allowed to dry.
Time to paint….
White, Winsor Lemon, Indigo, Cerulean oil paints were used and blended together.
I used an old stiff paint brush and cotton rag to apply the paint.
With a dominantly horizontal directional movement, slightly angled.
Tonal Values:
By limiting the colors and ensuring clear tonal values within, the image even as an abstract – holds the eye.
While the my previous art painting Watercolors Inspired by Peace – was a great example of what High Key is, this painting is a good representation of Low Key.
High Key: a higher ratio of White, Light and Mid tones rather than Darks.
Low Key: a higher ratio of Mid and Dark tones rather than Light/white tones.
Sweet, the lovely enchantment of paintings in blue! Crystal clear and calming. Refreshing. Mysterious. Deep. Let’s dive into the mysteries of blue paints: Ultramarine, cerulean, cobalt teal blue, indanthrone, prussian, cobalt, phalo and manganese.
Cobalt Teal Blue pg50, Indanthrone pb60, cobalt pb28
Unravelling the Mystery of Blue Paints
The beginner needs to dive headlong into the refreshing diversity and beauty of blue paints!
The new beginner painter does not have enough blue paints.
What! not enough blues? Don’t I need to buy greens, purples, browns, greys, blacks? I hear these voices ask. No, not in my head… real voices. From students. (Just so you are crystal clear on that one!)
But isn’t it easier to just buy the tube of green and use it? Easy yes, wise… debatable. How so? Range, diversity, naturalness, smooth fluid transitions, and warmth/coolness temperature control. “Control” of depth and perspective is increased at least 75% by mixing your own greens, browns, greys, purples.
Which Blue Paints and Why
Cobalt blue pb28
Cobalt pb28 is my staple blue that is first on my list to get. Especially for beginners watercolour painting. It mixes beautifully with just about everything I throw at it, creating a lovely range of foliage greens, browns, greys, mauves. Cobalt pb28 is a clean, Transparent blue paint colour that is great for glazes. This artist quality blue paint is the perfect blue for a sunny blue sky day. Used for foliage, ocean, sky, hills, trees, still life, just about everything.. Brilliant!
You don’t want to be fooled into buying a cobalt blue hue… it will be made from phalo or ultramarine blue with white.
Ultramarine blue pb29
Ultramarine pb29 is a stunning warm blue that is a Granulating pigment, creating beautiful textural effects on the surface of the paper naturally. Sensational for mountains, hills, foliage and shrubbery. I love to add it into my ocean scenes, as it gives a nice touch of warmth to the waters. I usually prefer the French Ultramarine, its a bit finer and warmer, but its also more expensive. So, I have both.
Easy RECIPE for Grey: Ultramarine blue + Burnt Sienna = grey (at a ratio of est. 50-50)
Phalo blue pb15 can be quite tricky to use, as it is very ‘nuclear’! Its power, is amazing. Just one little drop can spoil a whole painting, so test it rigorously. It is a Stainer, there will be no textural effects, it dries smooth, flat. Great to glaze with.
Mixes well with others. Very lovely when diluted liberally with white, into soft creamy pale tints of ethereal blues. It will create a strong green turquoise when mixed with phalo green. Then, if you add white to this, it will soften off into an exquisite frosted aqua. Phalo blue when handled with care can be a most useful blue; and very handy for ocean, water, foliage.
Prussian blue pb27
Prussian blue pb27 is a very easy blue paint to use, it mixes great with most colours and is a perfect accessory to the landscape artist. It is a Stainer, it won’t lift off 100% its quite powerful very deep and dark; plus, will creep and spread in delightful ways that all Staining pigments will do.
Prussian is fabulous for foliage greenery. Mixed with winsor lemon creates nice spring yellow greens; mixed with burnt umber – a darker cooler forest pine green. Sometimes I will add a slash of it into my ocean waters, to provide a hint of deep dark greeny blue to draw the eye.
Cobalt Teal blue pg50
Cobalt Teal blue pg50 This blue/green even though it is an Opaque, and not a good mixer, remains one of my favourite colours. I love this colour! Ideal for water, perfect to cool down areas in a painting, or to act as little accents here and there.
Oceana in Cobalt Teal Blue, Ultramarine on top
Cerulean blue pb35
Cerulean blue pb35 is my runner up replacement for Manganese blue. Cerulean is both an Opaque and a Granulator, however it does mix considerably better than most other Opaques.
Cerulean is lovely for winter skies, providing a nice cool touch to the horizon. It creates delicate foliage greens, gorgeous rock pools, rivers, lakes. Beautifully cool and refreshing. The textural effects it gives makes it a great choice for soil, foreground, bark.
Cobalt Violet OR … Rose madder genuine + cerulean = Delicate pale lavender
Indanthrone blue pb60
Indanthrone blue pb60 WOW, what a blue! I wouldn’t be without it. There is a brand variance in colour intensity, thus, I prefer the beautifully fully saturated richness of the Daniel Smith Indanthrone blue. This gorgeous blue is a near black at full intensity with a peek of violet red undertone for warmth.
When I want an inky black-blue, THIS is the blue I reach for. Its perfect. A Stainer, it mixes well with others and makes great glazes. Night skies, deep ocean currents, eggplants, delphiniums… and so on.
Blues: Indanthrone, Teal, Cerulean, Ultramarine
Manganese blue pb33
Manganese blue pb33 has been discontinued some time ago due to its toxicity. I understand the health issues involved made it no longer viable for the manufacturers and the public. But, this blue was divine in its versatility and softness and mood. I still look for it at garage sales and once in a blue moon, score an old Winsor and Newton Manganese Blue.
This blue was delicate. Perfect for flowers, leaves, foliage, rockery, portraits, pets, skies, mountains, hills. It could create a mood and ambience all on its own. If you are an old time painter, and actually have a tube or 2, lucky you! Just be aware to use with caution. Wash your hands etc. Gloves would be a good idea and no drinking/eating while painting.
I’ve been careful to include not just the name of the blue paint, but its PB number i.e. its Pigment Blue # That way, when you see it on the tube of paint before you buy, you know it is the right colour that will mix and behave the right way! Those manufacturers can name their paints whatever they like. But, once they put the pb# on then we can tell if it really is the colour they have ‘named’ it. This Pigment # is the identifier I’ve used now for some years, in order to stop buying cheap ‘hues’ and to stop duplicating my colours. It works.
A Blue Paints Chart with Cobalt, Ultramarine, Cerulean, Indanthrone, Prussian blues
Watercolor Beauty from Chaos, portrays the landscape as if looking down from an airplane.
With a free flowing organic approach, the colors melt and merge.
Running along the paper’s crevices cracks and seams, just as they do upon the rough terrain of land.
Beauty from Chaos debiriley.com
Watercolor Beauty from Chaos
I’ve used a Full Sheet 22×30 inches 100% cotton Rough Fabriano watercolor paper.
Cerulean and Burnt Umber make great “earthy” partners, and provide the eye with the inference of “land.” For more on these, have a look at a previous post Cerulean.
It’s paired with Burnt Umber and Prussian blue pb27, with gorgeous textural effects.
In its abstracted nature, it still draws me in.
There still is a place for my eye to gravitate towards as a focal point area amidst all the chaos and all the soft blurred edges.
And I find Beauty.
I’ve used an aerial ‘above earth’ viewpoint, very typical of Fred Williams or John Olsen, Robert Juniper style approaches.
