How to render a painting?

Question

Hi all.

I'm doing a project for my Colour Theory class where we have to paint a still life of three objects using acrylic paint. However, I'm having trouble rendering the objects in my painting. With black and white, I had no problem but with colour, it seems a lot harder than just using different shades of the colour of the object. Can anyone give me some tips or maybe some websites to help? Thanks.

Answer 1

There are plenty of books on the subject. My best advice is to purchase a color wheel (they sell them in the art and crafts section of Walmart). It will help you when trying to select your colors for shading. I had the same problems moving from pencil and charcoal to color. Take the time to explore with acrylic paints, mix colors to experiment with with outcome. Build a chart of all your colors. Start by adding white to each hue (base color) and chart it as +1 white, then add more white, label it +2 white (this is called tinting). Then create you shades by adding black to your base color. The create your intensities by add the complimentary colors to each base color like you did for the tints with white. But chart and label everything so you can see all you colors laid out before you. Then all you have to do is check your chart for color choices.

Answer 2

It takes a lot of practice indeed.

Get your hands on some clear medium and start glazing. It is almost like doing watercolor over your painting to make shades or highlights or make colors more interesting.

No painter made the first painting they made their masterpiece. Keep messing with it until you discover something you like and work from there. It is fun and acrylics is a very forgiving medium.