Tales from an Artist's Journal Part Three...Fill your Paintings with Dynamic Colour

Janis Zroback
Author: Janis Zroback
Word Count: 422
previous browse writing next

Tales from an Artist's Journal Part Three...Fill your Paintings with Dynamic Colour

Tales from an Artist’s Journal Part 3….Fill your Paintings with Dynamic Colour

Tales from an Artist's Journal Part Three...Fill your Paintings with Dynamic Colour belongs to the following groups:

Complex Simplicity of Art, Art Inspired by Dreams, AW Welcome Center, Forests, Light In The Darkness, Live, Love, Dream: May you have a Blessed Christmas Season , Out of the Blue (75%+ Blue), Purple Passion Gallery. 2 per day , Safe Haven, The Patchwork , Vibrant and Vivid Color and Water Media (Paintings by hand only)

In “The Art of Colour” Johannes Itten wrote, that “however painting may evolve, colour will remain it’s prime material”..

It is with colour that we commmunicate… it is with colour that we touch the heart..
And it is with colour that I express myself in my paintings…for me it’s the only way to reach my viewer’s emotions, and though line and shape are very important to a successful painting, it’s the colours I choose that evoke the most response…. BLUE AMARYLLIS…JZ

My choice of colours in my paintings is not accidental…it comes from conscious effort and practice…at the same time, it is my personal style of communication with the viewer…

To be a successful colourist it is necessary to study the science itself, to analyze great painters such as Turner and Signac, to explore the science of colour by experimenting with pigments, all the time keeping notes of your findings…by handling the different pigments, mixing them and observing results, you will eventually become expert at knowing exactly which colour will suit your subject matter and the mood of the painting..

In the early days of teaching myself to paint, I kept a chart of the results of my experiments, especially with greens which I never use straight from the tube…
I would use a sketch from the many instruction books available, but change the colour completely, placing red where it called for blue and so on…I would find that the painting immediately developed a sparkle it did not have before, and though the original drawing may not have been my idea, the painting at once became all my own because of the change in hue…

Today, after years of practice, I use colour instinctively, often just pouring it onto the wet paper, and layering many different contrasting hues, one over the other…though in general I have a distinct idea of what the result would be, watercolour never ceases to surprise me, and it’s that element of surprise that makes it my favourite medium….

Finally, Itten also said of colour, that “Only those who love it are admitted to its beauty and immanent presence….It affords utility to all, but unveils its deeper mysteries, only to its devotees”....Janis

  • Racheli

    Racheli

    Dear Janis, thank you for intelligent article.

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Thank you so much…I’m doing so much writing on RB, it looks like it might develop into a second career….:)

  • coppertrees

    coppertrees

    Wonderfully done Janis a fav. for sure

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Thanks Vickie…I just added a new journal entry as well…

  • Shree

    Shree

    Janis my friend…not only your art is outstanding but your writeups & the way they blend with your art is commendable too…i simply loved the narration and your passion towards artistic creativity.

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Thank you so much Shree for this wonderful compliment on my work…...

  • Joanne  Bradley

    Joanne Bradley

    Thank you so much for sharing your vision Janis! It is so informative and so inspiring!

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Thank you Joanne…I enjoy painting so much, I’m glad of the opportunity to share it…I just wish I had more time….I would write more and often….

  • TomBaumker

    TomBaumker

    I love it very nice work my dear keep it up Tom

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Thank you very much Tom, for all your support…

  • Deborah Milligan

    Deborah Milligan

    thankyou for the article Janis. I do enjoy these tales. The book by Johannes Itten is one of my most beloved possesssions, a cornerstone of my practice. It is a wonderful book to study and enjoy.

  • Janis Zroback replied

    Fabulous Deb…I’m glad you like Itten..

  • richiedean

    richiedean

    You sound a very colourful person Janis … it’s a great technique you have, I particularly like the Basket of fruit ….. art is such a great escape … :))

  • Janis Zroback replied

    You’re telling me….I escape every day, when I can and paint, paint, paint….thank you for the compliment on my work….

Add your comment

You need to login or signup to add your comment to this work.