COLO UR TIP

Creative licence

Small colour notes can generate visual interest, and don’t need to be justified by the physics of bounced light.

6 Pre-mixing my colours

Instead of mixing colours as I go, I prefer to mix up a large puddle of colour beforehand. This saves a bit of time, gives me the opportunity to sort out colour relationships, and allows for unexpected but useful mixtures to occur.

7 Base layer

I quickly and roughly scrub in a very thin layer of paint, using a transparent mixture for the shadow side and a semi-opaque mixture for the light side, This makes it possible for me to place any subsequent brushstrokes directly into wet paint.

8 Establish value range

With the large shapes now firmly established, the next step is to block in some secondary shapes such as highlights and reflected environment. Note that I’m not painting every single detail – just enough of them to achieve the overall feel.

9 Correcting errors

I notice that I’ve made a moderate drawing error on the gauntlet. It happens. I’d rather not have the thicker layers of light colour blend into the deep darks, so I’m going to remove them completely with a paper towel.

10 Establishing secondary forms

Once I’m happy with both the three-dimensional form and metallic effect of the larger forms, I start going into the smaller forms and building them up. I’m careful to stay within the overall value structure I’ve established.