Thinking of skiing – the winter olympics – and sunny Arizona, where our classes are. Today: The Ski Boot, drawn using analogous colors (colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel).
An opportunity to look at reflections, how to draw gray and black surfaces using color, and how to select an analogous palette. We used no more than 6 colors that range from blue-violet to yellow-orange, with some tints and tones thrown in. Helping out are some light and middle value grays. We chose this palette because orange was a significant color on the boot. It may not take up a lot of “mileage” on the boot, but it sure is dramatic in its’ contrast, therefore giving it the honor of dominant color. When using analogous colors, remember not to include more than two primaries, otherwise the color will start to cancel itself out. The pastels:
To begin the drawing I will use the darkest value color (blue-violet) to set up the perimeters of the boot-shape. The contour line will meander and come in and out of heavier or lighter lines. Then I will block in the lightest values, then the darkest values, then the middles values.
Then, I bring in the reddish colors to link the darker blues that are included in the rest of the pallet. I redraw some of the contours of the boots’ edges.
I will continue to revisit and refine the lights, darks and middle values. For homework, I’m having my students pick another set of analogous colors, and of course, a different subject matter. Up until now, we have been drawing natural materials, but now we can bring in more reflective subjects….their choice.
It may be that some of the analogous colors may overlap this lesson’s colors. That’s okay, as long as it is not the same exact combination of colors. Keep the amount of colors to six or less, and feel free to used grays and whites to further lighten and neutralize color. Happy drawing!