Let’s meet some interesting colors

November 27, 2020 / Diann Zimmerman

Phthalo Green, Quinacridone Gold, Orange, and Indigo are the perfect guests to enliven your next painting party!

Phthalo Green needs no introduction. The moment he shows up on your paper, you know he’s there. He is a bit arrogant. He is noisy. He is that loud, but intriguing next-door neighbor. He wants all the attention. Very strong personality. A little goes a long way. Less is more with this one.

For Caribbean blue water, mix phthalo green with any blue. Results are teal, turquoise. This makes me want to add a little paper umbrella to my Coke Zero. Ahhh… the ocean…

Quinacridone Gold makes anything better. It’s like adding butter to any recipe – instant flavor improvement. Also, a little goes a long way.

I never had much admiration for Orange. Shame on me. That has changed. Orange is the secret ingredient for some amazing grays. Just try introducing it to Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, or Cerulean. Trust me on this. Such soothing grays. And remember: you can mix your own orange with red and yellow.

Indigo is one of those colors I thought I must have in my toolkit. You can mix ultramarine blue with Payne’s Gray, and voilà! Indigo! And this color makes an excellent background color for orange or red still life objects.

I used so much indigo in this painting, my indigo was almost indi-gone. That was funnier in my mind. Really, it was.