Hi Don....


It's been a long time since I've written...
my sincere apology.

I took the tri-color sample you so kindly sent me to Canada this past early summer when I was there for an exhibit and family visit...
at one juncture, I attempted a watercolor with some other paints I had, just to feel the technique....
I won't say it was dismal failure, yet one just needs a lot of practice with an unfamiliar medium, and I've been working so long in oils almost completely exclusively, that I need a lot more practice at water color before using your special samples.
I went so far as to buy three tubes of Talens watercolor in the primaries, which are still sitting unopened on my table.
I just haven't gotten to the watercolor, for better or for worse, yet it's on my mind.

Below, fresh off the easel yesterday is a self portrait, 40 by 13 inches....
note, the final touch... four dabs on the pallette of the primaries and white used to paint this work.

Unfortunately the photo was taken with indoor lighting with fast speed 400 ASA setting, so justice isn't done to the colors.  When there is a sunny day, then I'll rephotograph the work.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

Ron

http://www.realcolorwheel.com/YaBBattachments/RonG111a19e2-1-9-6.jpg

Thanks Ron, it's nice to see you working hard. And it's real nice to see a primary color painting.

Ron
I visit your web gallery often
Its an inspirarion for me
Bob
http://bobsgallery.blogspot.com/

Hi Don and Bob....

Glad you enjoyed the self portrait.
I must say that the use of the 3 primaries and white is a matter of convenience and now habit...
After becoming accustomed to it, there is a feeling of control over the pallette and the ability to get any hue you want, also never getting stuck in the mud, as you can always mix your way out.  All earth colors are "muds" anyway, yet you can't mix your way out with them.  

Having said this, I think it's important not to turn this into a dogma, and from time to time I think I should break my habit and use some other tubes of paint.

You know that Cezanne, who was a master colorist as well as a genius painter, never abandoned the use of black, even tho his mentor, Pissarro, the impressionist, had suggested that he do so.  Black is of course overpowering, and if you mix some into some paint, it's done for as it were.  Yet, black is the ultimate shadow.  Still I admit to not having used black for years, and I have not purchased a tube of the stuff since being in art school 19 years ago.

I guess I'm saying that even tho I've become rather addicted to the primary pallette, I'm wary about turning this into a religion  ;) for me.  Must try to remain open to all possibilities.

Much joy from painting and art in general.

yours,
Ron
http://www.realcolorwheel.com/YaBBattachments/tel_euc_brosh_25k.jpg
PS ... I've attached a very recent painting (approx 85 x 65 cm.) ... the last very fine tuning touches were in the studio last week which qualify this as the first of the 2006 crop, altho 97% was done in the field a few months back before the first rains came.  SInce then, the area is full of green vegetation, which should thrive until the Bedouins come with their sheep in March-April.  

---

I absolutely agree with your comments regarding religion and the use of three colours.

Having learned a little about the concept of mixing from the three primaries I now try to be flexible in my approach and can introduce/exchange other colours if I have them with me. For instance I am challenged trying to manage phthalo blue on my palette for landcapes and often replace it with FUM blue

Cheers
Bob  

There is a new color out there by Old Holland, it's the missing green side cyan. it matches the sky at the horizon line better than Thalo blue. I always new it would be great, TRANSPARENT MANGANESE made of barium manganate PB33. It's only in oil now but that's the way Indian Yellow synthetic started back in 1980 when I started my push for it. Today everybody making paint has and Indian yellow. Well this is the new kid on the block.. A new cyan hue.

Don
How does the new PB33 compare with phthalo green and phtahlo blue

Hi Bob,
It has the same transparency. The color is what I have been looking for, Thalo blue (copper) has too much red in it to reach all the way down to the horizon line. Manganese has only been available as an opaque, this is great. Expensive no doubt, but I gave up eating out a long time ago.

Here are a couple comparison images, but there is a slight problem, when the difference is very small, RGB just doesn't hack it. It's still worth seeing the information though.

http://www.realcolorwheel.com/rcwplotter.htm