Working with a Limited Color Palette

Forward by Marci Blattenberger: How many of us can resist the lure of buying china paints? We see a display of colors and before we know it, we end up with 35 blues that only have slight variations. Wouldn't you love to be able to just have a palette with a few basic colors and be able to mix any combinations you needed?

Unfortunately , because of the chemical makeup of our mineral colors and the firing process, we cant just freely mix any colors we like. We have to know their limitations ...but instead of being knowlegable about which paints cant be intermixed, we instead end up terrified to mix ANY colors at all....so the aim of this lesson is to provide you with many beautiful colors that can be easily mixed from other paints on your palette.

So. first , a few words from our good friend, Gordon Henry from"over the pond" who was commenting on an email that I sent in to the mailinglist:
Gordon Henry:
Hi there, "We get much too hung up on the feeling that we need the EXACT color for something!Color should be a tool ....NOT an absolute", commented Marci in a recent e-mail. My sentiments too ,Mrs.B.

The words 'limited palette' keep appearing in on our screens and judging by the response, a few members may be getting the idea that this could possibly be the 'Holy Grail' of china painting. It isn't - but could well be!

I'm U.K. based and in the area where I live (and worked) ,there are literally hundreds of ceramic artists (mostly working in industry) all happily painting with a limited palette. Why, you may ask! Answer ... They were taught to paint that way.

The advantage of using this method is to provide a harmonious colour balance that will enhance any design ..... in theory ! A lot depends on the original colour selection and this is where preferences take hold. I mentioned in a previous e-mail that naming colours can prove to be meaningless, but until the manufacturer's and retailers get their act together we don't have much choice.

So .... this is what I often use.

  • Lemon Yellow
  • Dark Sevres Green
  • Royal Blue
  • Red Brown (it may be your Deep Pompadour)
  • Sepia Brown
  • Malachite Blue
  • Golden Brown
  • Soft Pink

For second fire I add (sometimes first fire if required) Gold Pink (Carmine).

Right ... what do I mix to get ...etc.

Like Harry (Hugar), I also class Black & White as Tones rather than colours, so it is useful to have them on standby.

  • Malachite + Soft Pink = A beautiful Grey
  • Royal Blue + Sepia = Almost a warm/cold Black
  • Dk. Sev. Green + Sepia = A dark earth colour
  • Royal Blue + Gld. Pink = the truest Purple
  • Dk. Sevres + Lemon Yellow = Light Green (for a colder green, mix L.Yellow with Blue)
  • Red Brown (or soft Pink) + yellow = Orange (sometimes I use Golden Brown + Yellow for a 'purer' Orange)
  • R. Blue + Dk. Sev. Green = A deep cold Green (a great colour, to warm add Orange)
  • Sepia + Red = A warm Brown

I could carry on as the combinations are endless - but you will be getting the picture by now. Here are a few other colour combos that may be of interest.

  • Turquoise -- 1 part green, 2 parts BLUE, 10 parts white
  • Steel Grey -- 1 part black, 2 parts blue, 12 parts white
  • Peach -- 3 parts white, 2 parts orange, 1 part carmine
  • Chartreuse -- plenty of yellow, add a touch of green
  • Earth Green -- 3 parts yellow, 1 part black (to warm add orange)
  • Rich Purple -- 2 parts carmine, 1 part royal blue

(Shades can vary when certain colours are mixed together, owing to their intensity)

Like I mentioned previously, this is one combination of colours I often use - but with over 50 different colours lying around my workroom (collecting 'em a long time y'know ;-) I sometimes go 'off the rails' and break all the rules just for the sheer fun of it.

The above are mine ... so, come on guys & gals ... what are yours?

From over the pond,

Kind regards, Gordon.

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