Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life....Pablo Picasso

windowtoart: "PAINTING": NEUTRALS 1   Part 2   Part 3    Color 1   Painting   Choices

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NEUTRALS--THE "SALT" OF PAINTING

  Let's begin with a basic fact: black, white and gray are not colors. They are "neutrals" but do not behave in that manner. They season or modify the "intensities" of hues, increase or decrease their "values" and are a most important tool in any painter's color expression. They enable the creation of thousands of color values, facilitate color direction and emphasis, and without them and the integration of colors with each other, hues would be very limited and boring. Here's a quick look at blends of hues with each.

8 Different TINT Values of Blue
chart of tints
Click on Images for Full Views.

These"TINTS"-hues mixed with white are in purples, yellows, blues, reds, greens and browns.

purple and blue tints purple and blue tintsblue and yellow tints
green locks and keysflowers
Smooth painted brush blends; sponge and brayer background painting are shown here.
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8 Different SHADE Values of Red

shades chart

These are "SHADES"--hues mixed with black. The smallest amount of black mixed with a light hue like yellow, lowers its value remarkably, and modifies its intensity.

yellow + blackprimary's + blackyellow + black
blue tint patternblowing leavesred tint pattern
All are smooth blends except for sponge painting/dry brush in the top right and a brayer background in the bottom middle painting. Note: Top row are "Hue + Shades". Bottom row are "Hue + Tints and Shades". See the differences? Neutrals expand color availability tremendously!
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flashing arrow     Painting with GRAYS and COMPLEMENTS extend colors further. See Part 2 with intensities modified by "Grays".

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