The Artist’s Palette: Why I’m Obsessed with Orange Undercoats
Since the start of the year, I've been kind of obsessed with neon colours. Orange and Pink to be specific. I know. Who IS this person?!? From darks to uber bright. Just goes to show, change can happen. Even for old farts like me.
ANYWAY.
Two paintings I've just finished, BOTH with orange undercoats fit into this NEW! BRIGHT! ME! : a random portrait of Alan Cummings and a solution to a problem, Grunge Girl with AttiTUDE.
So, why do undercoats even matter you ask? Well they set the tone for every colour that sits on top. Bright white will keep your colours "clean" but they don't really influence the end result. If you want a somber tone overall? Use a somber tone underneath. Think greys, burnt sienna, even black. If you want your colours to jump out at you? Orange or neon pink work really well. Especially if you leave bits that break through the surface, a technique I'm trying to employ more and more. It creates a really lovely cohesion throughout the final painting.
Undertones—the subtle colors hidden beneath a main color—are essential in painting to create depth, dimension, a "glowy," lifelike quality that prevents art from looking flat. They establish the overall temperature (warmth or coolness), establish the mood, and affect how colors harmonize or clash with one another.
I'll show my Grunge Girl with AttiTUDE in another post. Here is "Alan Cummings in Technicolour" for your enjoyment!
