The Only Oil Painting Colors You Need

[@carlkligerman1981]

Have you looked at Itten? His theory of colour book blew my mind when I was learning to paint many years ago, his mixing exercises are very free form and lots of fun but it is theories on harmonics that I found most useful.

[@Alexandra-ks7cb]

Thanks for the recommendation! Itten looks fascinating. I'll be buying🌈

[@jondreauxlaing]

I use a similar limited palette that I based on a video from Andrew Tischler: Cadmium Lemon, Quinacridone Magenta, Cobalt Teal. I also use black (ahhh oh noooo!!) because it's hard to get very dark colors with this palette, but I like using black anyway because if you know how to use it, it can make really interesting and beautiful colors. I love Pthalo colors, but they're just too strong for normal use in my opinion. This palette gets me almost every color I could want except for the most brilliant purples and oranges, and in those instances I just grab a cad orange or dioxazine, but it's pretty rare that I actually need them.

[@Seanz421]

I have owned Richard Schmid's first alla prima book for years but never used it very well. Your videos make his content much more clear. Each of your videos is like a mini text book in itself. Thanks for your channel. New subscriber here!

[@janewong4862]

Best explanation I have ever heard of color charts. Thank you

[@fotoalive]

I'm a newbie , just found your channel today WOW! This is a mine of GOLD! Now I have lots of work to do to catch-up on your videos. These colors charts help so much to understand colors! You are very dedicated to your Art and perfectionnist too....Thank you so much for sharing all of your expertise , natural teaching talents and of course a Great Artist! All the Best 🙏 Greetings from Q.C.🇨🇦

[@53justjude]

Thank you Chelsea, this has made so much sense to me now, you are wonderful, and have helped an old Aussie girl so much.

[@trudyberry3267]

Great explanation of the various palettes. Thank you.

[@annekarts8451]

Chelsea, this is so incredibly helpful. You have no idea. Thanks so much for sharing this with us! ❤

[@christiangeier6297]

brilliant! I really enjoy your videos and this one in particular! I love that you mention the "modern cmy" palette the true primary palette but doing so without degrading the other ones! another super reduced palette would be the zorn palette (white, yellow ochre, cad red and black) . Zorn's palette doesn't work for me since I'm doing mostly landscapes, but sometimes I try out a super limited palette using white, transparent oxide yellow, indian red and ultramarine blue! 🎨🤗

[@ChelseaLang]

Thank you so much! It was a kind of challenging video to film and edit, so that means so much. I hate that I didn't get to mention the Zorn palette -- it really came down to just running out of space for the charts themselves. I hope that the idea is still captured in the Alizarin/yellow ochre/ultramarine palette though. :) I was really actually pretty surprised by comparing the palettes -- it seemed like such a natural conclusion to kind of show each of their strengths by the end because the harmonies just looked so beautiful. :)

[@j.d.waterhouse4197]

My God are you smart and organized. Love your videos. I've been going in circles for the last 10 years, in fact often going backwards, mostly because I can't break free from my early years drawing with pencil, or pen and ink. Every step of my paintings must look 'completed' and forcing myself to lay down underlayers before working on details has proven very difficult.

[@juliejroth29]

So appreciate this!! BIG thank you!!

[@_wegota2319_]

This is so, so great. Thanks so much for this video. I'm starting on my acrylic painting journey to (hopefully) incorporate it as illustration additions to my writing work, and I find that it's closely related to oil. You've been incredibly helpful. I'm also happy to learn that it's a common practice to work one hue throughout a palette for a harmonious look, as I've recently made that a goal for all my future palettes. Thank you!

[@martinamarsella4614]

Your video was extremely helpful to me! Thank you so much!

[@suzannebonham583]

Oh I just love how you are showing and explaining the colours. I couldn't help noting that the transparent red oxide would make good portraits. Is not a healthy face the result of oxygenated, iron-rich blood viewed through the filter of skin? (Anybody who's been a nurse, seeing a heart-attack in progress knows the unforgettable effect that blood deoxygenation can do to someone's complexion.) I am a complete newbie, and the first thing I did when I got oils (two boxes of random colours, both from Craigs list) was to put down a splotch of each and dilute each with white. I have somehow managed to misplace these early charts and I feel so lost. But just today I painted some acrylic grey background so I can make charts like yours, but with a neutral background, as I could use as much help on value as I can get. I've seen other painters explain that limited palettes promote colour harmony, but you have actually beautifully shown it.

[@banzy3]

Thank you for the in depth video! It was interesting what you said about Boedges using the transparent oxide red (as an example) chart, but then taking the ultramarine blue chart, and using the TOR column - i.e. still using TOR in his mix, but not as the dominant colour. I am also slightly confused by the charts application, because I saw a Schmid video where he said at least two of the charts usually fit a scene, therefore I guess you wouldn't always choose one colour to dominate all the various tints, as long as it's consistent with the light source?

[@kendallowens8566]

Our pigments cannot come close to representing what we actually see. They simply depict a small portion of the light present. So when we paint, we are trying to represent what we see with a medium that is not capable of doing it. Color is complicated and challenging. We start with a limited palette simply to make the learning process more manageable. That being said, as artists we should never limit ourselves. Learn to paint with a limited palette, but introduce more or different colors as learn and progress.

[@Rithmy]

I disagree with the notion that as artists we should never limit ourselves. Sometimes limiting ourselves does boost our creativity and widen our horizon of what is actually possible. My first example is from music but i think it does apply to colors too: When playing the guitar you might not really learn what the guitar is capable of. Who needs to bend a string to get a different note if you could just move your finger? I learn sooo much by limiting myself to a single note. Just playing the some note over and over again and trying to make a song out of it did help me to understand that i don't need much to work with -- the possibilities are still enormous. Now with painting i haven't done this yet but i am look forward to paint if only 2 colors. There are famous portraits with only 2 colors and they look very natural.

[@dudhman]

@@RithmyI think OP is talking more about not limiting the learning.

[@deannak1841]

I can't stress enough that beginners should get to know their colors and make color charts- it's easy to be romanced by all those choices in the aisle- start with a few get to know them and realize you can mix many of those. I also recommend working with single pigment colors- it helps to prevent mixing mud (unintentionally) remember that mud is useful

[@hotlineoperator]

Just find your channel and content is lovely.

[@ChelseaLang]

Aww, thank you Catias! That makes my day. :D

[@gregory6488]

What kind of tape are you using in this video 16:40?

[@skrewler]

where did you buy that color chart and that overlay / stencil? did you make them? if so, care to share the pdf? edit: okay I found the link. $139 seems outrageous I found some cheaper ones, but doesn't come with the tape.

[@belindahall5220]

Excellent video and very useful!

[@Jefferson50275]

super helpful thanks!

[@suzannebonham583]

Ok, so I have now made a colour chart on neutral grey, and I love it but I have collected so many random colours from Craigs list. I have exactly 29 not including black and white. So I want to narrow this down, but also want to do a blended series of colour charts too. I am not sure whether to first narrow it down, and do the blended charts after that, or do the blended charts first with all 29 (whew) and then narrow down based upon what happens with the blending. I want to focus for now on landscapes and flowers, don't care anything about portraits or animals for the time being. My main interest would be landscapes.

[@PetitFlorals]

I love your videos! Totally subbing and I'm happy KZbin recommended you to me.

[@rhyannonp8231]

how do I find those cards you put your oil paints on

[@africo9104]

I never thought I'd be interested to make a colour chart til I saw your and how you do it. Now I'm ready to make them. Thanks a lot, this all makes so much sence. By the way, your new color chart didn't come up on the top right hand corner.

[@Alexandra-ks7cb]

Some of this sounds like edgar Payne's mother colour theory. Great video!! Thanks so much.

[@michaelbridges8261]

Which Cadmium red does Richard Schmid use on his charts. Cadmium red medium or light?

[@Ramesh_009]

Nice work 👍👌

[@zuribinti]

Where do you get these blank cards?

[@arcanics1971]

Not quite the same thing really but... There's an artist called Scott Naismith who takes the 'true primaries' thing to what seems to me a bit of an extreme. You will have to see his work to see what I mean. He only uses what he considers true primaries and white. The work is very interesting and he's quite successful with it too. To me, his work often looks wrong, but it's certainly interesting. And never dull.

[@arcanics1971]

And you can NEVER have too many mice!

[@ChelseaLang]

Oh wow -- yes, I think this shows both the power and limitations of a true primary palette. It's super vibrant, but not necessarily harmonious. Definitely a good demonstration of why you may totally love a true primary palette versus why it may not be a good fit at all!

[@ChelseaLang]

Haha, she was being so naughty! She got one mouse with a laser pointer I ordered on Amazon, and she loved it so much that I found a ten pack and put them in her toy basket so I'd never have to hunt for one to play with. Only problem was that she wanted ALL of them. 😂 And she wanted them right while I was filming no less!

[@fluffybrushespheiffer2410]

Thank you for this most informative video, and may I ask what is kitty's name?

[@hgzmatt]

The really annoying thing about having a palette made out of crazy powerful colours is that you have to constantly neutralize them before you can use them. I guess it depends on what you are painting and that's what it should be geared towards.

[@suzannebonham583]

Oh, and I can wear any colour on the cobalt blue light, ultramarine and alizarin permanent charts, but If I tried anything from the transparent oxide yellow on, they'd take me to the hospital

[@kimesch9698]

Oh what a beautiful cat! Can we see more of her? (Oh yeah, good info, too.!😉😁)

[@barbaraknowles8615]

Do you sell these charts????

[@Niekoue]

You've got to do it yourself to learn it ;)

[@MrKongatthegates]

most people just paint way way to saturated. They have no eye for toning things down when it comes to realism. So thats why they developed limited and desaturated pallets, to handcuff people to less chroma. It made for better paintings. But do people realize that? Every beginner thinks the brighter the better, but just like music is better with quiet and loud contrast, so is a painting with muddy colors and just a few bright chromatics for impact

[@parthsavyasachi9348]

My thinking is that its too many colors to use. It is very hard to master so many colors so I personally focus on much less colors and see what I can get out of them.

[@nicholasmooney9611]

Exactly, value is king, not colors . Colors can be added to a limited palette when you know they’re actually gonna be really useful depending on subject matter.

[@parthsavyasachi9348]

@@nicholasmooney9611 very much. It's extremely difficult to even get better at 4 to 5 colors this much is almost impossible. Values are most important and that's what separates great painters from ordinary. You are right.

[@ChaosOrZen]

Spoken like a true Salieri. I understood her to say these are "options" when setting up a primary. Not that you use all of them

[@parthsavyasachi9348]

@@ChaosOrZen Even though our brains are not as developed as your is, i think we understood that she is not saying that we HAVE to use all the colors. The point here is that it is too many colors to think about, and for lower iq people like us it is too much to handle. I have painted for around 25 years of my life so i hope i do understand some of the colors. I have come to conclusion (for me only) that it is best to approach a painting with set of very few necessary colors. I now try to understand how a set of few colors might work together. This set may be made up of different color altogether when i move to next painting. For me even to learn how 3 or 4 colors work together is difficult so i avoid pushing so many in one go.

[@jennifergottliebel-azhari149]

Cads are warm and alizarin is cool neither is primary red

[@suzannebonham583]

Ha Ha, I wish I could "like" this video in multiples, but pressing the button 25 times is counterproductive :)

[@myalicioglu]

İ understood nothing

[@gautambarua3404]

I'm with you. Colour charts are rather boring 😴

[@safir2241]

I feel like this video was unnecessarily long

[@dianamariapsps3817]

Excelent!!