Categories
You can send an email to [email protected] if you have questions about how to use this forum.
Color matching
goosamoz
-
in Color Mixing
hi!
im a new person here and I've not yet started on mark's very generous intructions. I can't wait to start, but have no space .
I am first working on color matching through Arthur stern's book 'how to see colour and paint it', which is great.
my struggle/question is this : when you hold your paint out (on a pallete knife viewing through a hole in a card) visually match it to your still life (in my case simply an orange against colored paper) the paint sample is in less light than the actual still life so- well the value is all wrong and I can't figure out where to hold the paint sample- do you put it RIGHT in there against the still life? So it's under the lamp light? Or in the room light? Everyone must have this problem?
im a new person here and I've not yet started on mark's very generous intructions. I can't wait to start, but have no space .
I am first working on color matching through Arthur stern's book 'how to see colour and paint it', which is great.
my struggle/question is this : when you hold your paint out (on a pallete knife viewing through a hole in a card) visually match it to your still life (in my case simply an orange against colored paper) the paint sample is in less light than the actual still life so- well the value is all wrong and I can't figure out where to hold the paint sample- do you put it RIGHT in there against the still life? So it's under the lamp light? Or in the room light? Everyone must have this problem?
Comments
Welcome to the Forum.
Hold the sample ( preferably in a color checker) at arms length, use one eye in studio/room light.
The sample should be a comfortable distance from the still life, say, 3 to 6 feet.
The important aspect is that you're shadow box lighting and studio/room light needs to be balanced.
Mark shows you how to do all of this in his free videos.
This is awkward at first but soon becomes as natural as breathing.
Denis
cheers
Don't find a studio. Make your own in a garage, spare room, basement etc. Most of the studios I visit are hopeless for light quality and control. One in particular has white glossy tiles and white glossy walls and yellow halogen down lights. I need sunglasses when I visit.
A rental will cost big time and you will have to apply as much effort and cash as you would at home.
Denis
What about a second hand shipping container studio?
Denis
I imagine the paint you are using is made up with multiple pigments to derive a hue.
This gives unpredictable results when tinted or shaded.
Try to find paints containing single pigments.
Denis
Yes. You are missing the crucial fact that the cc assists in the determination of the shadow box values.
This process is the primary factor in how the values are assembled and appear on the canvas.
Denis
Theoretically, the canvas does not matter either, because as a follower of DMP, you'll not care how it looks, and you'll cover the canvas before you start getting critical about it and making adjustments.
that probably doesn't make any sense, but I think i understand now!
The shadow box needs a light source that is proportional to, balanced with and temperature matched with the studio light.
There is a much shorter distance between the shadow box light and the still life, than exists between the studio light and the canvas, palette and color checker. Shadow box light should be about 10 to 20% of the strength of the studio light.
A titanium white test strip in the center of the still life should match exactly the the same titanium white on the color checker under the studio light. You may need to use a dimmer or diffuser to achieve this equality.
Both light sources should be as near to 5000k as possible.
This should make the painting appear normal in daylight or museum quality lighting.
Denis
The 5000K lighting on the palette and color checker is to improve our chances at perceiving and matching the colors correctly.
marta got it right.
The still life is illuminated any way you want, which should include light effects, shadows, reflections, everything you need to get your desired effect. Suppose a green apple under a red light. It appears dark brown. Strange, but go with it. This is the equivalent of painting a nocturne from a photograh, or a flower in the dark.
Your color chcecker and palette are in 5000K light of the same strength for each. This is white, and it lets you properly judge that brown color of the apple, then properly mix it.
If the shadow box were lit with 5000K light, ithe apple would look green, and not the effect you were going for. If your color checker were under a yellow lamp, you’d be misjudging the brown, and having problems mixing it right. Similarly if the palette were under a yellow light, you have trouble getting the brown right.
It wasn't even close. I spent the next 20 minutes adding colors till I finally got to the right value and color.
Glad I didn't just paint it on the canvas. Plus I have to get a studio light.
Sometimes though, I do get it pretty close. That's the hope, that I can get it right, without the color checking, one day. Not yet though.
I am new to all this and still a bit confused about the CC lighting thing. I have set up a still life under low, yellow lighting. My canvas in under good white light with no glare. If I do the titanium strip test they obviously don't match as they are different lights - however I don't my still life to be lit with strong, white light and I can't paint under low, yellow light so what am I supposed to do?????
Suggest you tune your SB to match canvas in light strength and color temperature.
This will handle the majority of still life creations.
Dim or altered light situations can be handled with filters, diffusers, reflectors and dimmers.
Denis