Here in the US, Spring has brought us an abundance of nature's colors. Even though some of these seem brilliant, they contain that inherent feeling of quiet we seek in nature. Artists search for ways to communicate that
quiet while expressing those colors. One of the masters of interpreting nature's colors is Richard Schmid. Why don't we see if we can gets some clues as to how he does that in his painting, Diana's Maple.
Let's explore what we're looking for:
A hue that is fully saturated is one we call high intensity or high chroma. (Both words are used.) The
outer band of the wheel below is fully saturated. The disc in the center of the wheel below is called zero saturation, or totally neutral. In the color rows of this wheel is a gradual progression of each hue from full saturation to zero saturation, or totally neutral.
Now, the question is this: how many of those fully saturated hues do we see in nature and does Schmid interpret saturation in this painting?
Looking at this painting, we perceive lively colors--nature's colors. But do you see a fully saturated hue among them?
Here's a wheel of fully saturated hues to help you compare in your search.
Now, in the split wheels below, I've taken out the fully saturated row and left the degrees of neutralized hues. As you examine those hues, you will discover that Schmid's palette of colors for this painting is made up of all non-saturated hues, in varying degrees of neutrality. (Some are darker, some are lighter, but remain
neutralized.)
Just as a side, notice how harmonious these colors are. That's right, the more neutralized the hue, the more harmonious it is with other
colors.
- Go to the websites listed below. (These artists are among our most masterful landscape painters today.)
- Look for the degree of neutrality in several of their paintings.
- Then go out in nature and find some for yourself. Take some paints with you and match them. (Hint: Mixing a complement into any fully saturated hue will neutralize it.)
ENJOY A QUIETING WEEKEND!
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