Locale Color

How to create an unified acrylic painting.

Start with an empty blank canvas and …launch! Only kidding! Thinking ahead of where you want the piece to go in terms of warm or cool influence select a base color to tone your board. For example if you are planning on creating a landscape on a warm sun filled day, consider staining the board with a yellow, yellow ocher or even possibly a cadmium red. This may sound like a bold move but you will be working with a diluted version of the paint. Essentially you just want to stain the board to set the tone. A stain is a thinned down application of the hue (color) of choice which actually allows the brilliant white of the canvas to create an illuminated effect. Allow this to dry and then use your brush or a light charcoal stick and put your landscape sketch in. As you are painting feel free to let some of this illuminated color to shin through, unifying your painting. and most of all have fun!


Some things that you might want to know if you are choosing between these two water based mediums- Watercolor vs. Acrylic 

Watercolor Paints are available in tubes or cakes. Tubes are a higher grade and suggested for use at this level. Suggested Colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Viridian Green, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light. There are many brands on the market. I prefer Windsor Newton but others will work. Palette: A plastic one with enough wells to hold the colors that you most often use and a mixing area. Brushes: A #12 round, #6 round and a one inch flat to get started. (usually short handle and soft, rounds should come to a fine point) Paper: At least 9x12, comes in rough, hot press (smooth) and cold press (textured). You can buy this in pads or blocks. Pads have pages that rip out and blocks are pages that are all attached and need to be removed with a straight edge. If you work on a block you do not need to secure your paper down. Other: Small containers (2) for water, paper towels, painter’s tape and firm light weight board, slightly larger than paper. Things to know…watercolors have different degrees of transparency (i.e., Cad. Yellow Light) and some have an opaque quality (i.e., Yellow Ochre). You can obtain soft edges and transitions by working wet into wet and hard edges by working paint onto a dry surface. It dries 20% lighter than it appears wet. When working, reserve your whites and if possible work lightest largest area first.

Acrylic Paints are available in tubes. There are many brands. Color tones and mix-ability vary so best to stick with one brand. Suggested Colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian Green, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Oxide, Cadmium Yellow Light, White. Palette: Waterproof flat surface works nicely (no design, white or medium gray work best) If you can secure it in a air tight storage container you can use the paints later, if not when they harden they are of no use. There are disposable paper palettes and covered containers for sale (or make your own). Brushes: Filberts #5-10 (one), Bright (which is a short flat) (approximately ¾-1 inch wide), small round for details. Brushes usually have long handles and stiff hairs to hold and move the paint. Paper: Usually work on canvas which, can be purchased by the pad as sheets (then you will need a surface to tape it down to) or stretched canvas, boards or panels. The sheets are the most economic and a good starting point. Other: Small containers (2) for water, paper towels, painter’s tape, firm light weight board slightly larger than the canvas, spritz bottle for water. Things to know…acrylics have an opaque quality. It is a versatile medium which can be watered down to make the paint have a staining effect or used so thickly that it forms a texture unto itself. It dries slightly darker than it appears when applied. It needs to be kept moist while working. If the paint dries, on your palette it cannot be revived and used.