Welcome to the slideshow Development of Neutral Basis. Just as a variety of color choices in our diet are good for nutritional health, the eye seeks the full spectrum of colors for visual contentment. In this lesson we will introduce the use of burnt umber and burnt sienna that can be used to neutralize a color instead of neutralizing a color with its complement.
Both burnt sienna and burnt umber contain all the primaries. Burnt Sienna contains red, yellow and some blue and is therefore warmer than Burnt Umber. On the other hand, Burnt Umber also contains red, yellow and blue, but more blue than Burnt Sienna and is therefore cooler.
It is better to neutralize the color with Burnt Sienna or Burnt Umber instead of black, because in adding the primary colors to the mix, we are also ensuring that all colors of the spectrum are present, and this makes for a more vibrant color. Or, as Goethe says, black extinguishes a color, makes it less vibrant like blowing out a candle. Burnt sienna will neutralize warm colors, red, yellow, and orange, and retain their warmth.
Burnt umber will neutralize and darken cool colors, blue, green, and violet, and can be used to neutralize if you want to retain blue in a mixture. However, there is no set rule. Both burnt sienna and burnt umber can be used to neutralize any color depending on the desired result it is important to note the definition of neutral and the difference between the words neutral and a neutralized color the dictionary definition of neutral is neither one thing nor the other not decided in color nearly achromatic that is possessing no hue a neutralized color on the other hand shows some color as you can see in the chroma scale on the bottom of the Mansell charts that fall in the 2, 4 or 6 range.
It greatly disturbs me to see yellow referred to as a neutral color. Yellow is a color. In his book Color, Neutral Pearls for Painted Rooms, Donald Kaufmann recommends following nature's and the artist's approach in mixing colors, that is, every color should contain all colors of the spectrum.
The result is a color that is more luminous rather than drab. For this lesson we will mix five neutral bases based on this concept. It should be noted that this process is used by paint companies.
Instead of adding a color to white, the color is added to a neutral base. Also note that white, in order to make it appear whiter, has some added blue. This is what the initials WB mean.
But do not add blue to the white paint, it's already there. So the light neutral base number 1 on the top left, you use white, plus green, plus burnt sienna, and you use it for tints of warm hues such as red, yellow, orange. The second base, which is the light neutral base number 2, you mix white, plus green, plus burnt umber.
and use it for tints of cool hues, blue, green or violet. The third is the medium neutral base. You mix white plus green plus burnt sienna. Use for medium shades of warm such as red, yellow and orange. The fourth medium neutral base can be mixed by adding white plus green plus burnt amber.
and use it for medium shades of cool hues such as blue, green and violet. The last base is the dark neutral base. You mix blue and burnt umber. Use for dark shades of warm and cool colors.
Refer to tonal value 8 on the VanCell charts for this base. Start with white and add a small amount of green and burnt sienna or burnt umber. Medium bases begin with the same amount of white but with larger drops of green and burnt sienna or burnt umber. Refer to tonal value 6 on the Mansell charts.
The dark base will be virtually black. Balance the blue and burnt umber so it doesn't look too blue or too black. Remember, never judge a paint color while it's wet.
They may darken considerably when dry. Use one color only for all five neutral bases to show the subtle tonal mixtures for this exercise. Light, medium and dark of one color.