Mother Color

[Enyaw]

11 x 14 inches .. oil on paper .. alla prima .. painted Feb 18/24 .... Mother Load

The mother color is a method of adding one particular color to each of the colors you mix on your palette. Color harmony is a group of colors that work well together and are pleasing to the eye. The term was coined by 20th century American landscape painter Edgar Payne. So, I added the mother color to my three primaries, red, yellow, blue, black and white. From there I mixed the secondaries in a warm and cool and proceeded to paint from there. Cad Red Light, Azo Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Bone Black, Titanium White. It was a fun and eye opening experience.

 

[Artyczar]

Oh, wow! This is fabulous! I really love this one. However, you got there, it turned out spectacular. The colors are particularly special. Well done!

 

[snoball]

Well! It worked for an amazing painting! I really like this one, it's great.

 

[Donna T]

That’s gorgeous and certainly harmonious! Was the mother color a neutral or did it lean warmer or cooler? This Is such an interesting concept.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Ayin. Sno, and Donna.

Donna, it was a pale salmon color of some sort. I just made it out of left over paint the day before. I added it to all colors including white and black. I do it all by guess. No real plan. Not enough that I changed any color to another color, just a different look and value to tthe original. It doesn’t matter what color is mother as long as it’s in all.

 

[Donna T]

Thanks for explaining that, Wayne. I asked because your yellow flowers look so vibrant and I wondered if they would be less so if they had cooler colors mixed in.

 

[Mississippi Hippie]

Thank you so much for the phrase mother color, I’ve added blue to all my colors in the dark past, (you do it so well), and it’s nice to know. The painting is fabulous.

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you MH.
Donna, I will try to lay it out in today’s painting. I am behind as I had to go get my tire fixed as everything was shut down for long weekend. I will paint later.

you are welcome MH.

 

[Jo Castillo]

This is so gorgeous I would love it without thinking about why. I'm smiling looking at it.

 

[Enyaw]

Thanks Jo.

 

[Terri]

Fabulous! I love this - and thank you for explaining the approach here. I haven't heard of the mother color process explained this way, it makes sense in an intuitive kind of way.

So rich and full of depth - however you got here, you arrived with a bang!

 

[Enyaw]

Thank you Terri .. Yea, I don't get things like ordaniry folks do, I just stumble and fumble my way through and find a solution that works for me.