Sunday, January 6, 2013

30 in 30 - #5: Orange Hot Cocoa

Day 5 and refreshing my color theory this week is blowing my mind!  

I was reminded by my current teacher and art mentor, Jill Saur, to mix complementary colors for shadows.  OH MY GOODNESS is this changing my painting approach!  Instead of reaching for a variety of colors to complete this painting, I used only red, yellow, and blue, with a little white*.  I wanted a vibrant background so I chose orange...red + yellow. What complements orange?  Purple...red + blue.  How did I make the brown for the hot fudge swirled in the whipped cream?  Orange + blue.  And since all of the colors are used throughout, they are harmonious.  

And yes, the actual hot cocoa was supremely tasty!  :-)

8 x 10 acrylics on stretched canvas

Buy this painting on Daily Paintworks

*Specific paints used: Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue, and Titanium White.  Liquitex or Golden brands, Heavy Body Professional Acrylics. 

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