The Making of a Surf Painting

Colour Pallet and Rough Wash.

This step concerns colour, and the colour wash. Let's start with the pallet. I use 6 primaries, three for the light, and three for the shade. The primaries for the light are, cadmium yellow light, cadmium red light, and cobalt blue. The primaries for the shadow area's are, yellow ocher, alizarian crimson, and ultramarine blue.

I do not use black. For me, it muddies the colours, especially yellow. A warm or cool black can be made by mixing the alizarian crimson, and the ultramarine blue.

So, I focus on what aspect of the art I want to emphasize. In this painting it is the board, and surfer, which are yellow. In any case, one of the three primaries should dominate the other two, this gives harmony, and focus, without having the other two primaries compete with each other.

Here is an example of my pallet:



As you can see I have used yellow to mute the other two primaries, in both the light, and shade. Cadmium yellow light for the light, and yellow ocher for the shadow. If red or blue is to be the key colour, then mix some of one of these with the other two, leaving the one primary pure. Do not mix the shadow colours with the light colours, as the entire separation of light and shade will be confused.

Try this excercise: Draw a ball and put the cadmium yellow light where the light is, and yellow ocher where the shadow is--BAM! Instant light and shadow.

Just a note here. To create very good lighting on models or objects using photography. Shine the key light, which can be the sun, wherever you want on the subject, and then shine a reflector, or fill light, directly at the key light, with the subject in between. The fill light should never be more than fifty percent stronger than the key light.

So now I rough in the entire 30"x40" painting, very loose and broad. I try to let some of the blue wash show through in places.


In our next talk we will go into the final colour and varnish...


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Ron Croci {click here to view Ron's COTW profile/showcase}

Original paintings and prints can be purchased from Ron. Visit Ron's website at www.roncroci.com. Ron is also represented by Mckibben Gallery, Corona Del Mar, California and Surfing Artist International, Ocean City, New Jersey.