Color swatches

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

When I go on a walk I may come upon a color in nature that is new to me. I will make a mental note of which pigments when mixed will approximate what I saw. In addition, I often read of color mixtures in art magazines that pique my interest. I take all these sources and experiment with pigments in a color swatch journal, as seen above.

For example, of late, I have been toying with the various combinations of permanent magenta, cobalt turquoise, and cobalt violet with Payne's gray. The atmospheric affects one can discover captivate my imagination.  

All this activity expands my vocabulary of color. Arriving at warmer or cooler colors or discovering new darks can be quite rewarding. Color, after all, is a powerful influence. It can change the temperature in a scene or reframe our perceptions.