Palette Series: En Plein Air

The expression "en plein air" comes from French meaning "outdoors" and is used referring to painting that is done outside. Watercolor especially, lends itself to be easily transported due to it's characteristic of being easily reactivated by water and compact nature. We are planning a post on watercolor travel kits, so stay tuned.

The palette above contains useful colors that create harmonious mixes which can be readily used when planning for painting outdoors. The colors include: cadmium orange, pyrrol scarlet, lemon yellow (great to use as accents, due to their vibrancy - especially for bright lights); sap green, burnt sienna, French ultramarine, sepia (I find these especially suitable for nature studies); Payne's grey, yellow ochre, phthalo blue, and quinacridone rose (serve as mixes for the previous four to create variety within hues).

The second image we provided show the layout of possible and most used mixes in this set - everything from a muted green (sap green+ pyrrol scarlet) to a bright purple (phthalo blue + quinacridone rose).

Finally, we present a study of how these colors interact with each other on a piece. From the variability that the red accents give to the grass on the right to the granulation of the blue sky above it, which is also present on the shaded face of the house.

For more information about pallets, or if you would like to request a commissioned piece, please contact us directly, or view our blog posts on color theory or "Services" tab, respectively.

Happy painting,

Viktoria