Vibrant colors alone cannot sing without the presence of neutrals. Just as light depends on darkness to shine, large shapes need smaller ones to appear large. The art of painting involves skillfully balancing opposing elements – bright/neutral, light/dark, positive/negative – to create a harmonious relationship. Embracing this concept helps artists like Keiko Tanabe infuse more impact and harmony into their work.
Now, let's dive into the intriguing question: what colors make gray? Gray is not a simple color, but with the right combinations, it can evoke mood and atmosphere in a painting. The power of gray lies in its versatility, allowing artists to create subtle or bold statements.
How to Mix Grays
Learning to work with gray can breathe new life into your art. However, in watercolor, maintaining transparency is crucial. Instead of adding white to black, which can result in a flat color, Keiko Tanabe recommends mixing gray from other colors.
One approach is to mix the three primary colors – red, yellow, and blue. By varying the proportions, you can achieve warmer or cooler grays. Another option is to use complementary colors, such as blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. These combinations offer a good starting point for mixing shades of gray.
What Colors Make Gray?
To achieve a basic gray, Keiko Tanabe suggests combining alizarin crimson for red, yellow ochre for yellow, and French ultramarine for blue. Adjusting the proportions allows you to manipulate the color temperature, making it warmer or cooler. This method is similar to using complementary colors to create gray: red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple.
Demo — Gray Matters
Artist’s Toolkit
- Paints: Sennelier French Artists’ Watercolors: French ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, bright red, lemon yellow, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt umber, turquoise green
- Featured Brushes: Raphaël SoftAqua No. 6, Raphaël kolinsky Series 8404 No. 14
- Additional Supplies: Cretacolor Graphite Aquarelle pencils
Step 1 After sketching the composition with a 4B pencil, start by applying a diluted yellow wash in the middle of the street. Surround it with slightly darker values of warmer, muted colors such as alizarin crimson, cobalt blue, and burnt sienna.
Step 2 As the initial wash dries, quickly add even darker values of grays on both sides of the street using burnt umber and French ultramarine.
Step 3 Continuing from the previous step, add even darker values of grays on both sides of the street using burnt umber and French ultramarine.
Step 4 Add cobalt turquoise above the buildings on the left side to slightly cool the color temperature.
Step 5 Mix a neutral gray using cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, and yellow ochre. Use this mixture to paint the clouds and distant background.
Step 6 To define shapes and create contrast, mix a strong, dark gray using French ultramarine, alizarin crimson, and burnt umber.
Step 7 Add small details and another wash of slightly cooler gray to the lower-right corner, unifying and balancing the painting.
Final Touches To enhance realism and add interest, include small dots of bright red, cobalt turquoise, and lemon yellow to indicate traffic lights and headlights.
Unleash Your Creativity
Now that you've learned how to mix grays using primary colors, it's time to unleash your creativity and experiment with various combinations. Mastering the art of gray will add depth and dimension to your paintings, creating mood and atmosphere. Embrace the power of gray and let it transform your work into something truly extraordinary.
About the Artist Keiko Tanabe is an award-winning painter, author, and workshop instructor. She is a founding member of the North American Watercolor Artists, a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, and a member of the American Watercolor Society and the American Impressionist Society, Inc.