Thursday, June 3, 2021

Understanding Color Temperature

 “ If  one says “reds”— the name of a color — and there are fifty people listening , it can be expected  that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And one can be sure that all these reds will be very different. “— Josef Albers


Color Temperature  mainly refers to the feeling  one gets when viewing a color or a set of colors. Generally, yellows, oranges, and reds are considered warm, whereas greens, blues, and purples are considered cool. When used within a work of art, warm colors seem to advance toward the viewer, and cool colors appear to recede into the distance. This dynamics is important to remember when suggesting depth or creating an area of focus.


Lily-- The Goddess of the Garden

“Lily—The Goddess of the Garden” I created this  artwork  using my  Water-soluble colored pencils from Faber-Castell and Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils on watercolor paper.

In my above  artwork the yellows, oranges  and reds ( warm colors) are in the foreground of the viewer while the purples, blues ( cool colors ) are in the background  thus adding depth to this artwork. 


*** Disclaimer ***: For all of  my Commission art pieces and Exhibition art pieces, I only use high quality Artist grade Color pencils only such as my Faber- Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils and Derwent Lightfast Color Pencils and Faber-Castell  Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils Only. I use only these pencils because these pencils have good lightfast ratings. ( Lightfastness is the ability of a medium to resist qualitative changes from light. It is the ability of a picture to not fade over time. UV radiation from sunlight (and sometimes electric light) break down the molecules in the medium, causing bleaching and discoloring.)

But if Colored Pencils are a new medium for you, or if you are looking to just explore and see if Colored pencils will be a good fit for you, then I would recommend to start out with a small set of the Prismacolor Premier® Soft Core Colored Pencils mainly because this brand is widely available. 



Please note: For all of my examples/swatches  in the rest of this post, I have used   the Prismacolor Premier® Soft Core Colored Pencils only.


Color Wheel

Color Wheel Created using Prismacolor Premier Color Pencils. Colors used to create this wheel are Permanent Red (PC 122), Canary Yellow (PC 916) and  China Blue (PC 1100)


As shown in the above color wheel, when you divide the color wheel  in half by drawing a line from a point between red and red-violet to a point between yellow-green and green. This makes a visual distinction between the warm and cool colors.


Some examples  of Warm and Cool Colors  in the Prismacolor Premier® Soft Core Colored Pencils include:



Examples of Warm Prismacolor Color Pencils

The above photo shows  swatches and examples of some of the  Warm Colors  in the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil line.


Examples of Cool Colors in Prismacolor Color Pencils

This photo shows  swatches and examples of some of the  Cool Colors  in the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil line.



Relative Temperature :


Within individual colors exist warm and cool varieties. If a color leans toward red on the color wheel, it is considered warmer than a version of the color that leans blue.Relative to each other, sunburst yellow (PC  917) leans towards  red and lemon yellow (PC  915)  leans towards blue; therefore, sunburst yellow ( left) is warmer than lemon yellow ( right)  as shown in the picture below:



Relative Temperature in Colors
Color swatches used to show relative temperature  that exits  within the individual colors. 


Color Relativity:


While colors are generally classified as warm or cool, they can also be relatively warm or cool within their hue. Although red is considered the warmest color, there are cool reds and warm reds. A cool red contains more blue (such as magenta), and a warm red contains more yellow (such as coral). The way we perceive a color’s characteristics is relative to its surroundings. By using contrasts in temperature, value, and chroma, we can make colors appear warmer or cooler, lighter or darker, and brighter or duller simply with  the colors we place next to them.



 Relative temperature  A color’s temperature is influenced by surrounding colors. Note how the hot  pink  circle appears cooler set against orange   (A) than Ultramarine  (B) in the picture  below:


Relative Temperature

         Colors used here are Hot Pink (PC 993), Orange (PC 918) and Ultramarine  (PC 902).



Relative Value:  Our perception of a color’s value depends on its surrounding color. Notice how the same  hot pink circle appears lighter in example (C) than in example (D) as shown  in the picture  below :


Relative Value                  Colors used here are Hot Pink (PC 993), Violet Blue (PC 933) and Pale Sage (PC 1089). 



Relative Chroma:  A color’s chroma can appear different depending on nearby colors. Notice  how the same hot  pink circle appears dull against  the neon yellow (E) and bright against grey (F)  as shown in the picture  below:



Relative Chroma
Colors used here are Hot Pink (PC 993), Neon Yellow (PC 1035) and 70% Cool Grey ( PC 1065).


So to summarize :


  1. If you want to make a color appear warmer place a cooler color adjacent  to it.
  2. If you want to make a color lighter place a darker color adjacent to it.
  3. And finally , if you want to make a color appear brighter , place a duller color adjacent to it.









Thursday, May 6, 2021

Some of my favorite YouTube Crafts Channels

 Below is a list of some of my favorite YouTube  Crafts Channels. I draw inspiration  from these artists  whenever I run out of ideas. 

Please Note: This post is mainly geared towards to  all things craftsy. I posted an earlier post on my favorite Drawing and Painting YouTube Art channels. Please feel free to check up that post here if you are interested.


YouTube Crafts Channels


1) Creative Mom 


https://www.youtube.com/c/CreativeMom/featured


This channel  is my personal  favorite  because  I love fairies , fairy  houses and anything  related to fairyland. She has tons of DIY’s related to fairy houses and the best part is she uses recycled  items to create her magic. She mostly works on  clay, paper  mache and recycled items for her projects.


2)  Origami with Jo Nakashima

https://www.youtube.com/user/jonakashima

If you  like Origami like I do, then this is the channel for you.  This is also my favorite channel  to learn origami  and this channel  offers tutorials  on how to create your models for anyone  in any level. There are tons of tutorials ranging from simple,  intermediate and  advanced levels to follow along. 


3) The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano-Murillo


https://www.youtube.com/c/craftychica/featured


Her channel   has tons to Resin Crafts and  DIY’s, Fabric Tie -Dye crafts and Paper with mixed media related crafts are some of the crafts that you will find in her channel. All her crafts are easy to follow along as well. 


4) Mark Montano


https://www.youtube.com/user/MakeYourMarkMontano


This channel  offers tons of DIY’s related to home decor , jewelry design , furniture and fashion  design.  I like the fact that most of his DIY’s are unique  yet easy to follow along. 


5)  Creative Cat 


https://www.youtube.com/c/CreativeCatCreations/featured


This channel is about making arts and crafts simple for everyone  to follow  along. She offers lots of crafts related to bottle art, Diwali crafts, home decor  using recycling  items  and clay related crafts. 


6) SoCraftastic


https://www.youtube.com/user/SoCraftastic


This channel  has tons of DIY’s on how to make your own Soap’s and Candle’s. She also has her own playlist on how to create unique crafts using crayons which is my personal favorite. 


7) Clayitnow


https://www.youtube.com/c/clayitnow/featured


This channel  offers crafts related to fairy houses, toad stools , miniature  figurines, castle/ houses, clay flowers, and other DIY craft ideas with  any type of sculpting materials, especially air dry clay, store bought or homemade clay and  waste like glass bottle, jars, cardboard, paper, etc.


8) IdunnGoddess


https://www.youtube.com/user/IdunnGoddess


This channel  has  tons of DIY’s on how to make your own school  supplies, Miniature Zen Gardens, DIY Pillows, DIY phone cases and a variety  of other crafts.
 

I hope that you found this article useful. Please let me know in the comments   below which is your  favorite channel in this list.  And let me know in the comments below   what other craft  related channels that I can add to this list. 


Thank you for reading.


Thursday, April 1, 2021

The Colors of Spring

 Spring is the time when nature awakens. Everything is fresh, alive and new. Light blue skies, vivid greens and yellows of new growth lift the spirits at the end of winter, as life returns to the sleeping land.

The color palette of spring  is bright and vibrant. Some of the basic colors of Spring  are:


  1. Greens  such as Sap Green, Olive Green, Hooker’s Green, Viridian Green, Winsor Green, Light Cobalt Turquoise  and Chromium Oxide Green.

Color Green Meaning
The Color Green Signifies Growth, New Life, Hope and Positivity 


For me, Green is the color of Spring because everything comes back to life after a long winter slumber. Nature rejuvenates, the snow melts and everywhere fresh green pops up.

During  the Springtime we see  flowers blooming , tree and bushes  covered in different  shades of green thus suggesting new growth and radiating a sense of positivity  all around us.


2) Yellows such as Lemon yellow and Cadmium Yellow


Meaning of Yellow Color
The Yellow Color Signifies Optimism, Fun, Full of Energy and Creativity

For me, Yellow is a warm and friendly color. Yellow is often associated with the sun. During spring, it almost seems like the sun changes its light from a cold white to a warm and glowing yellow. Yellow is the brightest color of the spectrum and the lightest color perceivable by the human eye.


Not only  does the sun adds a yellow tint to our environment during spring,   we also see many flowers blooming  and adding  golden accents to nature. 


Daffodils, Buttercups and Freesias are some of the prominent flowers of spring which brings a sense of happiness  and warmth  to nature. 


3) Pink such as a  Soft Pink


Pink Color Meaning
Pink Color Signifies Feminism, Tenderness, Love and Romance

For me, Pink is one of  Springtime's  softer and gentler colors. Soft pink Cherry blossoms  can be found either speckled around cities or meadows during springtime or covering whole parks and streets.Pink peonies and camellia flowers blossom during spring and adds a touch of romance  to the slightly pinkish scenery.


These  are some of the colors that you will come across  in the  Spring. Let me know in the comments  section   below what is your favorite Springtime  color?


Thank you for reading. 



 





Thursday, March 25, 2021

Some of my favorite YouTube Art Channels

 Below is a list of some of my favorite YouTube Artist’s Art Channel. I draw inspiration  from these artists  whenever I experience an artist  block.

Please Note: This post is mainly geared towards to Drawing and Painting activities . There will be a separate  post on all things craftsy! So please  stay tuned for that. 




YouTube




1)  The Art of Aaron Blaise  by artist Aaron Blaise


https://www.youtube.com/user/AaronBlaiseArt/featured


This is one  my  art favorite  channels. Being wildlife lover myself , I enjoy how he adds character and personality  to his wildlife artworks. If you are interested  in Animation then this is the right channel  for you. I personally like the live demo sessions because  I can draw along and learn a technique or two. Some of the mediums that the artist uses are Photoshop/Digital painting , Watercolor, and other media.


2) James Gurney by artist James Gurney


https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesGurney/featured


This channel  is for artists  who are interested  in  concept art/character art, Illustration , plein - air art, drawing animals in watercolors, oil and other media and art students who are interested in learning how to draw and paint. This is my favorite  channel  because  every time I watch this channel I learn something  new. 


3) Lachri Fine Art by artist  Lisa Clough


https://www.youtube.com/user/Lachri



This channel  is for artists from a professional  artist. She mostly  does wildlife paintings in a variety  of mediums such as Colored pencils, Acrylics , Inktense, Oil, Markers and a variety  of other mediums. I personally  like her fantasy themed wildlife paintings and enjoy her livestreams that she hosts  on weekly basis. 


4)The Frugal Crafter by artist  Lindsay Weirich


https://www.youtube.com/user/thefrugalcrafter


This channel  is for artists who are interested  in a variety  of arts and crafts techniques such as watercolor paintings, painting in oils, card making, art journalling, mixed media, colored pencils, jewelry making, sewing, knitting etc. She even offers tips and tricks on how to store your art and craft supplies. The thing that I like most in her channel are the live painting  sessions, card making tips, and her product reviews. I also enjoy her  Sketchbook Sunday painting series and art storage ideas as well. 


5)Proko by artist  Stan Prokopenko


https://www.youtube.com/c/ProkoTV/featured


If you are interested  in drawing  or want to improve  your drawing skills then this channel is for you. I enjoy his figure drawing series, caricature  series and drawing hands series. 


Other Fun mentions that I like  to include  in this list are: 


  1. Bonny Snowdon Fine Art by artist Bonny Snowdon

https://www.youtube.com/c/BonnySnowdonFineArt/about


She is a UK based wildlife artist. She mostly works on Colored Pencils. The thing that I like most is her  draw along sessions, tutorials and her tips and tricks on growing  your art business.  Being a colored pencil artist myself and somebody  who loves wildlife , I plan on taking her workshops once this pandemic  is over sometime in the future. 


2) Vicky Papaioannou by artist Vicky Papaioannou


https://www.youtube.com/user/vickypgr


Her channel  is mostly about art journaling , mixed media and card making tutorials. I absolutely  enjoy her art journaling videos because  it is always fun and I like her creative ideas. 


3)  Artyshills Art by artist Shilpa Lalit


https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtyshilsArt/about


This channel offers some fun acrylics and mixed media painting tips and techniques. Her method of painting  is both unique and beautiful  which I like most about  her artworks. 


4) Kattvalk by artist Marie Nilsson


https://www.youtube.com/c/Kattvalk/featured


If you love cats then this channel  offers a lot of artworks inspired  by cats. She does  mostly Illustration  type of art which I think will be suitable  for children’s book Illustrations. She uses a variety of mediums from markers to watercolors and everything  in between  to create art. 


5) Drawing and Painting -- The Virtual Instructor by artist  Matt Fussell


https://www.youtube.com/c/thevirtualinstructor/featured


This channel  features a lot of Drawing, painting, and digital art tutorials on a variety of subjects and media by this artist. My personal  favorites  include his timed drawing lessons, colored pencil lessons and his drawing techniques series. 



I hope that you found this article useful. Please let me know in the comments  section  below who is your  favorite YouTube  artist in this list.  And let me know in the comments  below what other art related channels that I can add to this list. 


Thank you for reading.



Wednesday, February 24, 2021

A Free Coloring Page for You!

 A couple of years ago, I participated in a collaborative art  project called "Doodles for Donation", where artists were invited to create doodles which were later published as coloring books to be distributed for senior retirement homes as a way to relieve their stress. 

I am glad to say that this  doodle below  was accepted as a part of their jury process. 

I am sharing this coloring page here for you to print it out and color it any which way you like so that it can relieve your stress as well. 



Gossip Time Coloring Page
Title: Gossip Time!


I am  someone who loves birds and also being an active birder , I decided to create this doodle. I imagined that the birds are meeting other birds on a hot summer day and are enjoying   and  gossiping on  the events of their day and that's the inspiration for this doodle.   

You have my permission to color this page. But please don't sell the coloring page that I have created. 

I would love to see your creations and please share your art with me on Instagram using the hashtag #coloringcreativejayu

Have a fun time coloring!


Friday, January 22, 2021

Quick Tip: How to paint with a toothbrush?

 To ring in the New Year , I thought  I will share with you a fascinating technique on how to use a toothbrush to try an interesting technique with watercolors. This is also a fun project  to do with kids or the kid in you!

Painting with a Toothbrush
Painting with a Toothbrush 


Toothbrushes work really well with liquid watercolors.Their bristles are stiffer than those of normal watercolor brushes and this creates a different kind of line.


Rooster
Colorful Rooster


How to paint a rooster using a toothbrush


This is an example of a really dynamic effect created by a toothbrush as a finishing touch to an illustration.


Step 1:  Paint the rooster using watercolor as I have done here, leaving a space for the tail feathers.




Rooster
Colorful Rooster

Step 2:  Dip the toothbrush in the liquid watercolor and use it to paint a spiky tail. Use two or three colors so that they mix together slightly.


Rooster
Colorful Rooster


Step 3:  Add some rough strokes with the toothbrush under the rooster to give the vague impression of a horizontal surface to ground the image.


And that's  it, you now have a colorful  rooster that is ready to take on the world!


I hope you enjoyed  this mini tutorial and if you tried this technique   share with me in the comments  below or tag me on Instagram — @creativejayu I would  love to see what you create. 


Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet." -- Paul Klee