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With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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I have a question - not sure where to put it; also not sure I haven't posed it in some way before; I had a memory once.... Anyway: a painter to whom I recommend beginners in watercolour and acrylics is Charles Evans - intermediate and professional artists can also find much to enjoy in his work, but his whole technique, his habit of explaining things thoroughly, aided by his wife, Gail, is likely to be particularly helpful to the beginner (YouTube finds him). Just one thing, though: he emphasizes that the blues in the landscape, including the blues used to mix greens, greys, purples and so on, should be the same as whatever blue you've used in the sky.  Thinking about it, that IS probably what I do, on the whole: but if I'd used Cobalt Blue in the sky, I'm not sure I'd mix a black with it (it wouldn't be easy); nor is it really strong enough, from most makers, for stronger greens. Now, there's a much more complicated argument here: it's a question about tones, dominant colours, harmony - I don't think, though, that I'd want to limit myself to just the one blue (though if painting blue water, I would, toned as appropriate).  Just wondering if this is a 'rule' or guidance that you would follow?

Sylvia Evans

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That’s brave to mix black with cobalt…..I’m trying to imagine  it and I don’t like the imagine…yuk. I know what you mean re using the same colours through out a painting but  a cobalt blue sea.noooooo.even in the Med   or the Caribbean  it would look naff , I rarely know the names of colours I mix apart from the old familiars Cobalt ,Prussian, indigo etc. I tend to just look at what else is in the pic eg  greens used , then mix them with the cobalt.  . Skies yes  but water unless in a swimming pool think David Hockney The Splash no.  I seem to have gone off your train of thought Robert …sorry.  Splash of violet .

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by Sylvia Evans

Alan Bickley

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I suspect it’s to do with creating a certain harmony throughout the painting, always an excellent idea. I generally try and drag areas of sky colour into my landscape - possibly easier to achieve with oils. Skies and land mass can often look like a painting of two halves, or say sections as you are unlikely to split it 50/50. It may be to help soften that stark contrast, although this can work in some paintings. I wouldn’t paint a whole sky using cobalt blue, but I’m not adverse to adding a splash of it within an area for impact, then mix my greens in the normal way but probably avoiding cobalt blue. Saying that, I tend to keep away from too many greens anyway, I much prefer to paint varying warm tones and colours from the earth range of colours.

Edited
by Alan Bickley