Umber and Ochre! by Louise Naimian

You are getting some really interesting results with just two colours Louise. Not a combination that I would like to attempt. Well done!

Wow Louise! Marvellous result!!

Thanks Fiona and Satu, you're very kind. Fiona, you say that you wouldn't like to attempt this two colour combination and to be honest, I can't see why not. It's such a good discipline and if you can pull it off and I'm not saying that I have quite, it can only go to increase one's confidence with the paint brush.

Oh yes, Louise, I definitely prefer this one to the one you deleted. This is super. Good idea to leave some white spots here and there. It lightens the whole colour scheme up.

The important point is that you've managed to paint tone - almost abstract - good experiment.

Not the most exciting colours in the paint box though are they Michael! Mia, this is actually the same painting with some background added, the idea being to wake it up!! Thank you both.

I nearly missed this one as it didn't look like one of yours! Actually, you have given these colours a really golden glow and it makes the leaves look like a wonderful autumn arrangement. I do admire your skill in working with a very limited palette (understatement of the year in this case, lol) and I think you have surpassed yourself this time. It's a really lovely painting in it's own right.

Not my colours really Thea, especially the burnt umber! In life, it's a green plant in a white pot ..lol

It seems that whatever challenge I throw at you, you're equal to it.... curses, my cunning plan foiled again..... I shall have to think of something really difficult... In fact, a friend of mine sold quite a few large paintings on canvas a good many years ago, which consisted entirely of Titanium White, Burnt Umber, and Yellow Ochre or Raw Sienna oil paint; one I remember in particular was of a riverside, with strongly painted foreground, dark trees to the right, and an expanse of creamy water: I may even try it when I've finished my current Masterwork ... She achieved a wonderfully misty quality - Anne Toms is her name: worth a Google. Anyway, I like this one, especially the depth of tone you've achieved - you might think that wasn't difficult with Burnt Umber, but it perishing well is if it's all you've got, plus a bit of yellow; you can mix a bit of viridian or ultramarine/pthalo blue in with it, but that rather defeats the purpose of the exercise.

Anyone who can create anything with burnt umber and yellow ochre deserves to be commended, and especially since you've come up with such a winner! Well done, Louise!

You made it work, well done!

As Satu says, Wow! Tonally, this is beautifully done. But, to me, you've conjured colours where none can logically exist, and made it vibrant - as Thea says a golden glow far from the dull yellow/brown that you'd expect. I've had a crack at this myself, but it's nowt like this!

Inspired!