Spring Grazing

The livestock are out and about enjoying the fresh growth having been cooped up since the end of last year. They tend to be a bit frisky and take advantage of any weakness in fencing, ending up where they should not be.

This painting contains only 3 colours (Indian Yellow, Permanent Rose, Cobalt Blue) plus black and white. Indian Yellow is similar to Cadmium Yellow and so produces strong greens when mixed with Cobalt Blue. These 2 primary colours are close to the ideal yellow and blue as seen on the colour wheel. The resultant green is an ‘unnatural’ colour needing red to produce the shades seen in nature. I will always use 3 primaries but most of the time the colours are not perfect versions of the primaries. For example, I use Burnt Sienna as a red, Yellow Ochre as yellow and purple blues like ultramarine or Prussian. The greens produced are usually more natural.

By using a single brush, a filbert No. 10, and not cleaning between mixes there is sufficient ‘contamination’ to ensure red gets into the green mixes. You can do this sort of thing with a limited palette. Obviously there are never more than 3 colours in any mix, so the dreaded mud of too many colours does not happen.

There is no medium used, only White Spirits. The size is 16″ x 12″.

Here’s the video, see you soon.