"Split-tone" with gum.

David, I tried this complementary color mix I was suggesting earlier,
and found out something interesting. With some combinations of
pigments, you can actually get a "split-tone" effect in one coat. I
found that by combining PR101 (Daniel Smith Venetian Red) and phtalo
blue (PB 15:3, M. Graham) I got a cinnamon brown in the shadows and
midtones, a pale blue grey in the highlights, and clear whites; in
other words, the blue in the highlights isn't stain, but tone; the
color is separating somehow. As I said earlier, I've printed a lot
of pigment mixtures for one-coat gums, but I've never seen the color
separate like this before, and as a rule, my mixes aren't of
complementary colors. This split-tone effect also happened with a
combination of the same PR 101 and phtalo green (PG36), yielding a
nice chocolate brown in the shadows and midtones, a pale greyish
green in the highlights, and clear whites. In both cases, the color
in the highlights is very subtle, but discernable.

It doesn't answer your question, how to get an earthy red that's just
a little darker than the straight PR 101, but I thought it was
interesting anyway. I'm not sure whether the brown is from using too
much of the complement or whether it's because it's just not the
right mixing complement; I didn't have time to explore further.

I wish I could show you these, but unfortunately the imbecile I
hired to help me set up my office in my new place damaged my scanner
so I can't scan until it's been to the repair shop.
Katharine

On Jul 10, 2006, at 10:20 AM, Katharine Thayer wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi David,
>> You can darken a pigment by adding black, as has been suggested,
>> but another and perhaps better way is to add some of the
>> complementary color. Painters have been doing this for
>> centuries. Unfortunately I can't tell you off the top of my head
>> what the exact mixing complement would be for PR 101, (all my
>> books and papers are still in boxes) but since burnt umber is a
>> good mixing complement for ultramarine, my guess would be to go a
>> little greener for the complement for PR101, which is redder than
>> burnt umber. So, maybe Prussian (a good Prussian, not one of the
>> ones that shifts-- look at handprint.com to see which are the
>> permanent Prussians,
>>
>
> Or for that matter, pthalo (the green shade pthalo, PB 15:3) might
> also work okay; just don't use very much of it, as it's a very
> intense pigment and would easily overpower the earth red pigment.
> Katharine
>
Received on 07/10/06-11:58:40 PM Z