Colour studies

I'm now onto the colour studies part of module 1.

Our first task was to select a colour scheme from our 'pile' of inspirational goodies that we'd collected. True to form my inspiration was a bit different, as when I was on the beach at Minehead I was looking around and noticed that there was colour everywhere, and some in handy natural juxtapositions and groupings. I didn't have any colour media with me so I had to content myself with sketching, making colour notes and taking pics, so the resulting SB pages were worked when I returned to the caravan site we were staying at.


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The colour scheme on the RHS has been taken from this pic of beach rubbish I saw in Bognor, and is the one I finally chose to work with. The muted pastel colours appealed to me and I liked the contrast of the black and deep orange.


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Having selected the colour scheme, the next step was to make papers with paint etc that matched the colours as closely as possible and I also linked with some of the textures used in my theme.


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Then it was time to use the papers to explore groupings.


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And backgrounds, first putting all colours on all BG's in turn.


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And then on 3 different BG's


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Next I made a collection of coloured papers using the same colour scheme and again looking for textures that might echo my seaside theme.


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These papers were all made using a technique involving powder paints vinegar and sugar that produces a surface you can draw into.


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For this one I went back to the blue cellophane and sandwiched 2 layers together with pieces of the cloth cut up inside, it made me think of the ripples in the sea and the flotsam that gets caught up in it.


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These 2 pieces are made using a wash-off technique with gouache and waterproof ink. I thought they gave a nice weathered look like you see on old boats, the designs were taken loosely from shells and anemones.


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These last papers were experiments on surfaces, thinking about the fairground horses for the gold paper one and rocks and stones for the grey/black one behind, which is a resist technique using ink, wax and gouache.

I've really enjoyed this chapter, no surprises there really as I love exploring colour, but I've been pleased that I made the effort to revisit paper techniques I haven't used for many years.