Why Use A Limited Palette?
May 6, 2008
Recently, I have noticed that my use of a palette limited to
the three primary colors (red, yellow, blue) attracts a lot of
interest from experienced painters, students and collectors.
The idea seems bold and innovative but in fact it is not new.
Over 100 years ago, Swedish painter Anders Zorn used a
palette consisting of Red, Yellow Ochre, Black and White. Zorn
is still widely regarded as a genius. After seeing a Zorn
exhibition, modern landscape painter Scott Christensen was
inspired to recycle the idea. While attending Scott’s 10-Day
Intensive Workshop in 2007 I converted to using the limited
palette as well. Like Scott, I use ultramarine blue, permanent
bright red,cadmium yellow lemon plus titanium white.
The philosophy “less is more” definitely applies. Self-imposed
limitations such as this force the artist to rely more on his or
her creativity. Having fewer color options one can no longer
attempt to copy the subject tone for tone. Instead the painter
must focus on relationships. How warm or cool,light or dark,
intense or neutral, sharp or lost, is one passage compared
to the whole. The end result is not only a more advanced process
but stronger harmonies in the finished product.
Another benefit from being a practitioner of the limited palette is
that the artist learns to do with color what was once done with value.
Specifically, the depiction of light and shadow is better when the artist
focuses more on color temperature and less on how light or dark
each passage is. A medium value intense warm makes for a more
convincing depiction of light than a low intensity white.
Other practical reasons for switching to a limited palette include:
- Less stuff to carry into the field
- More room on your palette for mixing
- Shopping for supplies is made easier
In closing, it should be mentioned that it is not necessary to
become a 3 color purist. The key point to remember is
that viewers don’t want us to copy the world for them.
They want us to explain it. The constraints of a limited palette
force us to do just that. I often add viridian to help create more
variety in my greens. This seems to make sense since I live and work
in Florida. Other times I add a cool red such as Alizarin Permanent to
modify shadows and dark accents. Other artists use version of
the limited palette consisting of a warm and cool of each of the primaries.
When making the switch be prepared to struggle for about six
months. Growth without growing pains is probably not growth at all.
Below is an example of a painting done with the 3 color palette.
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