Determining the "important" colours for painting depends heavily on the artist's style, subject matter, and desired effects. However, a foundational understanding of colour theory suggests certain colours are essential for mixing a wide range of hues and achieving desired values and saturation.
Essential Colours for a Basic Palette
A minimalist palette often includes:
- Titanium White: An opaque white crucial for lightening colours and creating highlights.
- Ivory Black or Lamp Black: A strong black for creating shadows and darkening colours. Be mindful of its tinting strength, as it can easily overpower mixtures.
- Cadmium Yellow Light or Hansa Yellow: A bright, opaque yellow for mixing clean greens and oranges. The reference highlights yellow's attention-grabbing properties.
- Cadmium Red Medium or Naphthol Red: A warm, opaque red for mixing vibrant reds, oranges, and purples.
- Ultramarine Blue: A deep, transparent blue for creating atmospheric effects and mixing rich purples and greens.
Expanding the Palette
Beyond the basic palette, other colours can provide greater versatility:
- Phthalo Blue or Green: Intense, transparent colours useful for glazing and creating vibrant hues. They have a very high tinting strength.
- Alizarin Crimson: A transparent, cool red for creating deep shadows and mixing purples.
- Yellow Ochre: An earthy yellow providing warmth and neutrality.
- Burnt Sienna or Raw Umber: Earth tones used for creating natural-looking shadows and mixing muted colours.
Importance of Colour Properties
It's also important to consider the properties of each colour:
- Hue: The basic colour (red, blue, yellow, etc.).
- Value: The lightness or darkness of the colour.
- Saturation: The intensity or purity of the colour.
- Transparency/Opacity: How much light passes through the colour.
Understanding these properties allows artists to create a wide range of effects.
Conclusion
While the "important" colours are subjective, a foundation of white, black, a warm and cool version of each primary colour (red, yellow, and blue) allows an artist to mix a wide variety of colours. Ultimately, the best colours are the ones that help you achieve your artistic vision.
