Eric Alexander Santoli
  • HOME
  • STUDIO SALE 2025
  • BIO
  • PORTFOLIO
    • DRAWINGS
    • WATERCOLORS
    • OIL PAINTINGS
    • 2023 GIVERNY RESIDENCY
  • COMMISSIONS
  • TEACHING
    • TESTIMONIALS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • ERIC EN PLEIN AIR™
  • SHOP
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG

Setting up Your Own Color Palette for Oil Paints!

8/6/2018

0 Comments

 
  I had a revelation this morning about the colors on my oil painting palette.  I always spend a lot of time thinking about which colors to use and which colors I actually need.  It's really hard some times because it's easy to get influenced by your artistic heroes and think that if you use the same colors, then you'll paint like them.  The truth is that you should use colors that you like.
  Of course, the only way to figure out which colors you like is to test out a bunch and then figure out which ones work for you and which ones don't.  I'm attaching a picture of my current palette below, which is combination of colors that work for me.
 Always remember that you can tailor your palette for specific subjects.  For instance, if I'm painting a landscape with a lot of greens and blues, then I'm not going to put out all my reds because I don't need them.  You could argue that you could mix reds into your greens to neutralize them, but I don't mix color that way so I know I don't need them.  And, if suddenly, a red bird lands in the scene, then I can just put a little bit of red on my palette.
  What I've realized is that it's good to learn about what colors artists of the past have used and to test out those colors as a guide.  But to progress as an artist, you'll need to think for yourself and see the world with your own eyes.  You'll eventually realize that the colors you use don't actually matter that much.  And if you've practiced enough, then you can make a great painting just using the most basic palette!

*Many of my readers may know this, but I'm colorblind so I've spent a lot of time studying color for this very reason.  Also because of this, I set up my color palette in a unique way that works for me.  I always encourage everyone to work in your own style and always experiment with color!
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    Academic
    Canvas
    Color
    Colorblindness
    Drawing
    En Plein Air
    Frames
    Motorcycles
    Music
    Oil Painting
    Pet Portraits
    Philosophy
    Portraiture
    Progress
    Reading
    Reviews
    Skateboarding
    Teaching
    Technique
    Travel
    Varnishing
    Watercolor
    Workshops
    Writing

    RSS Feed

​​© ERIC ALEXANDER SANTOLI 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  • HOME
  • STUDIO SALE 2025
  • BIO
  • PORTFOLIO
    • DRAWINGS
    • WATERCOLORS
    • OIL PAINTINGS
    • 2023 GIVERNY RESIDENCY
  • COMMISSIONS
  • TEACHING
    • TESTIMONIALS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • ERIC EN PLEIN AIR™
  • SHOP
  • LINKS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG