I started a new painting at Peters workshop last week. No drawing. Just roughly started painting in the forms. It’s now bone dry and I can start the correct to finish process. This summer we will be spending 2 weeks in Maine about a quarter of a mile from this spot right on the coast. Can’t wait.

I will keep posting progressions until the finish. Stay tuned.

Draw paint and repeat… repeat and repeat

I drew the limes with a pastel pencil.

I chose a palette that doesn't have a strong yellow or green… am I nuts.

I used only the Red, Yellow and Blue colors of the Semi Neutral Table to mix my color. In the end I’m hoping the the values tell to story.

I’ll wait til it’s bone dry then Ill glaze some full intensity color to see how that works.

About 4 and a half hours of painting later… This has to set a bit to dry. Needs some major and minor corex. Maybe anonother couple of hours +??

I haven’t been selling them and don’t think I will. I’ve been giving them away a workshops and to friends.

Drop a comment if you want one for free. Post would about 4 or 5 buck. US only.

I have 3 of these up at all times. One at the easel. One at brush washing station. One for drying wet brushes.

I designed this in CAD a few tears ago. I had the CAD file on an online service under the Creative Commons license. Somebody swiped the file and was selling them on a craft service. I contacted the service and they took it down. That was discouraging.

Now I only give them away. I might make a dozen or less a month.

Sort of a messy looking palette in the end. For the onion I used only the Blue, Yellow and red neutrals with white and a ver small tint of Cad Yellow. The bag rounds are mixed from Neutral Blue and Red with some Ulyramrine Violet and Alizarin Crimson.
I took about 4 hours over 3 days. It only needs a few days to setup and a tiny bit of Glazing.

The colors were all based on a set of idealized Primaries.

All of these colors were made from the 3 primaries. There were synthesized in adobe Illustrator to match an Idealized set of R,B and Y primaries. The Illustrator color space is set to CMYK. CMYK is the same as the subtractive color mixing process as mixing color pigments. It’sot perfect at all but pretty damn close. I use this technique for oils and watermedia.

For contrast I asked ChatGPT how many colors of oil paint does Old Holland sell, ChatGPT answered “Old Holland makes 168 colors in their Classic Oil Colours line”.

There are 252 ‘colors’ represented here. Not really a fair comparison be you get the picture.


The mothod of mixing is as follows;
I find the color in the 2 neutral palettes by mixing the tertiaries. To find the metaphoric primaries of Semi Neutral you ix the 2 adjacent tertiary to the primaryies. Yellow Orange and Yellow Green make the Metaphoric Yellow of there semi Neutral. Red Orange and Red Violet make the Metaphoric Red. Blue Violet and Blue Green make the Metaphoric Semi Blue primary..

If you’ve noticed thee colors get very interesting when the Tertiaries are involved

Where to start?

I use a basic set of paints which have evolved since I learned to them up from a Walter Foster book on painting clowns when I was 14. Art school taught me about Albers and color theory. We worked with acrylics, watercolors, or gouache. My palettes still had primary and secondary colors, but they weren’t very organized. Eventually, I started using colors in a more organized way.sometime in the 1980s. Usually in limited watercolor or acrylic palettes. Each painting demanding its own mix.

About 14 years ago I stated with oils as my primary medium and quickly created a more standard though shorthand set up. I did a few good painting that still hold up today. I started painting from models with a small group of artists. All way better that me. After I while I picked up some tricks from them. The one in particular that fits my brain is the 12 color spectrum palette. And in particular the making that set from just the three primaries of red, blue and yellow. Miraculous! I learn this from Judith Reeve.

I have documented this process in s sort of schematic manner, After all I was a data visualization art for a long time.

Here are a few frames from it. The color is idaelized. This document was made in Adobe Illustrator using a CMYK profile. Subtractive color the same as mixing oil paints.

There’ll be a lot more on this when I get the time. I will be glad to answer any questions - jkingston@mac.com. It is fishing season so it may take a bit if time

I’m loosing some weight and had gotten my sugar under control. I’ve lost connection with people and my woek. The joys of getting old I guess.

I am starting on a piece started back last June-ish. Our model Cathering showed up for about a month. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to paint in Johan’s studio again. The wonderful natural light! We started 2 paintings then she disappeared to Burning Man.

I took the small painted sketch, scanned it up and printed it on canvas. I’ve done this in the past and it works great..

The print is stapled to a heavy foam core. I started a little bit last week. The photo of the pose is on the right. I shocked myself with how well I grabbed the pose in just an hour and a half.

We hadn’t painted together since March of 2020. I hadn’t painted since early summer of 2024. And before that spring of 2023 after conking myself into a concussion.

I’ll keep you pasted

I play with 2 AIs mostly. Chat GTP and Midjourney. In Chat GPT I can write just about anything from elaborate posts to programing functions in a variety of computer languages. In Midjourney I can create images from straight up realism to amazing imaginations in countless graphic styles.

Let’s imagine i’m in my late 30’s and sober. I have a client that is opening a couple of small bars catering to an upscale younger crowd…

Fist I ask GPT for a name… We select this name Pour & Pair. Then I ask MJ for a logo…. we pick this one.

… and a photo… made in 3 minutes in Midjourney

A headline will be nice. I ask Chat GPT… we choose

Flavors and Friends. The New Age of Wine and Dine

…and some ad copy.

At Pour and Pair, we blend the allure of fine wines with gourmet bites in a setting that's both chic and welcoming. Perfect for after-work relaxation or weekend gatherings, we offer a curated selection of wines paired with artisanal, locally-sourced dishes. Our lively atmosphere, designed for the young and young at heart, invites you to unwind, socialize, and indulge in a sensory journey. Join us and make your moments memorable

In about 20 minutes my fat arthitic fingers, feeble mind and failing eyes created a framework for said ad.

I had a variety of clients back in the late 70s doing just this sort of thing. But I had to draw up layouts or several layouts. Take some photos, or have them taken. Maybe draw a humorous illustration. Then on approval make final mechanical. Send the mechanical and images to a engraver where the mechanical and images were made into films for reproduction for every magazine the ad was to run in.

If we’re not completely looking for immediate result and do more detailing over a little more time today’s way may be better than the old way. Way Cheaper.

A beautiful spot on the Delaware.

This is a local ramp. If you could call it that. WE put in here and row up into the big pool at Callicoon. It can be excellent trout fishing. I done a couple of paintings from the spot over the years.

It gets harder every year. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.

I haven’t been painting on any regular basis since sometime last fall. A concussion and other health problem got in the way. But slowly I am coming back from netherworld. This still life of 4 2023 apples and a brick from the foundation of the house that once stood on my property. Sort of incongruous subject matter but fun to paint. I can’t paint for long sessions. Maybe 4 hours a day of less. It’s about half way there where-ever there is. I’ll update this post with progress.

Johan, Judith and myself have also started painting from live models again. What a joy. We stopped abruptly in April 2020. Can you guess why? It has taken us this long because finding models out here in the hinterlands has been more difficult the before the pandemic

The thing I hate the most about painting is cleaning brushes. That hasn’t changed

I've mentioned here in the past that if I were art directing a magazine today I'd be leaning heavily on generative AI images and software.

Here is a sampling of a loose gauche style that I might use for public figures. Here are a few that I've created. The style is a loose flat brush technique in a Zorn(ish) color palette.

Alas I'm bit long in the tooth to be handling the intense deadline pressures of such a job.

I'm diving into the world of art and technology as seen through the eyes of a working artist with 55 years of practical experience. In this blog post, I'll explore how I've harnessed a small bit the power of Generative AI art and the top four ways it has enhanced my creative process.

No title - Oil on panel 6 x 6 2023

Creating a 12-color artist palette using only red, yellow, and blue oil paints allows you to explore the fundamentals of color mixing. These primary colors, when combined in various ways, can produce a wide range of hues. Here's an outline for a script that will guide you in doing so:

Mixing a 12-Color Artist Palette from Primary Oil Paints

Introduction:

1. Brief about the significance of the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

2. The idea behind creating a diverse palette using only these colors.

3. Materials needed: Red, yellow, and blue oil paints, palette knife, mixing surface (glass or wooden palette), and paper towels or rags.

Steps to Mix the Palette:

1. Setting Up the Primary Colors:

   • Place a dab of each primary color - red, yellow, and blue - on the palette, spaced out.

2. Creating Secondary Colors:

   • Orange:

     • Mix equal parts of red and yellow.

   • Green:

     • Mix equal parts of yellow and blue.

   • Purple:

     • Mix equal parts of red and blue.

3. Creating Tertiary Colors:

   • Red-Orange:

     • Mix 2 parts red with 1 part yellow.

   • Yellow-Orange:

     • Mix 2 parts yellow with 1 part red.

   • Yellow-Green:

     • Mix 2 parts yellow with 1 part blue.

   • Blue-Green:

     • Mix 2 parts blue with 1 part yellow.

   • Blue-Purple:

     • Mix 2 parts blue with 1 part red.

   • Red-Purple:

     • Mix 2 parts red with 1 part blue.

4. Enhancing Palette Diversity:

   • Darkening Colors: Mix a bit of blue into a color to create a shadow shade.

   • Lightening Colors: If you have white paint, you can mix it with any color to create a tint.

5. Important Tips:

   • Always clean the palette knife thoroughly before dipping into a new color to avoid unintentional mixing.

   • Start with smaller amounts of paint and add more as needed to get the desired shade.

   • The ratios mentioned can be adjusted based on the specific shades of primary colors you have. Experiment to find the perfect mix.

   • Oil paints can take a long time to dry, so ensure your mixed colors are kept in airtight containers if you wish to use them later.

Conclusion:

1. The versatility of primary colors in creating a wide palette.

2. The benefits of understanding color mixing for an artist.

3. Encouragement to experiment and explore beyond the 12-color palette for even more hues.

This script is a basic guide, and individual results may vary depending on the specific brand and hue of your primary colors. Remember, mixing colors is as much an art as it is a science, so trust your instincts and enjoy the process!

Next morning—

I'm looking for a neutralized 12 color palette based on the 12 color spectrum palette. As described by John Sloan's "on Drawing and Painting"ChatGPT

John Sloan, a prominent American artist and a member of the Ashcan School, was known for his insights into color theory. In "John Sloan on Drawing and Painting," he describes a spectrum palette. A neutralized version of this palette would mean taking each of these vibrant colors and toning them down, making them less chromatic and more muted.

To create a neutralized version of the 12-color spectrum palette, you'd typically add a color's complement (its opposite on the color wheel) or a grey to subdue its intensity. Here's how you can approach a neutralized 12-color spectrum palette based on Sloan's descriptions:

1. Neutralized Red:

• Add a touch of green to subdue the vibrancy of the red.

1. Neutralized Red-Orange:

• Tone down with a hint of blue-green.

1. Neutralized Orange:

• A touch of blue will neutralize the brightness of orange.

1. Neutralized Yellow-Orange:

• Add a hint of blue-purple to subdue this color.

1. Neutralized Yellow:

• Neutralize with a touch of purple.

1. Neutralized Yellow-Green:

• A hint of red-purple will tone down the vibrancy.

1. Neutralized Green:

• Red will neutralize green.

1. Neutralized Blue-Green:

• Red-orange will neutralize blue-green.

1. Neutralized Blue:

• A touch of orange will neutralize blue.

1. Neutralized Blue-Purple:

• Yellow-orange will tone down the vibrancy of blue-purple.

1. Neutralized Purple:

• Neutralize with yellow.

1. Neutralized Red-Purple:

• Add a hint of yellow-green to tone down red-purple.

When neutralizing colors, the key is to add the complementary color slowly and sparingly. It's easy to add more if needed, but you can't take it away once it's mixed in. The goal is not to turn the colors into mud but to simply reduce their chromatic intensity, giving them a more subdued and harmonious appearance.

Using a neutralized palette can result in a more harmonious and cohesive piece of artwork, especially in scenes where bright, vibrant colors may not be appropriate or desired.

I'm really looking for the techniqueof starting by making a metaphor of the primaries. Mixing terries. For example Red orange mixed with red purple as a metaphor for red, Blue green mixed with blue purple as a metaphor for blue and yellow orange mixed with yellow green as a metaphor for Yellow. ChatGPT

Ah, I see! You're talking about a more complex and nuanced approach to the palette where the primary colors aren't the typical bold primaries (Red, Yellow, Blue) but rather a composite or "metaphor" of two adjacent tertiary colors. This technique can yield a very sophisticated, muted, and harmonious palette, as the colors you're starting with are already somewhat neutralized.

Let's build a palette based on this concept:

Metaphoric Primaries:

1. Red (Metaphoric): Red-Orange + Red-Purple.

1. Blue (Metaphoric): Blue-Green + Blue-Purple.

1. Yellow (Metaphoric): Yellow-Orange + Yellow-Green.

From these metaphoric primaries, we can derive the secondaries and tertiaries:

Secondary Colors:

1. Orange (Metaphoric): Mix metaphoric Red and metaphoric Yellow.

1. Green (Metaphoric): Mix metaphoric Yellow and metaphoric Blue.

1. Purple (Metaphoric): Mix metaphoric Blue and metaphoric Red.

Tertiary Colors:

1. Red-Orange (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Orange mix closer to the metaphoric Red.

1. Yellow-Orange (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Orange mix closer to the metaphoric Yellow.

1. Yellow-Green (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Green mix closer to the metaphoric Yellow.

1. Blue-Green (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Green mix closer to the metaphoric Blue.

1. Blue-Purple (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Purple mix closer to the metaphoric Blue.

1. Red-Purple (Metaphoric): Lean your metaphoric Purple mix closer to the metaphoric Red.

In essence, these colors are twice removed from the original, clear primaries. Because of the intricate mixing, the resulting colors are muted and complex, giving depth and sophistication to your palette.

The benefit of this approach is the inherent harmony within the palette. Since all the colors share components with their neighboring hues, it's challenging to create discordant color combinations, making it an excellent palette for unified, cohesive compositions.

Remember, the ratios in which you mix will determine the exact hue of each color, so you might need to experiment a bit to get the desired shade.

And the next evening


Can we expand the metaphor further?

ChatGPT

Certainly! The concept of using metaphoric colors can be expanded to delve even deeper into the intricacies of color mixing. Let's break it down further using a "second-level" metaphor approach, going beyond the primary metaphors.

Second-Level Metaphoric Primaries:

1. Red (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Combine a tertiary mix from the first metaphor (e.g., a mixture leaning towards Red-Orange) with a tertiary mix leaning towards Red-Purple.

2. Blue (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Combine a tertiary mix leaning towards Blue-Green with one leaning towards Blue-Purple.

3. Yellow (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Combine a tertiary mix leaning towards Yellow-Orange with one leaning towards Yellow-Green.

From these second-level metaphoric primaries, you can derive another set of secondary and tertiary colors:

Second-Level Metaphoric Secondary Colors:

1. Orange (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Mix 2nd level metaphoric Red with 2nd level metaphoric Yellow.

2. Green (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Mix 2nd level metaphoric Yellow with 2nd level metaphoric Blue.

3. Purple (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Mix 2nd level metaphoric Blue with 2nd level metaphoric Red.

Second-Level Metaphoric Tertiary Colors:

1. Red-Orange (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Orange mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Red.

2. Yellow-Orange (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Orange mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Yellow.

3. Yellow-Green (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Green mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Yellow.

4. Blue-Green (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Green mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Blue.

5. Blue-Purple (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Purple mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Blue.

6. Red-Purple (2nd Level Metaphoric):

   • Lean your 2nd level metaphoric Purple mix closer to the 2nd level metaphoric Red.

At this stage, the palette has been expanded into even more subtle and nuanced shades, each one being a complex mixture derived from multiple stages of color mixing. These colors will be inherently harmonious due to the shared elements in their mixtures.

However, as with any approach to color mixing, the key will be experimentation. Exact hues will depend on the specific pigments and ratios used, so it's always a good idea to test and adjust the mixtures as needed to achieve the desired outcome.

In the fall of 2019 I gathered a bunch of Greeny apples from one of the apple tree in the town forest adjacent to our property. I build several variations of still life photos. The world went crazy and shut down. I lost track of the reference. Last month I found the reference for this and thought I attempt a painting. This is that attempt.

These are old ‘wild’ apple trees coming to their end. Over a season they collect all sorts of blemishes in the skin. Falling to the ground adds to the rough look.

They did taste good though.

Brush Holder in six pieces.

I’ve been prototyping for the last few days. It’s a ‘desktop’ version of one that I made a few years ago when I first got a 3D printer. **  A simple 2 pieces ‘rack’ that hangs from one on the trays on my rolling taboret‡.

I wanted a traveling version that will pack flat. This is 6 pieces that print flat in for best quality and strength. The flat pack design also makes it possible to laser cut this in 1/8” or 1/4” wood stock.

This version shown holds 9 brushes on the top. There will also be variations that hod up to 12. It works well with some portable plain air add ons I’ve made.

It a simple solution it does take a day to print.

https://www.printables.com/model/562232-brush-r