Colour & Paint 5 - Understanding Shade

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How do we make a colour look as though it has moved into shadow without simply reaching for black? That’s what we’ll explore in this tutorial. Traditionally, a shade is created by adding black to a colour, but in watercolour I generally prefer a much more colourful approach. I’ll show you why ready-made black can sometimes deaden a mix and how we can instead use our primary colours to create wonderfully rich, deep darks. We’ll also look at shade in a more practical painting sense – thinking about how the colour of an object changes as it turns away from the light, becomes more intense or picks up reflected colour from its surroundings. Understanding this will become incredibly useful as we move into our still-life projects, helping you create shadows that feel rich, natural and full of colour rather than simply dark. Show more