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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #77 - Gamut Mask

This is an interesting and helpful digital tool if you're looking for color schemes for your painting.  It's called a Gamut Mask.  The original concept was developed by James Gurney, and the digital tool was created by Richard Robinson.  Take a look through James Gurney's blog, and see how he puts the masks to use in his art, it's very informative.

This is the mask I decided to use for this study.  Since I normally lean toward using warm colors, I went the opposite way today.


The wheel is off kilter because, when making your color range selection, you rotate the outer color wheel, not the shape that delineates the color choices on the inside.  This throws me a bit, because I get all crazy when color wheels are all cattywampus;  Right Brain insists that yellow needs to be on top, red on the left, blue on the right.  Any other variation than that makes my head spin.

Using this mask, the most chromatic color will be the yellow-green, with less intense versions of the other colors being used.  I found it to be a very helpful reminder when creating color mixes.  


Gamut Mask Bear

I'm normally an unabashed Chroma Fiend, but this particular exercise helped to corral that beast.  Even with  non-realistic colors, the scheme works well with the warm, muted colors in the shadows.  This is definitely a tool I'm going to use more in the future.  

And I'm still waiting for more creative, artistic suggestions from y'all for this bear!  Think weird, think unusual, think odd, just something that can be done in a few hours time.

4 comments:

debwardart said...

From the sublime to the ridiculous (that's me!). Going back to the kitchen with this bear, how about Marshmallow Bear - perhaps with chocolate shadows - and you can make S'mores afterward!!! Or, if you want to be serious, how about a Notan bear. If you are unfamiliar with this term, you will have to look it up, thereby furthering your artistic education! I am amazed by all you are learning/sharing with us.

Tracy Wall said...

Have tried three times so far to get a comment posted, but it keep booting me off.

You could try drawing without looking at your paper as well as drawing with one continuous line.
Or, someone had mentioned collage a post or so ago. Maybe now's the time to use that wallpaper sample book!

Thanks for giving us nearly 100 ways to think!

Lisa Walsh said...

Love both ideas, Deb. How did you know I'm a closet Marshmallow Fiend, and will create any excuse to buy some??? A Notan bear would be very interesting.....


Howdy Tracy, and welcome. I have no idea why you kept getting booted off, but thanks for trying until you made it.

Early on in this project, the bear was created with a continuous line. The idea of drawing without looking is quite intriguing...I like the idea of trying that. Collage is definitely leading the race. Although I LOL'd at the idea of wallpaper samples, it's not allowed anywhere near this house. I've scraped enough wallpaper off of enough walls to last a lifetime. There's already been a mulberry paper collage...hmmmm...I just need a new and interesting material.

Thanks oodles for the suggestions, ladies. All this creativity is amazing and energizing.

debwardart said...

OH, OH (picture me jumping up and down with my hand raised, a la grade school!!!!) - just thought of another idea - goes along with the wallpaper suggestion - how about using paint samples - you could cut them up and collage them - or do it in a mosaic fashion????? (Glad you liked my previous ideas too - it's always easier to tell someone else what to do!!!)