I use a lot of red in my work.
A lot!
“Open Open Open” Oil on Canvas, 16″ x 20″
One of the questions I am frequently asked is, “How do you make a lighter red, without turning the whole thing into a pink muddy mess?”
Here are a couple of quick solutions:
One way is to add a warm yellow or orange to the red, and to the white highlights.
Alternatively, you can glaze over a dry area with a warm red or Indian yellow. I especially like this method if I’ve already made a pink mess. You can either use a transparent pigment like a Quinacridone Rose or Perelyne Scarlet or add a bit of glazing medium to your favorite red. If you are going to use a medium, my favorite is Winsor and Newton’s Liquin.
In the corkscrew painting above, I made the red appear lighter by darkening the shadows.
This painting of the train engine below uses all of the methods!
To see more examples, check out this fun 2-Minute Tip Video:
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I’d love to hear about your experiences with red and pink. Post pics and comments below!