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| Anton Raphael Mengs, Perseus and Andromeda, oil on canvas, 1774-9, Germany |
Notice the skin tones used are probably mixes of white, pink, Indian yellow, Naples yellow, burnt umber. Nothing too drastic besides the reds or slight purple tones.
Now compare this to later artists like Vincent van Gogh:
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| Self Portrait of Vincent van Gogh, oil on canvas, 1888 |
As you can see during the Impressionism movement artists begin to see colors in shadows of skin tones. van Gogh includes brilliant colors like Alizarin Crimson and Prussian Blue. When I first was learning to see colors in shadows, it was like a whole different world before me. I never would have noticed how colorful a corner of a white room could be.
One of my favorite artists, Lucian Freud (grandson of Sigmund Freud), used color in a more natural sense even if there are still purples and blues. Although, he often got criticized for having lifeless looking paintings because of the colors he used as well as the Cremnitz white that makes a unique texture.
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| Leigh Bowery, Lucian Freud, oil on canvas, 1991 |
Now there are still lots of differences between the colors these painters use and how they apply them. But I do think the simple idea of seeing colors in places you wouldn't definitely is important in becoming an artist or appreciating pieces of art. Try it out!
