I have [been] commissioned [to complete] a painting of an Englemann Spruce and the palette they want me to use for their spa label is close to a teal color (see color palette). I usually work with glazes and I was wondering if you have had experience in getting this color without mixing. If not then what would be a mix you would use?
The blue seems closer to a light wash of colbalt blue deep? I am getting a close match using a light wash of French ultramarine blue and then a glaze of Oxide of Chromium, then later a darker mix of the two.
Sandra Wall Armitage
I would be inclined to use a viridian with the addition of Paynes grey as a starting point. You could try laying down the Oxide of Chrome first as it is not transparent.
Susan Dalton
I’m not sure how accurate the colour reproduction is that I have printed of your colour palette, but having experimented a bit, I would suggest that you perhaps could use Oxide of Chromium mixed with Winsor & Newton ‘Winsor Blue (Green Shade) ‘ and / or Winsor & Newton ‘Cerulean Blue’.
Brigitte Daniel
Have you considered sourcing a pigment from a specialist supplier? Take a sample of the colour you require to a good art shop. My computer screen is not up to reproducing the colour which would permit a comment that would be of any use to you.
Susan Hillier
Don’t know exactly what you mean by ‘teal’.
Jennifer Jenkins
I cannot help with the first part of this question as the colours showing on my computer are not clear enough.
Kay Rees Davies
I chose Transparent Turquoise (Daler-Rowney 157), Olive Green (Winsor & Newton 447) and Indigo (W&N 322) as my mix for the teal colour on the colour palette. I tried layering them as you suggested but found it far quicker to mix them, and also more accurate.
For the paler teal I used Transparent Turquoise (as above), Indigo (as above) and Naples Yellow (Daler-Rowney 634) in a very dilute mix. In all these mixes you must experiment with the amount of each colour.
Margaret Stevens
I am afraid I am a very instinctive painter choosing my mixes and glazes by eye with scarcely a thought for what I am using. This is why I had the cooperation of Kay Rees-Davies when writing the analysis of paints section of The Botanical Palette as she looks at her colours with a much more analytical eye. For myself I prefer to try various glazes and mixes until I hit the right one and after more years than I care to think about this works best for me. Perhaps Kay or Paul Fennell will be good for answering this part of the question.
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