Shading Experiments

Here I have revisited a couple of earlier sketches with the intent to explore shading. Rather than laying on heavy layers of Permanent Alizarin Crimson, I first tried French Ultramarine but then turned to Phathlo Green BS. I think the Green really worked well with the reds but fell off a bit on the yellows. Perhaps violet for the yellows might work better...

For the cucumber, I washed it and the cast shadow with a bit of Cadmium Scarlet. That shadow was originally Neutral Tint only and it seems that the new wash perked things up.

What I am learning is that I must experiment. It seems that artists each have their own approach when it comes to shadowing. Ultramarine is popular, especially in mixes--Burnt Umber; Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow Pale; Permanent Alizarin Crimson and a bit of Cadmium Yellow. These mixes, as well as Neutral Tint, Payne's Gray, and Davy's Gray, can be a base layer for colored washes or mixed with color directly.

While reading about and testing French Ultramarine for shadowing, I began to see this pigment as very versatile as a base for greens, browns, and then some. Here is just a little bit of testing I sidetracked into. I'd like to explore these mixes further.