Colour assignments 3 & 4

I’m continuing with the colour exercises, but have been thinking more about how these can be interpreted in weaving terms. The plain weave (or perhaps I should see them as blocks) I’m using on the assignments brings a lot of constraints.  Of course there’s surface design after weaving – a few well placed stitches or maybe experiment with patches.

I found a quote from Sharon Alderman, from a Weavezine podcast:

“…painters, if they want a little dot of crimson right there on the canvas, they just put it there. But if I don’t want it to appear in the warp direction and in the weft direction, I have to be ingenious to make it happen.

“And there are things that are different about weaving from others. Now, having said that, colour theory is colour theory no matter what your medium is, but the way that you handle getting the harmonies that you want is different for a weaver.

“The pointillists were trying to duplicate nature by making little dots of colour. Because when they looked at things closely, they saw the colours weren’t flat, that they were made of many, many colours.

“Well, that’s something that weavers can do better than anybody because if you use small threads you can have variety of colours and make a new colour by crossing one with another that is richer and seems to have more depth than what a painter can do.”

There’s another interview with Michael Rohde, which seems in my current state of mind to be all about colour.

I’d been thinking about the possibilities of double weave, then saw this piece by Elisabeth Hill. A few ends of a different colour has such an impact!

Is it wonderful or daunting, the way the world of weaving keep getting bigger?  Some days I just enjoy the wonder of it all, knowing I see and understand just a small part. Other days I focus down on my little corner and say “this is enough for me for now”.

Assignment 3 in David Hornung’s colour – a workshop for artists and designers is prismatic studies. “Prismatic” colours are high saturation, pure hues. I had mixed success.

prismatic, wide range of hue and value

Prismatic, narrow value range (high key)

Prismatic, narrow value range

Failed!! attempt at prismatic low key values

The major problem is the low-key violets. Dull, dull, dull! However not unexpected or unusual – in the book Hornung comments that mixed “pure” violets will always be disappointing. However, he recommends that despite this one should stick to mixing in the first four studies of the course. Ever obedient (hah!) I mixed, but have bought commercial violets and turquoise for the the later studies. The Lanaset dyes I use have particularly gorgeous violet and turquoise, and there’s no point learning about colour with that gaping hole.

Assignment 4 asks for Combined Saturation Studies.

Broad range of saturation, hues and values

On review I could have included something with stronger saturation.

Broad range of saturation and hue, narrow value range

Plus an extra for fun, since I often don’t like the studies I’m producing.

Broad range of saturation, hue and value

Previously:
Assignment 1
Assignment 2