Thanks for taking the jump to read today’s newsletter. If you landed on this page by accident, subscribe to the Vanilla Beans Newsletter here.
CHECKING IN
Boy, today’s title is more than just the article, that was my whole week.
I’ve got The Point moved to the new website, now the Underpainters move is next.
Plus, my studio looks like a Halloween explosion. Tricks and Treats comin’ to Wonks and UPers on Sept 4th!
I was tricksy last week. I sent you on a snipe hunt, searching for natural, organic black.
It’s pretty hard to find, eh?
Let’s continue our exploration of the color black and how it affects your coloring.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Black
I GIVE UP!!! Maybe I’m just not good at this coloring thing? I can do the techniques, it’s the color choices where I struggle. My projects look blah, they’re never quite what I want them to be and I’m always missing that beautiful pop of color.
I hear this song from a lot of new students.
But what’s weird is, I don’t hear this at all from the brand newbiest of beginners!
Nope, this complaint is more common amongst the somewhat experienced colorers— folks who have been coloring cards and coloring books for a long while now.
Sound familiar? Feeling that way yourself?
You’re never in love with anything you make.
I understand the frustration… but here’s the problem: the root cause of your angst is also the foundation of your hobby.
What do card makers and coloring book colorers have in common?
Black.
Let’s color a daisy!
Now if I were to divide the coloring community into groups, the Pastel Lovers are by far the largest segment.
I happen to be on team Gem Tones but that’s okay, I try to swing both ways.
Anyway, I know a lot of you hear “let’s color a daisy” and this is immediately what sprang to mind.
Spring is your thing. Soft, gentle, pastel colors.
You like to keep things light and delicate.
And the reason you struggle with color is because every time you sit down to color a light pink flower, you end up with a desk full of loud magenta markers coloring the disco daisy from hell.
Why, why, why does this keep happening???
Why does it feel like pastel coloring is always beyond your reach?
It’s not fair. I’m a noted opponent of pastels and most especially pink…
But here I am, cranking out the kind of soft projects you dream of coloring.
Meanwhile you’re wondering how ‘the heck you ended up with RV29 and RV99 in your hand.
My daisy here is soft!
The color is delicate. Every color is just a whisper. Gentle as a baby’s kiss.
What’s the secret? It’s simple.
I don’t use black.
No, no, no Amy! I’ve heard you talk about this before. I stopped using black markers and black colored pencils because of you…
Sure, but even though you threw all your black markers and pencils away, you still use a heck’uva lotta black.
There’s black all over your daisy.
Ohhhhhhh…
Oh is right.
You color with black every day. Pitch Black is the first color you choose every time you sit down to color.
In fact, I’ve heard y’all complain when the black isn’t black enough.
Wanna know why your color palettes never pop?
Wanna know why your pastels always look bland?
Wanna know why you started with RV000 and ended up blending four markers ending in nine?
Because your habitual use of black skews the value range.
Every. Freakin’. Time.
We’ve talked about value ranges before.
Value is the amount of presence a color has. I know a lot of coloring instructors and internet experts describe color value “lightness” or “darkness”, but that’s not true.
Value is how much color is in the color.
The more colorful a color is, the louder it speaks.
Pastels tend to live down at the quiet end of the value spectrum.
So the secret to coloring pastel projects is to choose colors from the introvert end of the value range.
Not to harp on the obvious but you’ll also want to avoid colors from the opposite end, the extravert side of the value range.
Big black outlines pull you away from the pastel end.
So here’s the blending combination I’d use to color this daisy.
Now yes— me being me, I’d also add a weird underpaint color like gray or green underneath the darker pink.
Actually, I’d add some under the medium pink too…
But the blending combination I’d use basically runs from medium pink to light pink and even my underpaint will only make the color muddier, not darker.
Here’s the other thing:
If I use mostly the light and medium pink, I’ll end up with a very pale pastel daisy. Probabely lighter than the photo reference.
It’s easy to things lighter!
But Amy, my projects always end up darker than I expect. You must use magic to end up lighter!
Wanna know the secret?
Look what happens when we add a black outline.
This is why you feel compulsively driven to add darker colors to pale pastel blending combinations.
Folks, there’s a big, honkin’ black outline around your whole darned project.
Whether you acknowledge the black or not…
Your brain sees the black and tries to balance its presence.
This is why you drench your pinks with deep purple and dark wine reds. You’re desperately trying to fill the gap between black and pastel pink.
And it’s also why you’re ho-hum about the results whenever you actually do stick with just light pinks.
Pastel colors can’t compete with black.
Black outlines drain the life from pastels which is why you keep searching for the missing “pop”.
The pop is there, we just can’t see it under all that black!
So this week’s tip about black:
Black outlines are the loudest part of your color palette.
You ignore the outlines but your brain still sees them.
Your dissatisfaction with color may not be about the markers in your hand.
Stampers and coloring bookers will always struggle with realism and value balance as long as black remains the cornerstone of every project.
Black throws everything off.
You don’t hate your coloring. You hate the black outlines.
NEW VIDEO
Click to watch. If your device doesn’t like embeds, click here to watch at YouTube
If you liked The Blend, you’ll love The Point.
The Blend is basic marker with a touch of colored pencil
The Point flip-flops the ratio teaching you colored pencil with a simple base of marker
Blend and Point alternate, each is open for 6 months. Begin with whichever one is open when you’re ready to get movin’!
The Point closes to new enrollees on Dec 31st, 2024.
The Blend reopens on January 1st, 2025.
IF YOU LIKED TODAY’S BEANS & VIDEOS, SUPPORT FUTURE FREE LESSONS
AUGUST EVENTS
Click to view details
CURRENT PASSWORD: RubberDuckie
LOOKING FOR LAST WEEK’S BEANS?
RECENTLY MENTIONED PRODUCTS
