Is This Color Ruining Your Art?

Love the conversation we have started in the comments and there a lot of great insights being shared. Keep it going! I and I'm sure others would love to hear about your experience with this.

One of the things I find rewarding (and sometimes frustrating) about painting is there is always something to learn and/or improve upon. When I was younger, we didn't have Youtube and all this collaboration; but look at how we can learn and share. Thanks for the video, Chuck :-)

I saw a great vid on Eric Rhoades' channel where the guest talked about mixing opaque colors vs transparent. His comment is that when you want to get a more vivid mixture, use a transparent pigment. Your issues may or may not have been with the opaque cadmium pigment. I found that to be true with a few things I mixed up. It's possible that you could adapt to a transparent red pigment. I'm still pretty much a beginner, so I don't have years of experience, but I think in terms of the wheel, and moving around the wheel. The concept of transparent pigment vs. opaque was a game changer for me. I also love the magenta pigment, though!

Another thing that kills color is toning the canvas. Your yellows and oranges will never be as bright as if painted over white and you have to add so much white for coverage that it kills the vibrancy.

Hi Chuck - I've also moved away from red over the years. I often don't put it on my palette or that of my students just to avoid the disappointment - red just doesn't fit into mother natures palette. So we grow in many ways as we paint. Our eyes 'see' more and we learn more. Happy painting everyone - Paul

The only "red" oil paint I use is Alizarin Crimson. I like the way its transparency gives the painter a little more choice in which way to go with it. I'm not sure I can agree that "red" isn't found much in nature. I think of holly berries, roses and other flowers, like the Indian Paintbrush (go figure), the red streak on a cutthroat trout, etc. That being said, I don't remember ever buying Cadmium Red, and I've been painting off and on since I was in grade school almost 60 years ago. I really enjoy your videos, Chuck!

Ive just started using oils after using acrylics for many years. Thank you for all your help in terms of the adjustments, not just the colour, although that is important . I feel like this one video has saved me a whole level of heartache and hope i can progress my oil painting as well as you have.

I have noticed in my own work that I prefer the colors mixed with magenta rather than red. Great information, thank you so much!

I like red in greens when you are trying to be realistic with lighting blue and orange greens beside each other for aesthetics.... Now I know the other colors may do it better thanks CB I hope you know this new format can be great for you as a teacher, it's already helping us process where your incredible consistency comes from. Thanks for being so creative Chuck

Hi Chuck! I've worked in oils, acrylics, watercolours, and other mediums. The thing I discovered with oils, (which I definitely prefer), to get more vibrant effects, in both colours and shadows, is glasing, after the painting has dried considerably. I use a mix of several different brands of paints. Some brands' colours are better than others, in some of the colours, where other brands are better in other colours. Magenta is definitely a much better colour to use, than red. Reds work good to darken some colours, but on its own, it doesn't work well in natural settings. Pthalo Red Rose is a good magenta. It was interesting to hear you say you used black on your palette. I haven't heard you say that in quite a while. Your work is amasing, Chuck! The challenges you accept have allowed you to advance in mind-blowing ways!

Thank you for sharing parts of your journey with us. Your painting and your shared knowledge has been helping me out tremendously. I’ve come a long way since my humble beginnings two years ago, learning more from my mistakes than I could have imagined. Thanks Chuck.

Chuck, very detailed commentary. I have spent the last 50 years doing automotive painting, doing so I have realized only the best paints have the ability to reach that high quality. I also oil paint and have taken to buying better paints. Recently I have removed raw sienna from my palette just doesnt add anything.

Great tips Chuck. I can't wait to try painting with no red!

make shorts in youtube, twitter, Instagram and any other platforms you know, you need recognition man!!

Love watching your newest❤ you are an inspiration 😊

It came out beautiful.... I've been your fan for a long time bro... You're amazing!!

I started oils this year, and like you said practice, experience is essential. I've also noticed I don't use hardly any cadmium red or similar, I guess I was right about it not being helpful for what I want in my paintings 😅

Very beautiful thoughts, so true! Very beautiful painting (the previous one with the wolf also) and what a setting for the presentation! Until then I thought I was the only one who wasn't happy with the use of red, especially when I needed to create a brown/gold/golden yellow in all its shades. I see that I am not the only one who has experimented again and again. We sometimes end up saying to ourselves that we don't know how to do it, that we aren't talented, since there are three basic colors and black and everyone can do it, especially the most talented. But I see that ultimately the main thing is to find what allows us to express our most personal emotions, that's what being an artist is. I have not completely banned red, I have replaced it and very very rarely it enters, very sparingly, in a shade. Sometimes the color wheel imposes on us the choices of nature. Thank you for this new sharing that is both informative, artistic, and... nature! 🙏🙏

I also switched from acrylic to oil some time ago ( 4-5yrs) and I think you may have solved my dilemma . Thank you for that and the beautiful Art you create.😊

Excellent! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.