Monet’s Palette
After Monet: Summer, Field of Poppies
Soft Pastel, 8 x 11
Monet’s paintings are filled with vibrant colors, but surprisingly, using very few paints. According to this website, he used only cadmium yellow, vermilion, cobalt, chrome green, madder, and white lead. This site has a similar list, with some slight variations.
The differences in the paints may stem from the fact that there were enormous changes in the world of artist’s pigments during Monet’s life. Another invention, the collapsible metal paint tube, allowed oil paints to become portable. Until it’s development, paint was stored in a pig bladder.
Monet often used his paints straight from the tube. He omitted black from his palette, preferring to mix his own darks. Early works often contained friends or family members, but he eventually omitted figures from his paintings altogether.
Technorati Tags: art, soft pastel, Claude Monet, Field of Poppies
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That is absolutely beautiful! I love the vibrant colors. I don’t remember seeing a Monet that bright and cheery.
I knew I had a good reason for not using any of my black paint.
Mmmm….. pig bladders….
Thanks Meg. Haha. You caught me. My colors are brighter (and darker) than Monet’s original, but I did use the pastels “straight from the tube.”
I can’t remember when I learned about not using straight black (or white) from the tube, but I was told that both can make a painting appear flat and lifeless.
I just love historical tid-bits, and never knew pig bladders were ever recycled in such a resourceful manner. I wonder what they do with them nowadays? Hmmm. No I don’t.