Sap Green, the Much-Maligned Color

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Three-Color Oil Palette, III

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For my final version of a three-color palette, I removed the Ivory Black and the Cadmium Yellow Deep and replaced them with other colors. The new palette is:
  • Cadmium Yellow Light
  • Cadmium Red Light
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Titanium White
The Cadmium Yellow Light is cooler than the Cadmium Yellow Deep I had on the last palette. The Ultramarine Blue is a richer and, to my eyes, warmer blue than Ivory Black. Here's a painting I did this morning.


"Mossy Maples"
5x7, oil, en plein air

The lights in this painting contain a good deal of Cadmium Yellow Light. If I'd used Cadmium Yellow Deep, they would have been too warm. Since the darks are already very warm with the Cadmium Red Light and Ultramarine Blue, a warm light wouldn't have provided enough interesting contrast.

Or so I'd like to think. Thoughts, anyone?