Monday, September 14, 2020

Triad Challenge: "Sunny Still Life"

We've had such an enthusiastic response to our previous painting challenges that many of you asked for another opportunity.

I hesitate to call it a "contest" because there's no entry fee and the spirit is more about cooperation, community, and camaraderie than competition. We're all at different levels of skill and experience 

Laura Coombs Hills, (American,1859-1952)

"Sunny Still Life" Challenge
The challenge is to paint a still life in sunlight from observation with a limited palette.

The Triad
The limited palette must be a triad of your choice—just three colors plus white.  
For example, here are some suggestions, giving equal time to different companies: 
Holbein gouache: ViridianCadmium red deep, and Yellow ochre plus white
M. Graham gouache: Ultramarine blueCadmium yellow deep, and Burnt sienna plus white
Winsor and Newton gouache: Perylene maroonCadmium yellowCobalt blue plus white
Assorted makers: Prussian blue, light red, golden ochre, and white

Feel free to come up with your own triad. You don't have to follow these suggestions, and you'll probably want to choose colors that more or less fit your subject.

Painting by Vladimir Zhdanov (Russian 1902-1964)
What kinds of subjects?
You can paint any objects, such as flowers, fruit, toys, tools, products, or harvest vegetables. They can be things you arrange into a group or objects that you found in place. Regardless of what you paint, I'm looking for a colorful, sunny effect, either from light streaming in a window or direct sunlight outdoors.

On Location
Your picture must be painted mainly from observation and it must be a new painting done for this challenge. 

Paints
All traditional painting media are acceptable, such as: oil, watercolor, casein, or gouache, acrylic-gouache, or acrylic. Sorry, no dry media or digital.

Deadline
It's free to enter. Please submit only one painting. You can enter as soon as you finish the piece, but no later than the deadline: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at midnight New York time. Winners will be announced on October 27.

What and How to Enter
Shoot three image files: 1. Your finished painting, 2. A photo of the painting in progress in front of the subject, and 3. A Triad Test of your chosen gamut. Your face doesn't have to be in the photo unless you want to.

If you do Instagram or Twitter, please use the hashtag #sunnystilllife  You can also upload the images to the Facebook Group Color in Practice. If you don't have an Instagram or Facebook account, please ask a friend with an account to help you. Please include in the FB or IG post the list of the three colors you chose (plus white), and if you want, a word about your inspiration or design strategy, or an anecdote about your painting experience.


Prizes
I'll pick one Grand Prize and five Finalists. All six entries will be published on GurneyJourney, and all six will receive an exclusive "Department of Art" embroidered patch. In addition, the Grand Prize winner receives a Gurney video (DVD or download) of their choice.
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Own the 90-minute feature "TRIADS: Painting with Three Colors" for only $17.98
• HD MP4 Download at Gumroad 
• or HD MP4 Download at Sellfy

6 comments:

lkligge said...

I'm looking forward to this challenge! Thanks for offering it

Bevan said...

This sounds like fun, thanks for setting it up.

Unknown said...

Is it ok to have an underpainting, and does the underpainting have to adhere to the triad color scheme we choose? Thanks! Look forward to the challenge.

C.via.SEATTLE said...

Can someone share what a Triad Test is? I thought it was premixing strands the way he does in his book but I’m starting to think that’s not correct.

James Gurney said...

CA.via.Seattle, this video on YouTube introduces the idea, and there's more in my Triads video: https://youtu.be/65TqxASZkBw

C.via.SEATTLE said...

Thank you, Mr. Gurney.