Spring 2023 -- Crocus Palette

This palette is inspired by the first colours of spring, and the first flowers to come up.

Finally, the colours of spring are starting to make themselves known again. The oranges and violets of spring are a welcome splash of bright, clear colour after the winter. Crocuses are some of the first flowers to come up in spring, just as the days are starting to get longer again, and a promise of warmth is in the air.

Three of the colours on this palette are warm: a bright coral pink, a mid yellow, and a violet that’s on the red side of purple. Together these warm colours will mix a wide range of oranges, pinks and purples that work beautifully to paint spring crocuses.

To balance and complement the warms, we need some cool colours as well. This palette includes a mid green that has lovely granulation, and will mix everything from the bright spring green of new growth to the more dark muted green of crocus greenery. This complements the coral beautifully.

Example Sheets

Videos

Example Paintings

For this painting of a patch of yellow crocuses, I wanted to capture the gesture of growth from bottom right swooping up to the top of the page. I also wanted to exaggerate the browns in the image all the way to a magenta to add in the complementary colour for the yellow.

Purchase

This kit is available to purchase in my Etsy shop.

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