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Where does chocolate brown fit in? I have goggled "color wheel" and all I get is primary and secondary color wheels, nothing showing chocolate brown. What about black?
Chocolate, or any browns are usually any mix of warm colors with what are nearly, but not quite, opposites. Most browns have a lot of orange or red in them, so mix with some green or blue. Use darker hues for darker browns. You can even add some black (a 'sin' in the watercolor world, sometimes).
ghia_girl _ “Brown” - The fastest route to a mid-range Brown on an artist’s palette is often through red and green which essentially incorporates all of the three primary colors (Green = Yellow + Blue) So Brown is, Red + Yellow + Blue. That being the case, it does not appear on a simple color wheel containing only tertiary colors. On a huge color chart it will take many forms and will be located next to the most dominate hue. Depending on the medium, you can do a base of Red (say), and scumble a green over it. (I love Sap Green) - Alternately, you could use glazes in the second color to acheive a rich luminous brown. With pastels, cross-hatching instead of scumble is the ticket.
Black is the absence of color.
A shade is a hue (color) to which Black is added.
A Tint is a color that is diluted by the addition of white.
Black and White are non-colors and referred to as “achromatic” or neutrals. They are not located on color charts. They are employed to affect the value of hues. (The lightness or darkness of color, or its intensity)
You can avoid the “sin” of black by heading towards the darkest pigment on your palette and knocking it back with it’s complimentary hue until the two cancel out each other to a neutral non-color, and use that as your “black.” You can achieve a reasonably deep value that will always have more life and vitality than Black, while reading as Black in the composition.
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Zen Potter: Your work is simply fabulous! You have a wonderful feel, I love your sculpture - and that is from a nattering realist. I really enjoyed photos of your work.
Maybe you know this: I want to make some ceramic tops for my Staub tajine base. The base is enameled cast iron and Staub sells it with what appears is a low fire white clay lid (of some sort) because the glaze is fire engine red. It is slip cast. I will do coil construction over a form (????)
I have not worked with clay in eons. It can be high fire or low fire - I may play with both. Some of the porous traditional clays would be good since I will only glaze or decorate the exterior. Aside from the glazes, which I will just buy food tested glaze off the shelf; what do I ask for, or look for if I want a food-safe clay.
My creative urges to mess with clay and make some kitchen vessels are becoming insurmountable...LOL!
Thank you for the compliments, plus they come from a nattering realist.
That was an excellent explanation of the color wheel. I was being lazy and suggested the other thread because we had/were discussing it there.
Now for the cover for the Staub tajine. You are right about having to use low fire glaze to get that color. There is a new color out from Duncan it will get you the color that you want. It is Duncan Concepts,
CN 074, Really Red, it is non-toxic. You put a clear glaze over it. Make sure that the clear glaze you use is food safe. It will fire up to cone 6, but the color probably isn't as vibrant, I fire it to 05
As far as which clay to use I would suggest you talk to a distributor near you. There are so many brands of clay around and I only use clay from Continental Clay which is based here. I am jumping to conclusions here and assuming you have a local distributor and therefor wouldn't need to pay shipping. If you don't and you want to contact Continental Clay there phone number is 800 432-Clay (2529). They carry a Lo-Fire White Earthenware. My personal choice of clay is the Raku clay they make. It is perfect for handbuilding and can fire from cone 06 to 10. It is more course than the white earthenware. I use it for all of my work and I don't Raku fire. It doesn't fire pure white, more of a pink white. I forgot to say I don't know of any clay that isn't food safe, but I haven't checked them all.
zenpotter – I was passing through last night and caught the question on color and little else in my haste.
Armadillo Clay & Supply, Amaco, and other distributors are whom the shop in (the Heights) in Houston uses. They are artisans and knowledgeable (if not demonstratively friendly) – I have fired some tiles there, as I do not have a kiln. (Or the patience as yet to educate myself on the proper one to buy should the need arise.)
Raku – "Ah yes, I used to do this..." (As Peter Sellers would say) - I don’t want to tell you how long it has been since I did Raku in High School. But, you can figure you are getting old when you sing along with the elevator music. --- I was a freshman and the country’s #1 champion surfer (too funny!) was a senior in my class …I am blushing…. He later was Mayor of Hermosa Beach. You bring back memories, Zen. What a hoot!
My experience with ceramics was so long ago that I was mostly concerned about things such as Alumina Hydrate (what ever) that may not be conducive for use as cooking utensils, but that I am too far out of the loupe to recall. Or senile…LOL! You know you are old when you sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
“I don't know of any clay that isn't food safe, but I haven't checked them all.” THAT just may be why I had such problems finding clay that is specifically designated as “food safe” – But I will be certain to ask the shop. In addition, the glaze decoration will conform more to a Moroccan themed ceramic. Staub offered red or dead beige/cream that was not inviting from the photograph. Unless one is doing Majolica, some of those low fired glazes can be pretty loud, can't they? "M'mam, put down that weapon and slow-ly step over here where I can keep my eye on you..." lol
Those are great links. I look forward to going through them. Thank you.
