ACRYLIC PAINTING 101: Lesson 9

In this lesson we are exploring the idea of Chroma with the focus of the third aspect of colour.  The three elements of colour are: Hue, Value & Chroma.   Head over to this Video ( Click HERE) for a visual representation of these 3 elements. 
 
This is the first of several videos that we will be using the Neutral Grey Value paint mixes that we created in Lesson 8 (Click here) to change the Chroma of the Yellow Hue of Cadmium Yellow Medium (CYM). 
 
Draw a Chroma chart out.  Image is below and if you head over to the class handouts you will be able to download a proper sized pdf with the measurements on it.

First, we need to create a Value string of the CYM. Straight out of the tube Cadmium Yellow Medium paint starts off at Value 8.  The value mixes will be from Value 9 to Value 1.  To get to Value 9, add Titanium White.  To create Values 7 to 2 use a 50/50 mix of Raw Umber (low chroma Yellow) and Burnt Umber (low Chroma Orange). 
 
Why do we use this mixture?  Cadmium Yellow Medium lands halfway between Yellow and Orange.  If we brought down the value with either Raw Umber or Burnt Umber it would change the Hue as well as the value. But the 50/50 combo of those two paints will only adjust the Value not the Hue.
 
The 50/50 mix of Raw Umber and Burnt Umber is Value 2. To get to Value 1 add the Black you are using.  In my case, that is Bone Black by Golden.
 
Across the top we have the Value mixes of the CYM.  Now across the bottom add the corresponding Neutral Value paints.  

The goal of this chart is to change the Chroma. We do this by adding the same value of Neutral Grey paint into the identical value of the Cadmium Yellow Medium.
 
The Neutral Grey value string is a Chroma 0.  Cadmium Yellow Medium straight out of the tube, on the other hand, is a Value 8 / Chroma 16 on the chart.   The very high Chroma rating is why Yellow tends to be a difficult colour to use. For this reason, I thought it was a great place to learn how to manage working with highly chromatic colours. 
 
As the value of CYM drops, so does the Chroma naturally.  Each value seems to be 1 Chroma drop. This means that Value 7 is Chroma 14, Value 6 is Chroma 12, Value 5 is Chroma 10, ect.
 
If you are really wanted to go down the rabbit hole with Munsell with the focus on Chroma.  Head on over to Nielson Carlin and follow his videos on Chroma Charts.

The 2 handouts can be found HERE