I’m really enjoying the Urban Sketching Handbook series: short, image-packed books that focus on watercolor on location. As a color enthusiast, one of my favorites so far has been Working with Color by Shari Blaukopf.
In the book, Blaukopf does list the colors in her current 23-color palette, though she cautions, “Don’t lock yourself into a final selection. In fact, I’m constantly swapping colors because I love to experiment.” Same!!
Still, let’s look at the palette listed in the book.
Palette from Working with Color
Notes:
In the book, Blaukopf lists color names next to swatches, but doesn’t give brands. Where possible, I’ve guessed at a brand based on color name or appearance, or supply lists for her other classes.
For the “Used In” column:
- “Book” colors are in Urban Sketching Handbook: Working with Color
- “Desert” colors are from Sketching Desert Scenes
Click on the slot name to see my list of alternative colors in that slot. Click on the color name to see my Color Spotlight.
More Cool Tips
Clouds
This is the book that inspired me to try Alizarin Crimson hue + Cerulean for a nice cloud mix!
Also, that a light value Raw Umber (or MANS in my case) painted on before adding stormclouds can add contrast to the cool clouds.
Snow
Similar to clouds, Shari uses a mix of Alizarin Crimson hue and Indanthrone Blue (or a mix of other blues) to get a muted blue-violet for snow shadows.