Stephanie Bower


Stephanie Bower | Architectural Illustration: www.stephaniebower.com | Sketching Workshops: www.stephaniebower.com | Sketches: on Instagram at @stephanieabower & http://www.flickr.com/photos/83075812@N07/ | Urban Sketchers Blog Correspondent www.urbansketchers.org | Signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Which Reds for Asia...??



Exactly three weeks from now, I will be arriving in HONG KONG! Yes, a good pinching is needed. For this trip, I'll spend 3 days or so in HK (and will get to sketch with the incredible Rob Sketcherman), then fly to Taiwan to teach at an Asian Urban Sketchers symposium called AsiaLink. It's held this in year in Taichung. I am thrilled beyond words, and have to thank the amazing KK for this opportunity. Will be GREAT to see the Aussie contingent!
After a week in Taiwan, I'll meet my husband in Japan and hopefully see Kumi and other Japan Urban Sketchers as well.
Yes, there will be LOTS of sketching going on...
and to that end...

I need help with some colors, and in particular RED. I hear the reds look different in person when compared to photos, and the reds in HK will be different from the reds in Japan. Whew!

Seattle Urban Sketcher Tina Koyama suggested vermillion, and Steve Gallisdorfer from ColArt/Winsor & Newton suggested WN Scarlet Lake. Amazingly, they are both very similar colors!
I showed the color test to our Japanese friend Naoe, and she picked the same color, so right on, Tina and Steve!

I'll also need a bluer red, and I'm thinking about Pyrrol Red. Of course, any of these reds could be tweaked a bit if needed, but as it's a pure primary color, I need to try to hit it right on the nose.

So, anyone been to these countries and have a good red to recommend???

8 comments:

  1. I second vermillion! My family is from Taiwan so I would also take into consideration shades of deep green if you'll be out in the mountainside. Happy travels :) I can't wait to see what you create.

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    1. This is great to know...I never would have guessed vermillion!!! Thanks for this advice!
      S

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  2. I say stick with the palette you know and love. My WC proff, David Dewey would say its the adjacent colors that influence the temperature and intensity. Too much emphasis these days put on one or another particular color rather than how they work together on the paper IMHO.

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    1. Hi Carol, well, that is very good advice! BUT I think I have to add vermillion based on what so many people have written...it will be a new challenge to add it to my palette...
      S

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  3. I feel like I would like warmer reds in China and cooler reds in Japan. Not sure why though.

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    1. Hi Justin, I can see I'm going to need to take lots of reds in general, and it's a color I have never had in my palette before. Will be a fun painting adventure to figure it out!
      S

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  4. I have Winsor Red (Pyrrole) in my palette, which, by itself, I don't use very often. Two colors which I do use more often are Winsor Orange/Red Shade (also Pyrrole, PO73) and W&N Quinacridone Magenta (PR122). I have discovered these two mix a wide range of reds very well; from a very orange vermillion to an almost identical Winsor Red, and into the cool, blue reds very nicely. So in the future, with a quick mix, I can get almost any shade of red I need. By the way, I only discovered your website fairly recently and have quite enjoyed it, your sketches and watercolors are both superb, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks so much, Chris. I didn't know that Winsor Red was Pyrrole...I have both and thought it was a good red to take. I'll check out the other colors you mention, and I've already got Vermillion packed thanks to all the recommendations.
      Thanks so much for your kind words and for posting this message!!
      S

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