CSN 🌈 Creative Kickstart Prompt 5

A sketchbook page I created after being prompted to use all the colors I had

Creative Kickstart Prompt 5

COLOR

I can't believe we are already on week 5--the weeks go by so quickly! Our final prompt was inspired by a few things: Color Field Painting which is part of our February art movement, Abstract Expressionism, and my own relationship and journey with color.

I love the classic pairing of black and white as well as neutral color palettes. When I got back into painting, I was really hesitant to use color. I naturally gravitated to B&W but it was also because color felt hard to me. I think partially because I wasn't used to it and also because I felt like there's a much bigger chance of “messing things up" if colors ended up not mixing well or looking right together. But thanks to this Uncomfortable Color Combo challenge, I started to embrace colors and let go of that perfectionism mindset that was keeping me from an entire world of possibilities! After that challenge I ended up really diving in by committing to using colors for a 100 Day Project. Now I'm very open to using all different colors (but still love b&w :)).

If you relate to my experience, I hope this prompt helps you start dabbling in a wider palette. If you already love using color, I hope this is a fun way to wrap up the Creative Kickstart series and try using it in a new or different way!

Here are some ideas to help you get started and a color inspired playlist to put on…

ENVISION & EXPRESS

Pick a colorful image and recreate it in whatever medium(s) you'd like. Unsplash is a great source for free images, here's the results for a search on “colorful”.
Try underpainting Here are 2 videos about it-- what is underpainting and you should paint everything blue--and I love this artist's videos and seeing what color he begins with
Express something intangible using colors--also consider the way you apply it (thick bold stokes vs. light delicate strokes). Pick a word from this list to try.
Colorful tutorials to try: colorful watercolor flowers, gouache fruit, an acrylic palette knife sunset
Paint your feelings I did this a few years ago and documented each day by painting how I felt. Then I kept adding onto the same page. Here's day 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Start with a black background then add layers of color to it.

Try Color Field Painting Learn more about this part of abstract expressionism and try it. Here are a few articles to get you started from Artland Magazine and The Art Story. The two images above are examples: Has Hoffman's Summer and Kenneth Noland's Winter Sun.
Not sure what color to use? Let this random color palette generator pick for you. See what those colors remind you of and what they inspire you to create!
Take a look at your tubes of paint, watercolor palette, stack of papers, colored pencils, etc. What are your least used colors? Focus on them this week.
Paint with yarn If you have a stash of yarns, strings, ribbon, use them as your "paint" this week
If you typically use colors, do the opposite and work in black, white, and neutrals. Or split your sketchbook page into 2 sections and explore neutrals on one side and colors on the other.
Play with watercolor glazing See how colors mix and blend.

There are so many directions in which you can take this prompt! Whether you decide to go bright and bold, soft and muted, or neutral with pops of color, explore and create fearlessly--and have fun with it!

Have a great weekend and I'll talk to you soon!

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