![thumb.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hiddenblade/23sJzNS6NSbQdyG8MiG33umuKS9AdpQo8rNAQqsajcrMgo4dReDtWeeoWytxgf2hBFDZv.jpg)

I've been doing quite a lot of color studies lately, which means mindfully observing other artists' works, paying attention to films and animations, and most importantly practice them myself. I have different sketchbooks for different purposes. It's how I feel best to organize them. :D

![1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hiddenblade/23y94PRHBscZtNuLXwL3igdrMhNERkq8vA2cpUTypBx5taG89W7SNMRywAZAUzEU7UtSg.jpg) First color study is what I call an explosion of crimson. :D I really love the color quinacridone crimson since it's so vibrant. It is also used as a primary color if you work primarily on a vibrant color wheel and not the traditional one (yellow, red, blue). Since focusing my attention to color mixing and palettes, I really have been missing a lot on the vibrancy of colors. This is also a very intuitive exercise for me and I don't want to put limitations on myself. I just put random red and see what works beside it and if it doesn't, I can just put another color on top. I'm not good at making abstract paintings since I don't do it a lot but I kinda like it. :D I use the same style on backgrounds sometimes but never like this as a whole. I enjoy looking at those paintings though, mostly because I feel a lot of emotions by just looking at the brushstrokes.

![2 (1).jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hiddenblade/Ep7v1RE8qtmAq7CigFD5qESwy4U9kMJp4L6JciYpgUoPKetNMzT2yxCEf6cUtPXSKua.jpg) Another color combo I'd like to practice is the use of blue and orange. They look really good imo but having complementary colors in one painting can be really tricky. For this one, I wanted to have the ultramarine blue as the main character and have orange as the side chick. I'd like to think they work well this way since the blue is not that overpowering while the orange gives a lil drama. As I'm typing this, I realized it reminded me of Claude Monet's sunrise painting.

![4.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hiddenblade/23zbTpKbUmHHjykLw7Fk2F6kD4CyZvWEbycdCxBqLLVdZ9fsMdxYfeaepzcL7LGFcHS6C.jpg) This one started a bit weird for me but I ended up 'saving' it. I was first imagining a black main color with a lil bit of crimson and pinks but it turned a different way. I didn't like it at first then I started adding the greens and blues that I have mixed in my palette from previous exercises. Honestly this gives me a forest vibe. :D

![3.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hiddenblade/23ynSfjgFVjrKFfShdyXVw2TmzbVKhkm5DDRjBLTDaQ3wp16TAGe1RWiwG4JvtygVz3oe.jpg) And lastly, I did a teal and blue. I was challenging myself to make a painting with an almost monochromatic shades. The challenge here is also not just the colors but also the forms as well... In the middle of painting, I kinda started to imagine this in a more 3d shape instead of flat, and decided the right side could be a 'background'.
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That's it for now and I can say I'm really learning a lot even just by doing these tiny exercises. ## Which one's your favorite among these? Mine definitely is the crimson explosion haha (also the only one I named so far lol). Some shapes in that painting also kinda looks like human figures so that gives me an idea on what to do next. These were all done in a sketchbook and Liquitex basics acrylics.

color for life