Lately, I’ve been layering neocolors on top of watercolor washes. When I found out about the Caran d’Ache Palette Aquarelle I got excited at the thought of mixing my own custom neocolor II washes that could mimic watercolor.
Ever since I shared this pallet in my last post/unboxing video here on Substack, I’ve been busy testing it out. (I’ll link it at the end of this post in case you missed it.)
Both sides of this palette serve a different purpose. One side is smooth and acts like a traditional palette for mediums like gouache and watercolor. The other side has a textured surface that can be used with dry water-soluble pigments.
Rather than applying neocolors directly to the paper and then adding water, they can be rubbed right onto the palette.
Image Above:
Since red and green are complementary colors, mixing them together will desaturate the green.
Then by adding water, the pigments can be mixed together on the pallet before applying them to the paper.
I’m absolutely thrilled with this new find and will definitely be using it often. Plus, an added bonus is that it fits inside my Neocolor tin!
Available on my website:
- My book: An Artist’s Guide To Evaluating Composition"
- My artwork: original acrylic paintings
I do love mixing Neocolors and paint! I never thought to do that on a palette instead of right on the page. It would probably save me a tons of sketchbook pages!
Oh WOW! I had no idea this was possible with Neocolour 2! What a joy it must be to discover a new way of working with a material you already love - and to develop more colour mixing skills with it too! I only use my neocolours dry, but If I ever buy a larger kit then I would definitely add the palette too. Excited to see the work you create with it!