My painting group participated in a really interesting workshop last month with Bridget Seaton, a local artist. It was all about making greys or neutrals. That probably sounds a bit dry to the average person, but it was truly fascinating to all of us and, as you can see from the colour charts I made in the workshop, grey is not just grey.

In the first image below, each column of grey mixes are created from a blue, a red, a yellow and adding white in increasing amounts. There are cool and warm blues, reds and yellows and this influences the resulting grey temperature.

In the second chart below we paired the different greys with a straight colour and when paired well, the neutral (grey) will make the richer colour pop and sing in the painting. Luscious!

I realised that neutrals and greys act like back-up singers to the lead singer/s in band. They are such an integral part of the overall show but are in the background adding their own personalities while allowing the others to shine. This is exactly how it is in a painting or in wonderful scenery.

Neutral colours are also called quiet colours by Nicholas Wilton, an abstract artist from the USA. In his workshops he talks about making sure you have quiet colours to create difference in a painting and to help the loud colours pop. You can see his work here. He has a wonderful Vlog that comes out every Sunday with great tips for artists.

In my own painting below called Scotsdale you can see how the neutral tones in the road and sky allow the brighter or richer colours to shine.

In my abstract painting below called Happy to be Free the quieter or lighter colours allow the very noisy ones to sing at the top of their lungs. I also love the contrast between a pale grey neutral with a dark colour. This contrast or difference draws the eye around a painting.

I have a favourite book about mixing colours that you might be interested in if you’re an artist. See the image below. I believe that artists using any medium would find Todd M Casey’s book helpful. You can see Todd’s Instagram page here. I have included a little snippet from his book about neutralising colours too to whet your creative appetite.

I hope this blog has increased your appreciation of lovely greys and neutrals in everything around you whether you are an artist or just an interested reader. When you start observing it’s a world of colour out there!