You do get some lovely greys from blues and browns.I usually only go for the main set of colours and mix my own, it works out cheaper too!

I agree.
Good tutors share their expertise. If a student needs to know something a tutor can't answer they will find out or point the student in the right direction for doing their own research often bringing back something new, or a new slant. I also agree that one learns most through self-directed practice. We also ask each other thus oscillating between being both teacher and learner. So, for me, teaching and learning is a two-way process. I'll go along with all the cons of learning under another empowered experts opinion of how a thing should be done. I've been that student and lost my way for a while but some just need that bit of support and fast tracking of underpinning skills and knowledge to help them take off.

dennis - when i first started painting it was as adult ed watercolour classes. one day in the early times we did colour mixing- i thought it would be really boring but was amazed at how we could make both deep black and creams from the same staring mix of primaries I spent the rest of the 3 hour session just playing with colours and learning how to mix diff colours and shades. tutor suggested i do greens for example - going from apure yellow , adding tiny drops of a blue thought to alomst pure blue and then back again. as a "new" artist this was a revelation to me and i still love the magic that comes from mixing colours. I understand now about the balacks - i couldn't work it out - though i love colour mixing there are times when i want a pure black - not one that shades to blue or crimson, but have never added it as a darkener but use other colours instead. I've done it but not liked the result so learned to use colours to give me what i want. of course i've aslo done the classic of mixing so many colours i end up with mud and no brightness its what i mean by learning from experience - do that a few times and it sharpens the mind not to do it again

Hi jeanniezelos -

The thought of my loft being full of Rubinesque ladies awaiting my attention, has more than a passing charm to it
Thanks for the inspiration .............

I do find Beryl Cook a little too 'seaside postcard' for my taste. However, I am a fan of the work of Botero who I feel expresses a great insight into the human condition in his paintings of large people.


Now ..... back to reinforcing the floor of my loft ....

Thanks for that toadslayer it made me laugh. Perhaps we should have a forum devoted to nothing else but humour giving us an escape from time to time from the studio pressure.
Jack

I love her crusty elbows and hair shadow under the arm pit such detail as well as humour,you can see why she was a favourite.

Reminds me of a particular episode from the Dicar of Vibley.
Jack