Importance of White.

Very often I have been asked, what is my favourite/ most used colour. My favourite colour is Blue (always use it to bring in shadow/ create a dark tone in portraits, and make lively greens in flower paintings). But my most used colour is White. In watercolours (unlike Oils and Acrylics), White colour is not applied, the paper is simply left white. We call it Paper White.

The 'white' of the turban, and part of the background is the white paper itself. The white enhances the facial expression.

 

White enhances a painting. To make a simple analogy, we understand ‘night’ because we have ‘day’, we know what is ‘darkness’ because we understand ‘light’, we understand loud noise because we know of ‘silence or whispers’. In a painting, the eye and brain processes all other colours better, when there are white spaces on the paper/canvas.

I decided to keep the right side white, so the eyes could "process and appreciate" the colours on the lion. 

 

Before starting any artwork, i always decide how much i should leave white. All my artworks will definitely have White spaces.

White spaces allow the eyes to “breathe”.

The vase was kept white, and so was the lower half background. The viewer's eyes are guided to the flowers because of this. 

 

A bit of planning before applying the colours can help. I know it is easier said than done. We all love putting colours. But remember, WHITE IS ALSO A COLOUR !!

- SAGARIKA