Looking for color inspiration? Check out these nine photos we snapped on 30A this month. The weather has been cloudy, but even on cloudy days, the blue and green hues of the sky and the ocean come through. And as you can see, 30A also has a lot of white!
So how do you color white? The secret to coloring white is to realize that nothing is ever truly white. Though the whites come through as very bright in the photos, in person, they all have their own hue.
5 Pro Tips for Coloring With White
1. Lori McNee shares that a “white subject matter will reflect the colors of the objects that surround it.” Next time you visit 30A, snap a closeup. Many of the white buildings in the area have a beautiful patina finish.
2. Elaine Searle focuses on tonal values and shadows. And like McNee, she agrees that white isn’t usually white, “Analyze your specimen carefully for the type of white – is it cold, warm, green, creamy”? Achieving this is easier with paint than with pencils, but by mixing colors and smudging the paper, you should be able to achieve multiple shades of white.
3. According to artist Ora Sorensen, coloring with white is a colorful experience! “In addition to balancing your whites, you must vary them so that in a painting with several white objects, each element is distinct from those next to it. For example, white flowers should be distinct from the white vase that holds them, and the vase should be distinct from the white surface it rests upon.” As an example, take a look at Shore Thing Cigars (bottom right). The building is a rather bright white with a gray cast. The sky is even brighter but has a blue cast. The street has shades of brown and yellow which reflect upward. Though the sky and building are close in color, they are distinct elements in the photograph.
4. Veronica Winters warns that you shouldn’t use your white pencil directly on white paper (white paper is what we used to make the 30A Coloring Book). Instead, she suggests reserving space for highlights, while “leaving the paper’s original white tone.”
5. Alyona Nickelsen shares that her success coloring with white comes from understanding shadows and contrast. She uses colors like violet and light peach to create contours while shadowing with indigo blue, bluish pink, sand, and canary yellow. She suggests using Prismacolor Verithin (harder) and Premier (softer) colored pencils.
We would love, love, love to see your coloring pages and your use of white pencils. Be sure to tag us in your photos or use #30ACOLORINGBOOK.