Sally Cannon Ellis' Watercolor Adventures
Watercolor education, processes and step by step lessons, for Brigham Young University-Idaho Students, Educators and Groups or Individuals furthering their skills. Gallery site for posting my watercolor work. Web site SallyCannonEllis.com
Monday, November 3, 2025
Learning new limited watercolor palettes.
1. Top left. Nickel Azo Yellow. Permanent Alizarin Crimson. Phthalo Blue. All Staining pigments.
2. Bottom left. Permanent Yellow Deep. Transparent Orange. Naphtha Red. Cobalt Blue.
3. Top Right. Transparent Brilliant Orange. Yellow Ocher. Burnt Sienna. Cobalt Teal.
4. Bottom Right. Azo Yellow. Permanent Rose. Cobalt Blue. A soft delicate triad.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Gouache has a great versatility in preparing studies for larger paintings
The above 5x7 Painting was created with just four gouache pigments. Cadmium yellow pale, Venetian Red, Cobalt blue and Titanium White.
Beginning with a line drawing for placement and moving to value studies is a great support before starting the color study.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Analogous color scheme of Orange, Yellow, Yellow Green Green Blue green and a small compliment of red.
Value plan from top down are: Middle light dark. From the bushes are middle, light dark. Patterns in values create a strong unity in painting.
This Painting medium is Gouache.
This resource is actually from a portion of my large painting, titled, Natures Playground Summer.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
I love limited palettes. Here is an example of the Old Masters palette (you can find on this blog). Value study, value chord, color study are a must.
I love limited palette
Value Chords of a Limited Palette color scheme. Paynes Gray/Burnt Sienna/ Raw Sienna. I use Raw Sienna rather than Yellow Ocher because it is a transparent earth pigment.
Also included is a Delicate Triad of the same resource.
Always do a value study and chord.
I use the Munsell Value System.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Negative painting using two hues.
These leaves come from my aspen tree just in front of my deck. It is early spring here in Idaho and the Robins are gathering in my aspen, ceder and long needle pine trees. It brings a lot of pleasure watching them hop from the ground to obtain ceder berries from off the bottom limbs. There are now two morning doves that have joined the chores of bird song. The earth is a place of great joy to my soul. If there was one thing I am very grateful for it is the earth, its creation is a wonder.








