Working through color plates using the Munsell catalogue has been an eyeopener. I recently purchased the catalogue with all the color chips and have been mixing using the hue, chroma and value scales.I was stunned at how easy the use of the Munsell technique has been and how I can incorporate it into my work.However, I am not a representational painter and find being completely tied to a technique prevents my true exploring of color as my paintings progress through. It is definitely a useful technique to use if you struggle to find values and colors for representational paintings but just be mindful that there is more to art than technique alone.Technical merit will get you so far but true painting relies on catching a moment that speaks to the spectator in its use of expression, color and passion. Too much dependency on technique alone can leave the painting cold and rather lifeless.
Other studies these last few months have been directed to Roland Barthes;
An Introduction To The Structural Analysis of The Narrative.
This is an author I read several years ago but re-visited recently. For those who don't know the author ,he was a French literary theorist, philosopher and critic.Barthes ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory, including structuralism, social theory, design theory,anthroplolgy and post-structuralism.
Barthes argues-:
"writers ensure that their audiences maintain an objective perspective."
In this sense,Barthes believed that art should interrogate the world, rather than seek to explain it!