No-Fear Color, with Rachel Christopoulos

[Sponsored] When it comes to what she wears, the artist RACHEL CHRISTOPOULOS says she may introduce a strategic pop of color here and there, but when it comes to her art, the acrylic painter prefers maximum color! “As a painter, I love the challenge of trying to balance and harmonize multiple colors and contrasts on canvas,” she says. Find out how you can turn up the volume in your painting using System3 Acrylic paints, by Daler-Rowney, and Rachel’s tips for color confidence!

“Experimentation with color leads to new discoveries,” Rachel says, “as in this color secret: Skip the black and use a dark blue or purple instead—which you can see I’ve done here, in the hair.”

BECOMING COLOR CONFIDENT

Rachel offers this advice for artists who want to be bolder in their color choices:

• Trust your gut! As artists, we often can tell when a painting is off but may find it hard to identify the reason. Practice verbalizing what works and what doesn’t. Notice how the colors you’re drawn to interact with one another. With this better understanding of your preferences, you can let your intuition prompt your color choices more confidently.
• Be curious and embrace experimentation. Understand that not every painting will end successfully, but you’ll always be learning something new as you practice.

BRINGING A PORTRAIT TO LIFE

Rachel brings her bold approach to color to every subject, including faces and figures. When painting a portrait, she’s interested in capturing the likeness, but she also brings other considerations into play. “I like to think about the composition as a whole, asking myself questions such as: What is the mood of the piece? How do I want it to sit with the viewer?” she explains. “Often my portrait work is about celebrating life and individuality, and I like picking lively colors that reflect that.”

Rachel suggests self-portraiture as a great way to exercise your portrait-painting skills. “In 2020, I began painting expressive self-portraits and it changed my whole practice,” she says. “Painting the self and interpreting life stages through canvas and color requires a level of introspection, but it’s so much fun! If you’re intimidated by portraits as a whole, start painting yourself, for yourself.”

AN ACRYLIC TOOLKIT

Rachel’s artwork focuses on blending the familiar with new ideas and bright colors to create a unique take on the figure and other everyday subjects and scenes. She prefers acrylic paints because they dry quickly, which is how she tends to work. Here’s an overview of her tools and materials:

Paints

Daler-Rowney System3 Acrylic Process Set, which includes Process Magenta, Process Yellow, Process Cyan, Titanium White, and Black; “System3 Acrylic paints offer a good place to land when you’re looking for affordable, quality paints to stock your studio,” Rachel says, “especially when you’re just getting started as an artist.”

Brushes

Princeton Velvetouch synthetic flat brushes in a variety of sizes

Surface

Strathmore Mixed Media paper or Blick Studio canvas

Miscellaneous

Blick Disposable Palette Pads and a spray mister. “I use a spray mister to keep my paints wet both on the canvas and on my palette when painting bigger sections,” says the artist. 

About The Artist

The art of Wisconsin-based  artist Rachel Christopoulos (rachelsshoppe.com) is created from a place of pure curiosity and a passion for color, individuality and word play.  Follow her on Instagram @rachelsshoppe.co.

Learn more about Daler-Rowney System 3 Acrylics at DICKBLICK.COM.

This article was sponsored by Blick.