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Lunar Camel
04-10-2011, 11:06 AM
I am trying to paint a cloak of claret velvet but have no idea what color(s) to use. Claret is defined as deep purplish red. So is it purple with a hint of red, or red with a hint of purple. The closest reference to the color is cabernet sauvignon wine (or similar). But I still don't know how to achieve the color.

So, the online painting community, I am asking your thoughts and to maybe share your techniques on how to best represent this color.

Thanks in advance.

Grailkeeper
04-10-2011, 12:57 PM
IS this for some kind of historical thing, or based on an old-school fictional character like dracula?

Claret is a type of wine- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claret

I've certainly heard of blood being described (in dracula I think) as being claret red- Just paint it a particularly dark blood colour.

Hive Mind
04-10-2011, 12:59 PM
I'm not a particularly accomplished painter so pinch of salt required but... crimson with a purple-ish red stippled on it seems to be in the right ball-park.

Denzark
04-10-2011, 04:02 PM
I am trying to paint a cloak of claret velvet but have no idea what color(s) to use. Claret is defined as deep purplish red. So is it purple with a hint of red, or red with a hint of purple. The closest reference to the color is cabernet sauvignon wine (or similar). But I still don't know how to achieve the color.

So, the online painting community, I am asking your thoughts and to maybe share your techniques on how to best represent this color.

Thanks in advance.

1. If you have no idea what claret red looks like, paint any old red you like - if you get it wrong you won't know any better, so no disappointment.

2. If it is for a commission, ask the customer to provide an example. If they can't and can't describe it to you because they don't know themselves, see my advice at 1. above.

3. Sugges you caveat whatever you do with bearing in mind everyone describes shades in different terms so unless wherever you got your definiton includes an example for comparison I guesss you are out of luck.

phoenix01
04-10-2011, 06:15 PM
IS this for some kind of historical thing, or based on an old-school fictional character like dracula?

Claret is a type of wine- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claret

I've certainly heard of blood being described (in dracula I think) as being claret red- Just paint it a particularly dark blood colour.

"He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, and a bunch of lace at his chin;
He'd a coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of fine doe-skin.
They fitted with never a wrinkle; his boots were up to his thigh!
And he rode with a jeweled twinkle--
His rapier hilt a-twinkle--
His pistol butts a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky."

Alfred Noyes The Highwayman

Lunar Camel
04-11-2011, 01:02 AM
The Highwayman[/I]

And the cookie goes to... phoenix01
Thats where the inspiration came from.

To all those who are wondering how it turned out:
Tried Liche Purple with a Baal Red wash. Still looked too Liche Purple. The red just disappeared into the purple, only making it a darker purple.
Next, tried Scab Red with a Leviathan Purple wash which gave good results. The shade almost looks like that of a deep wine, the effect that I was looking for. I'll try to post pix as soon as I can.

For the curious, this is for a commission piece. Like most of us, the requester has a mental image of what he wants but sometimes its hard to explain it. He described the piece as the Highwayman from Noyes poem (one that I love). But one person's idea of claret velvet might not be the same as another's. Hence the question.

Thanks to those of you who responded.