First layer of color in Minhwa

One thing I’m finally figuring out after trials and errors is that when you decide which color you want in your minhwa painting (korean traditional folk painting), you have to reverse think it a bit.

Here is what I mean.

Minhwa’s beauty of color comes from the gradient formed by layers of color. Lightest color goes on the bottom and take up most amount of space. A slightly darker color goes on top of that and take up somewhere in between half and 2/3 of the space. Then a more slightly darker color goes on top of that and take up somewhere between 1/3 and half of the space (you could do a 4th one with even less space, given the opportunity).

It’s been difficult to figure out how to make the lightest color first. With each layer building on top, your painting can look very very different every step of the way. There is just no such thing as doing as you planned 100%.

One time I gathered some photo references, pulled some colors from them, and created a color palette for my new minhwa painting. I created a 3-step gradient plan per color in the palette. Next thing I knew, my base color was still too dark.

It was frustrating. Once it’s too dark, you can’t undo it. It’s like watercolor at this moment. Colors build up. It’s not like gouache where it just sits on top.

I had to put that painting on the sideline. (I shall come back to it some day)

I started a new painting (same outline, just a redo). This time, I tried something new. I mixed in more water in my paint. The hue itself was still dark and vibrant. When I applied my layer on the paper, hurrah! It was light.

This sense of lightness is not hue or value as in is it light blue as opposed to dark blue. It’s a matter of the ratio between the paint itself and water. The more the water, the more diluted the color becomes. You don’t want too much water, otherwise it will spread on the paper (the specific paper used in minhwa is called “hanji,” which is made out of mulberry pulp and coated with this glue agent to hold moisture/paint in place instead of spreading across the paper). That’s where you get the light color to set the foundation for the next ones to go on top and create the overall gradient.

That’s the trick I finally learned, and I am very grateful. I hope I can remember that again as I move along.