Using white in painting.

Over the last two summers, I have had the opportunity to visit several outdoor art exhibitions and festivals. One observation that consistently stands out—both in these shows and in my workshops—is how often painters struggle with the use of 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 pigment. It is one of the most common technical challenges I see.

Many painters instinctively reach for titanium 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 to brighten their work, applying it heavily in hopes of creating luminosity. Unfortunately, this often has the opposite effect: the painting becomes dull, flat, cold and lifeless. I often remind my students that simply “throwing 2 lb of white at it” does not create light.

Depicting the illusion of 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲—whether in snow, clouds, reflections on water, or sunlit surfaces—is far more subtle. Convincing whites are rarely pure white. Instead, they are built from delicate tints of blue, yellow, red, green, or violet, combined with complementary mixtures and split-complementary harmonies. It is through these subtle shifts and contrasts that a painting gains intelligence, vitality and engagement.

Even in my own plein air work, I occasionally fall into the trap of overusing white—usually when fatigue from long hikes makes it harder to analyze light properly. It is an important reminder that while white does lighten a color, it simultaneously reduces its vibrancy and brilliance.

In truth, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 is not neutral at all—it reflects all the colors of the visible spectrum. This means that to paint white convincingly, we must train our eyes to see and translate the subtle color shifts and value changes within it. Snow, clouds, or any “white” subject will reflect the colors of the surrounding environment. The reality is that convincing whites are never simply white—they are, in fact, wonderfully colorful.