For the final installment of my series on color theory, I am going to review additional terminology and discuss layering more hue into your artwork.
Before I get started, I wanted to share this recent painting using a completely monochromatic scheme. This oil painting titled, “Blue Morning Forest” was created with a very small range of colors in the same hue family. For the background, I mixed 80-90% Titanium White with Payne’s Gray (cool gray-blue), then as I moved forward, I darkened the trees with Ultramarine Blue mixed with Payne’s Gray for contrast.
This piece shows that limited color can be just as beautiful by bumping up the contrast using highlights and shadows.
Now, for some more common color theory terms:
Analogous - a group of hues that are closely related in color
Brightness - refers to the lightness of a chroma
Contrast - the comparison of lightness and darkness of colors
Complementary - two hues that are the opposite of one another on the color wheel representing the highest contrast between colors. Example: Blue - Orange (not to be confused by the word “complimentary” which means to express praise)
Temperature - refers to the hue of the pigment that emits a more warm (reddish - orange) reflection or cool (bluish-green) reflection.
Triad - three hues that are complementary and equal distance on a color wheel. Example: Violet - Green - Orange
Analogous paintings are a step beyond monochromatic (single hue) by adding an additional color that is on the same side of the color wheel such as blue and green. In the color sample below, I have mixed violet and cerulean blue watercolors to create a new color.
Unlike analogous paintings, complementary hues are two colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel: for example, yellow and purple are opposites on the wheel. When painting with complementary colors, you should be careful to not to mix too much or allow equal parts of both hues on the canvas; this can “neutralize” the color meaning that they cancel each other out. For best results, determine which color should be dominant, then use the complementary color to highlight.
Another example of mixing hues is using a triad: three colors that are complementary. This effect can be just as beautiful, and similar to the example above, evaluate which hues will be dominant.
In this triad painting, I used green, red and blue mixed with black and white to build values and complements between the colors and objects in the painting. The brightness of the red flowers contrasts nicely with the blue trim of the house.
One important piece of advice when choosing colors is that warm hues pull the subject forward and cool hues draw the subject backward. Typically, most beginners use blues and black to create shadows, but did you know that were are “warm” and “cool” blues?
It took me some time to decipher this phenomenon, but with practice, it can really help your artwork “pop” on the canvas. The Gamblin company who makes great quality paints developed a comprehensive chart that identifies color temperature and values. Many of the hue names are universal across most paint manufacturers with the exception of about a dozen. The PDF of the Color Temperature Chart is free and can be downloaded here.
I hope that this series on color theory has inspired you to experiment with more hues or even try something monochromatic for a change. I recommend taking the next steps by reading the suggested articles and books below to guide you along the way.
Happy Painting!
Share this Content!
References
Gamblin. Color Temperature and Value List. https://gamblincolors.com/color-temperature-list/
The New Munsell Student Color Set.
Pinterest. Triad color painting examples. https://www.pinterest.com/domingo7638/triadic-color-scheme/