subject: Color Theory [print this page] Color theory may sound intimidating at first, but with the help of a small color wheel, the beginner artist will quickly learn the basics and be able to experiment with color in their art.
Color wheels show relationships between different colors. The three primary colors are red, blue, yellow. Mixing any two of these together produces secondary colors, purple, green, and orange. On the color wheel, colors across from each other are complementary colors. Complementary colors brighten each other.
The tone is how dark or light a color is. Each color has many tones, and the tone of each color is affected by the tones around it in a painting.
Colors are also described by temperatures. Warm colors are colors such as oranges and yellows; cool colors are blues and greens. A painting's mood can be affected by the temperature.
Beginners should experiment with color mixing. Start by making secondary colors. When mixing colors, add dark colors to light ones. It takes a lot less dark paint to change a light color. Browns and grays can be hard to mix. The best browns and grays will be mixed from complementary colors.
Artists should see the natural setting of color. A landscape may seem to be mainly greens and browns, but spending time observing that landscape will show the artist that not only are there many different greens and browns, as well as other colors that create the beauty of that landscape.
Light plays an important role in determining color. A color in light and shadow will look different. Shining a torch on a bottle of red wine is a good example. Without any light, the bottle appears almost black. The area lit up looks red. The opposite side will look darker with light on the front.
Light also decides where shadows are. Shadows have some of the color from the object to create the shadow. To give it realism, these elements should be put into the painting.
The use of color sets the mood of a painting. Learning how to use hues and tones will allow a novice to have harmony in their painting. Depending on the artist's preferred style, further experimentation and unusual use of color can enhance the end result and create a unique and interesting work of art. It is better to learn the basics of color theory and work within the guidelines of color use before experimenting with unusual color combinations. You must know the rules before you break them.
