Color Theory
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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 of a color relates to how dark or light it is. All colors have different tones, and the tones around it affect that color.
Color also has a temperature. Warm colors include reds, oranges and yellows, cool colors include blues and greens as well as darker colors. Temperatures used can affect the mood of a painting.
A beginner should experiment with mixing colors. Start by mixing secondary colors from the three primary colors then continue from there. When mixing colors, add dark colors to light rather than light to dark. It takes less dark color to change a light color. Browns and grays can be difficult to mix. The ideal brown or gray will be one that has been mixed from the complementary colors already on the palette.
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 deciding on color. The same color in light and shadow won't look the same. If you shine a torch on a bottle of red wine, you'll see. Without light, the bottle looks black. The area lit up by the torch glows red, varying towards the edge of the area of light. The opposite side will look darker.
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 in painting sets the mood and style of the painting. Learning how to use color in all its hues and tones will enable the beginner artist to bring harmony into their painting, using color to its full effect. Further experimentation can create a unique work of art. Before experimenting with unusual color combinations, learn the basics! You gotta know the rules before you can bend them!
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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