All About Colors!

Often when thinking about art, color is the first element that comes to mind. No wonder, when the colors in an artwork can affect so many aspects, from the feelings it creates to where the eye is drawn. So many media, such as paints, pastels, and colored pencils, are based around color, and these colors should be put together with thought to create the desired affect and visually appealing compositions.

A very handy tool in learning about and picking colors for an artwork is the color wheel.

From this wheel, the results from mixing certain colors can be seen. For example, in the middle of red and yellow is orange, between blue and violet is blue-violet, and so on.

The three primary colors, equally spaced around the wheel, are red, yellow, and blue. From mixing the primary colors, orange, green, and violet are obtained, which are known as secondary colors. Finally, tertiary colors such as blue-green and red-orange result from mixing a primary color with a secondary one.

Another interesting property of the color wheel is the way that it divides the warm and cool colors when split down the middle. Warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows and give an energetic feel. Cool colors include violets, blues, and greens and have a more calming effect. Warm colors tend to pop out and advance more in a composition, while cool colors generally recede more into the background.

At first glance, the color wheel doesn't include all the colors. For example what about pinks and browns? This is where shades and tints come into play. Shades are formed when black is added to a color, and tints when white is added. Tones are created when gray is added to a color, and it mutes the color's intensity. Pink is a tint of red, while brown is a shade of orange. Brown can also be made by mixing two complementary colors or all three primary colors. This is why mixing a bunch of different paints together often creates a muddy brown mess.

Complementary colors are those that are across from each other on the color wheel. Because of the high-contrast between these colors, they often make each other pop out more or appear brighter. For this reason they often pair well together, but carefully. If the full intensity of the colors are used, it can be jarring to the eyes, especially when they are placed next to one another. Interestingly, complementary colors can be used in the shadows. Cool colors especially are used in shadows often since they tend to recede as well. For example, a bit of green can be used in the shadow of a red apple.

The pink, a tint of red, pops out against its complementary color green

Sunsets, especially over water, are another example of complementary colors, with the brilliant oranges of the sky popping out against the beautiful blues of the water and the rest of the sky.

An alternative to complementary colors is split-complementary colors. These trios are made up of a color and the two colors next to its complement, such as blue, red-orange, and yellow-orange. These still have the contrast that complementary pairs have, but it is less intense and harder to mess up.

Another color scheme is analogous colors, which are simply colors that are next to one another on the color wheel. For example, yellow-orange, orange, and red-orange. These go really well together and generally have a calm, comfortable feel. However, it's important to make sure that there is enough contrast since the colors are all very similar. A good rule of thumb is to have one color that dominates, another that supports it, and the the last color as the accent.

The analogous colors of green, blue-green, and blue come together comfortably to create a calm river scene

Monochromatic color schemes are those created from using only one color and its shades, tones, or tints. These go well together since they are made from a single color. A contrasting color can also be added to a monochromatic color scheme for an accent color.

This monochromatic photo of the sea, the sky, and the mountains is all in blue. Without any warm colors, it gives a cold feeling.

A triad color scheme simply uses colors that are equally spaced from each other on the color wheel. The primary colors form a triad, the secondary colors create another, and there are two triads made from tertiary colors. These can be very bright, so it is generally good to let one of the colors dominate while the other two support it.

This triadic color scheme is made up of brown (a shade of orange), violet, and green. The green is faded in the background, so it's not so bright and lets the orange and violet show.

Lastly, there are rectangle and square color schemes. Rectangle color schemes are made up of two pairs of complementary colors, such as red and green paired with purple and yellow. A square color scheme is simply two pairs of complementary colors that are equally spaced across the color wheel, such as red and green paired with blue-violet and yellow-orange. Again with this one, it is best to let one of the colors dominate, and also the balance between the warm and cool colors should be paid attention to.

This rectangular color scheme includes the complementary pairs of red & green and orange & blue. The red and orange colors dominate, which gives the drawing an overall warm feel, while the blue and green make for a nice and calm background.

Using the color wheel as a tool and these color schemes as starting places can make choosing colors for an artwork easier and help to achieve the desired look. It can also be interesting to look around and begin noticing some of these color schemes in other designs or artworks as well as in nature.