INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS AND T!

CHNIOUIIS

Color and value

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COLOR Color wheel

The color wheel 1s a device a1 t1sts have used The coloi wheel 1s ,1 helpful
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for hundreds of years to help better 01·gan1ze loo/ for choosing grnups ' .
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the colors they use 1n pa1nt1ngs. Although of colors as you work. "'· ~~ .,.
nature contains 1nf1nite vanat1ons of colo1; 1t 1s

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helpful to l1m1t the range of colo1·s you use to
keep your pa1nt1ngs unified and hannon1ous.
The practice of using limited gmups of colo1·
1s often refen·ed to as a "color scheme." He1·e
are a few of the most common color schemes:

Analogous Complementary
Usrng colors close to one another on Lhe color Using colors Jt oppo•,,te sides of the color
wheel: limiting lhe color range lo rnclude only wheel: blue and or;1nge, for exariple
blue-green, green, and yellow-green, for example.

Split-complementary Triad Tetrad

c,,r L, to complementary except instead of A triad color scheme ulilrzes Lh,·eE' color of /. t• it• " · , a rather comp
using opposrte colors, use two colors next to equal distance fr om one anolhcr· on thC' ro/01 'Tlariage In It. yo1., choose two
one of the opposing colors. Red-orange with wheel. Red, blue, and yellow would m.1ke up ,1 side of thC' cola~ wtie
... e and 1,;reen, for example. "primary lrrdd" O range, g1 een. Jnd purple would
make up a "secondary Lrrad." d square or re
Color & Value
\ ,1lu1..' pw, 1d1..', th1..' hrnnd,11i()n (1)1 h1)\\ nur C}l' "1 c,1cJ..," ,1 p,1111ti11g. The dc1rks, lighh, and
midt\Hl1..':- \\\Wk tni;_L'thcr 10 U\\\lc ,1 111,1p th,11 ,1llows ll" lo quiddy and easily di5ccrn the maJor
,h,1p1..•, ,111J p.1ttcrn., nt ,1 ,u·nc. \,1ri,11ions in value tell us what is in shadow c1nd what is in li ght,
g1, ing l1wm to ohji?cb ,ls \\Cll ,1s depth to s1..cncs. Without a range of values, a painting can
,1prc,11 tl,ll, lifclc,s, ,md uninteresting. Now that we have given so much credit to value, how
e\,1dh docs 1t rdatc to the colors we choose for a painting?

Bec,rnse, alue is the true workhorse of the painting, you don't have to use predictable, accurate
colors to create a pleasing scene. In fact, as long as all the correct values are in place, you can
use ,,hatewr colors you wish (so long as they work harmoniously with one another). Value
e-,sentially liberates your color palette-you'd be surprised at the exciting color combinations
that can yield successful, easy-to-read results!

In these examples above and at right,

notice how the colors of the painting are
much more dynamic than those of the
reference photo . Because the images share
the same value pattern, the colors don't
interfere with our ability to perceive the
subiect.
Rye Marina Boat, acrylic

You _can apply exaggerated co lors to any subject, including portraits.

Notice how I painted the side of the model's face with turquoise,
purples, greens, and other colors lhat are not typical flesh tones. As
you experiment with co Iors, make sure they correlate to the proper
value range. Any part of a subject that 1s struck directly by strong light
will always be lighter than the areas in shadow. If you make you light-
Slruck areas darker (or as dark as) your shadows, the pa1nt1ng will l,lC'k
proper depth and dimension.

Gloria, oil

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I I>' A 25

VALUE
f ,uu learned how to drc1w using only a pencil
o,· pen, then you are accustomed to thinking
,n terms of value: light and dark. When
speakmg about colo1~ the term "value" refers
to the relative lightness or darkness of a colo1;
For example, yellow has a light value, pu1·ple
has a dark value. A useful techrnque for
comparing the values of diffe1--ent colors 1s to
squint your eyes when looking at them. If the
bounda1·y between the colors disappea1·s, they
have the same value. Identifying the value of
a colo1· 1s essential when mixing you1· paint, The colors printed here are easily identified When the color ,s removed from the shapes.
particularly when 1t 1s necessary to simplify as orange, blue, and pink 1t becomes clear that there are three nearly
a complicated scene. By reducing the number identical values.
of values ,n a painting, you will make a painting
that 1s more cohesive and harmonious.

Understanding and using value

Even though our eyes can see (and we are
able to assign a name to) different colo1·s,
viewing them in black and white shows that
they have the same value, as the sequence
to the right demonstrates.

The painting above is an example of this When seen in black and white, however, 1t 1s
principle. When seen in full color, the blue clear that the values of the foreground snow and
shadow on the snow and the green color the distant t1·ees are almost identical. By "jo1rnng'
of the trees appear as separate areas with the values, the painting becomes more urnfied.
different colors.

Row I

Ro"' 2
Converting hues to block
and white reveals their
values (row 4). It's o~en Row J
easier ro 1udge the values
o( different hues ogomst a
mid-value ground (row 2)
rorhr:r than a pole (row I)
0 , dark value one (row 3).

• Row ◄
Hue~ Saturation & Value Saturation
,\ wlor 's s,1tur,1l1011, .ilso called its "intensity"
H.i :-.1t at on and ,aluc art' th l'< <hJrJcten,li<s th,ll help us dt'scrihe
.
,md (,llt'gnri 7.,.' .i co 1or or "chroma," refers lo its level of brilliance
n, an, • 11 \\C' ,a, an 0b1e< , red. 1, II Jn oran~e, red or a cnrn,on red'· b· il [,,1.1·11 1·.,... nt or · or dullness. A highly saturated color is very
rout d h 11 1i:ht or dark? \\'ith an under,tJnding• of these- ..:0111111011 properties·' }'Ou ca 11 1'd entif vibrant. l::.xamples of highly saturated paint
•
, nd dc,,:nb<- nm ,olor Y colors include quinacridone magenta, phlhalo
blue, or cadmium lemon yellow. These very
bright colors stand in contrast to colors like
Hue yellow ochre, burnt sienna, or red oxide,
h beaut\ ofthr .:olor wheel 1, that it ,how, us the rel.itionships between the various hues
which have a much lower saturation level.
e term hue, "hrch_i, otten u,ed_ mtachangeabh• _
with the word "color" '
refers lo tiie 1ramrly
·.

t , ,h .i partimb.r <Olor belonc,. • Ro,e. burgund,.

• magenta,
• .
and candv, apple red ,a re a II 111
Many beginners who strive to create brilliant,
the mi hur ts.mih. Chartreu,e, lcai 'green. and seafoam are all in the green hue fam ' 1·1Y, an d so colorful paintings work with a palette of
n n ~,-.en.e,
_ . .ord ~color," one is referring to its hue · For the purpose of
. u,e, the,,
,,hea one only-or mostly-highly saturated colors.
·tJ.:auon and log1,al orgamzauon, the color II heel features 12 basic hues. This can defeat their purpose, however,
because when too many brilliant colors are
placed together in the same painting, they
cancel each other out. Each color competes
Altering Hue, Saturation & Value fo r the viewer's attention. An effective way
to use saturated color is in conjunction with
- Whrte w1saturated color, so that some parts of the
painting demand the attention while others
fade back and play supportive roles. Be aware
+ White
that if you place a saturated color next to a
duller color, the saturated color will appear
even more brilliant. This is a very easy way to
intensify yo ur colors-simply surround them
with neutral, grayer hues.

Brilliantly saturated colors (A)

and muted tones (B) can be
lovely on their own, but often
the key to a successful work
1s a balance of the two (Cl.
With that said, every artist has
• Black
a unique preference for color
and should select colors based
on his or her art1st1c v1s1on.

~~d~ ~ + B~~
..., a • ob!.ErJ{' he-,,.
, sc; a e by - - you can th ange the h
., ot ~ •• ether aoa ~g wh te (mo,mg up) ue, saturation, or value of a pure color
' ::g , e. ' . down l , or
' gray (moving left) • black (moving