COLOR: HOW TO PUSH,

PULL, AND BALANCE

SPACE
The use of colors values
 Understanding Value

• As we know we can apply value to color. When you look at the above diagram can you see how in both the
color and black and white example it feels as though the images goes forward and backwards in space.
Almost like it is moving? This is an optical illusion created by the push and pull of different colors and
different values.
High and Low Contrast
• Value contrast is used to create a focal point within a painting or
drawing. The human eye is immediately drawn to a light element
against a dark element. This creates the focal point of interest.
• Gradations of value are also used to create the illusion of depth.
• Areas of light and dark give a three-dimensional illusion of form to
subject matter.
• Harsh light gives high contrast, soft light gives off small contrast.
High Contrast vs. Low Contrast
Value Proportions in a Painting
• For a painting to be effective you should vary the proportional
amount of area occupied by each value, applying a formula of
most – some – and a bit. 
• Varying the values this way is much more interesting than
dividing them equally. Identify the biggest area value, then the
value you have less, and the one you have just a little bit of.

• The largest value area becomes the dominant value group.

• If the largest area is light values, the painting is said to be on a
high key, if the largest is dark, the painting is in a low key.
Values
• The values of high key,
mid key and low key
range
High Key Low
Key
High Key=Vibrancy vs. Low Key= Subtlety
• Some words to describe low key: calm, cool, subdued, reflective.
Using this palette you want to focus on using earth colors, tertiary
mixes, pale tones, knocked back unsaturated colour and understated
contrast this will make your paintings peaceful.
• Some words to describe high key: warm, loud, vivid, energetic. The
danger of two many strong colors is they can cancel each other out
and exhaust the eye so make sure to use with purpose and discretion.
Colors can affect the composition of a
painting
• The five main composing roles of color are as follows
• To harmonize (or the opposite to contrast)
• To unify a scene
• To set forth a visual path
• To produce rhythm
• To create emphasis
Let’s start with the basics,
chromatic and achromatic
Chromatic: colors of the spectrum, having Achromatic: colors without chroma:
chroma black, gray, white.
Color Schemes evoke certain responses
• View the next slides that demonstrate chromatic vs. achromatic color
schemes?
• What kind of response do you feel towards a chromatic vs.
achromatic work of art?
• Which one do you naturally gravitate towards?
Guernica, Picasso
Ansel Adams: The Tetons and the Snake River (1942)
M.C. Escher
Sally Mann
Kathe Kollowitz
Kandinsky
Seurat’s, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
Now let’s talk about
Harmony
 COLOR HARMONY

•In color and design, harmony is something that is

pleasing to the eye and engages the viewer.
•Harmony can be thought of as “just right” while the
extremes on either side of it are boring or chaotic.
•The human brain tends to reject extremes. Color
harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order.
•Traditionally, there are a number of color
combinations that are considered especially pleasing.
These are called color harmonies and they consist of
two or more colors with a fixed relation in the color
wheel. Some of the basic formulas follow.
 THREE MAIN COLOR SCHEMES

Monochromatic: different values and intensities and amounts of one color.

Analogous: different values and intensities and amounts of a series of colors
found side by side on the color wheel.
Complementary: different values and intensities and amounts of two opposite
colors on the color wheel.
MONOCHROMATIC
Picasso
James Whistler
 ANALOGOUS

Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Make sure you have enough contrast when choosing an analogous color scheme. Choose one
color to dominate, a second to support. The third color is used (along with black, white or gray)
as an accent.
Degas
Henri Rousseau
 COMPLIMENTARY COLORS

The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at full
saturation. This color scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring. Complementary
colors are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand
out.Complementary colors are really bad for text.
Van Gogh
Vermeer
ADDITIONAL COLOR SCHEMES
 TRIADIC
Triadic: different values and
intensities and amounts of three
colors that are equally distant on
the color wheel.
SPLIT COMPLIMENTARY
The split-complementary color scheme is a
variation of the complementary color
scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses
the two colors adjacent to its complement.
 TRIADIC

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the
color wheel.Triadic color harmonies tend to be quite vibrant, even if you
use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues.To use a triadic harmony
successfully, the colors should be carefully balanced - let one color
dominate and use the two others for accent.
Van Gogh
Andy Warhol
Matisse
 SPLIT COMPLIMENTARY

This color scheme has the same strong visual contrast as the complementary color
scheme, but has less tension. The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good
choice for beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.
Gaugin
WARM AND COOL COLORS
Warm colors: colors of the spectrum having the longest wave lengths. Warm colors are
visually active, and will tend to dominate a composition. Warm colors advance and make
objects appear larger.
Cool colors: those of the spectrum having shorter wave lengths. Cool colors are more
passive and recessive. Cool colors recede and make objects appear smaller.
 WARM COLORS

Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space.
Degas
Gustav Klimt
 COOL COLORS

Cool colors give an impression of calm and soothing and tend to recede in space.
Monet
Mary Cassatt
Degas
White, black and gray are considered to be neutral.
George Braque
Virtual Lecture
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1CK9bE3H_s (2mins-4mins)
Working from Photographs
Floral
Organic Shapes and Color
• Floral arrangements are made up of a series of organic shapes. They
provide a great subject for beginning artists as they are a study in
form, light, and texture.
• When selecting your subject you want to remember the rules of color
composition:
• To harmonize (or the opposite to contrast)
• To unify a scene
• To set forth a visual path
• To produce rhythm
• To create emphasis
Identify your color sense
• In painting it is important to identify your individual sense of color,
lets look at some of the ways famous artist used color to explore the
subject of florals
• Notice how the artist used color in these images and also how they
were able to bring movement and texture to the paintings
Ambrosius Bosschaert - Still Life of Flowers, 1614
Judith Leyster - Tulip from Her Tulip Book, 1643
Mary Cassatt - Lilacs in a Window, ca. 1880-83
Vincent van Gogh - Still Life Vase with Twelve Sunflowers,
1888
Claude Monet - Water Lilies, 1919
Georgia O'Keeffe - Red Poppy, 1927
Emil Nolde - Peonies and Irises, 1936
Marc Quinn - Radioactive Nurseries of Enceladus (in the Night
Garden), 2010
Now let’s select your floral subject!
The Importance of a Reference Photo
• Most professional photographs use many different tricks digitally to
make sure to achieve the best possible lighting and composition.
• For this project preferably take your own photographs of a floral
arrangements.
• If you would prefer to you can also work from a reference photo
 Good Reference Photo
• Notice the clarity and use of
different values. There is an
obvious sense of light in this
photograph.
Bad Reference Photo

• In this image there is too

much going on and there
is not many identifiable
values, there is also not a
clear indication of light in
this photo.
One Good Light Source
• Try to find an image
with one
identifiable light
source
Bad Light Source
• In this photo there is
identifiable light on the
horizon but no light
hitting the subject of the
florals which makes this a
bad subject selection
Virtual Instructions on how to paint a flower
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5stPrdBM0zk