Color theory helps to narrow down the selection process of matching paint colors, giving you the opportunity to be creative within certain limits that guarantee success. These color choice systems work whether you're painting portraits or walls. The painting you do in any craft project will be visually pleasing if you use a color choice system to pick the colors. Keep in mind that you can alter the tone of any of these colors by shading with black or tinting with white.
Primary Colors
All the colors in our world are made of uncountable combinations of red, yellow and/or blue. These three colors are the roots of every color, thus the trio has been given the name "primary colors." They are situated an equal distance apart on the color wheel. The color wheel is a chart, made up of 12 boxes, each of a different color, that organizes and shows the relationship between colors. Primary colors, when used together in similar brightness, appear vibrant and cheery, "popping" off the surface onto which they have been painted.
For a more subtle appearance, you can tone down primary colors by stirring in white or black paint. Mixing white paint into a bright color will make it a pastel (a lighter shade of itself), while mixing black into a color will turn it a gray shade of itself.
Since primary colors are the root of all color mixtures, they coordinate well with all other colors. Though, if you are painting walls or a canvas, it is highly recommended that you mix up the other colors yourself from the primary paints you are using, rather than purchasing additional colors. This will guarantee that you are using the same brand, pigments and quality of paint. And by not having to purchase additional paint but using what you have, you can also save money.
Complementary Colors
There are three sets of "complementary colors:" red and green; violet and yellow; and, orange and blue. They exist opposite one another on the color wheel. When the two complementary colors of a set are mixed together, they create a neutral gray or a muddy brown. A common way of using these colors together is to paint them in very vivid shades next to one another or in patterns alongside or on top of one another.
There is a phenomenon, called an afterimage, which comes from the use of complementary colors. If you stare at one of the colors in a complementary pair for more than 30 seconds and then look at a blank wall, the opposite color from the color wheel will appear.
Prior to 1410, when paint was handmade, multiple colors were harder to achieve, so artists often used complementary colors in their paintings. However, since 1950, using complementary colors is best known in the works of Pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Analogous Colors
Any three colors that sit beside one another on a 12-part color wheel are known as "analogous colors." They are highly compatible colors that blend well together. They have less contrast and excitement than seen in complimentary colors, which makes for a more relaxing effect. They tend to induce the calm harmony that is often found in nature. Often seen in sunsets, deserts and forests, this color combination always results in breathtaking harmony.
Monochromatic Colors
A monochromatic color scheme will include all the tints and hues of any one color. For instance, take a one shade of blue and add only white or black to it--all of the various colors which can be made from that one color are included in the monochromatic color scheme. The good news about this type of color system is that any one color will always match any other color in the scheme. The bad news is, it can become quite boring if an entire room or painting is done in variations of just one color.
Colors need contrast each other to look interesting. If you choose to use a monochromatic color system when painting the walls of a room, consider using contrasting colors in accessories like the pillows, curtains, etc. If you use this color system in a painting, a tiny amount of contrasting color will be very noticeable, and can make a strong statement.
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