Color & Variety
Considerations for Color
Oil painters must be above all else, colorists—masters of color and light. This mastery begins with the basics of Color Science, which is a deep subject that can be both boring and interesting, but always informative. Here are some key considerations from the science, applied to art.
First, all color is light—reflected light. We see colors because light bounces off object and returns to our eyes. Often, that light bounces off other objects before returning to our eyes, taking on the color properties of those other objects as well. Light has all color in it. You've seen a prism or crystal as it refracts a ray of light into a rainbow. When light falls on objects, those objects absorb some of the color rays. The rays not absorbed, bounce off onto other objects, or directly back to our eye and we percieve or sense it. Color is a sensation. More on that further down. The fact that color is relfected light is a very important principle. Take a white egg outside into a sunlit garden and you will see a huge variety of colors on that egg. Take that egg and put it into a red box and it will become a red egg. The environment/surroundings of objects influences the colors of those objects.
Second, since color is light then colors have a relative temperature. Most likely you have heard that red, yellow, and orange are warm colors, while blue, green, and purple are cool colors. That is generally true, but each color on the color wheel has a warm and cool version of itself. Ultramarine blue has more red in it and is therefore warmer than Pthalo blue, which is a very colder, less-red primary blue. Cadmium Yellow is warmer than Lemon Yellow, because it is more orange. Take an egg, paint it blue, and set it in the sunshine. Where the light strikes the egg directly we will see a warm lavender blue, while in the shadowy side of the egg we will see deep, cool, cobalt blues. Color temperature is relative. The complimentary of red is green, but the complimentary of warm red, such as vermillion, is cool green, such as viridian or emerald.
Third, because of the first and second ideas about color, being able to conceptualize 'planes' of an object (even a smooth one) is crucial. How a surface plane is oriented will affect the bouncing of light rays. If a green apple is sitting on a deep blue tablecloth, the surface 'planes' of that apple directed towards the tablecloth will take on blue properties. You'll see colder greens there. This is true for all objects, even the human figure. Fleshtones are relative to what is surrounding the object. Look up the student exercises of figure and portrait paintings from Russian Art Academies. The model is sitting or standing surrounded by fabrics of different color to practice this principle. Before these students paint the figure, they spend a few years drawing objects constructively to learn to visualize forms in faceted 'planes'. Seeing forms in this way is a key to color.
Fourth, color is a sensation just like taste, touch, smell, and sound. Our senses are relative. They are affected by combinations. For example, chocolate is delicious. Mix it with walnuts, oranges, or saurkraut, and the sensation is changed. One note feels different than a combination of notes in a chord. Dissonance between two notes are felt. It is the same for color. Color combinations can give your painting complex, powerful sensations. Consider what colors you use in your painting. I firmly believe that of all the Elements of Art, color and its combinations is what affects your viewer the most. They will feel those combinations.
Fifth, is a continuation of how our color senses are relative. Color combinations not only produce different sensations, but we also perceive colors differently when they are placed next to each other. The orange of a carrot on a red tablecloth is different than the orange of that same carrot on a blue tablecloth. A hand resting on blue jeans has different flesh tones than a hand resting on tan slacks. Two juxtaposed objects will appear more complimentary to each other's color. For instance, if we place a yellow lemon on a green cloth, that green appears more blue green near the lemon, because blue-green is closer to yellow's compliementary color—purple. The lemon will appear more orange-yellow, because it is closer to green's complimentary—red. If you are painting a portrait of a person and their head is resting on a blue sofa, that blue will affect the skin tones. The pink skins tones will appear more peach (orange) because orange is blue's complimentary.
The Three Characteristics of Color
As we use colors, there are three characteristics to keep in mind.
Hue
The 5 considerations above deal with this first characteristic. What color is it on the color wheel. If a child asks for a crayon, they ask for a hue. Knowing what we know about relative color temperature, hue is an important characteristic. Is it red, or is it warm orange-red.
Value
The second characteristic is value—how light or dark is the color. Imagine a value scale and say black is 10 and white is 0. Purple is around an 8, but lavender is around 3. Yellow is around 2, but cadmium yellow is around 4. All colors have a value. Since the sun is the greatest light source on earth and the source of warmth, then lighter value colors have 'sun' properties—yellows, oranges, and reds. Dark, cold areas on earth away from the sun are where we have darker value colors like blues and purples. Color value is a consideration of intensity of light.
Saturation
The third characteristic is how intense the hue is. Old uniforms from World War 2 are a desaturated, gray green. Grass is a very saturated, intense green. The saturation of a color is a very descriptive characteristic, but it also conveys different emotions to the viewer. Lemons in a still life that are painted with a pale, dull yellow have a different feeling than if they were painted with intense, neon yellows and deep vibrant orange-yellows in it's own shadow.
Variety
A study of the fundamentals of art—the Principles of Design and the Visual Elements—is the key to true artistic freedom and expression. The Principles (contrast, balance, emphasis, proportion, harmony, unity, and variety) are the eternal laws of beauty we use to manipulate/organize the Elements. Oil painting is one of the best mediums to employ the Principle of Variety. Consider how we can add a variety to the Visual Elements (line, shape, form, space, value, texture, color). Variety creates beauty. As you paint, use this important law. The sizes of your brushtrokes, areas of thin washes, areas of thick impasto, color temperatures, saturated and grayed colors, implied and actual surface textures, sharp edges on objects, soft edges on objects, deep values, light values, geometric and organic negative spaces and shapes—the list goes on and on. Oil paintings are captivating and beautiful when the artist employs variety.
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