Color

Objectives:

Understand the relationship between primary, secondary, intermediate and complementary colors

Practice mixing colors with acrylic paints and brush

Understand the use of colors in artworks and how to use colors effectively as a representation of one's emotions.
Color is one of the most exciting element of art. The wavelengths of light that we can see are called the color spectrum. The spectrum occurs when a ray of white light passes through a prism and is split into bands of colors. Rainbow is the best example of the spectrum. The spectrum can be arranged in a circle called a color wheel, which shows how colors are related and how they are mixed. 
Vocabulary:

Primary colors - the three basic colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors: red, yellow and blue
Secondary colors - the colors are created by mixing two primary colors: green, orange and violet
Intermediate colors - the colors are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color that is next to it on the color wheel
Complementary colors - colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel
Analogous - colors that are next to each other on the color wheel
Intensity - the brightness or dullness of a color
Shade - when black is added to a color and it becomes darker
Tint - when white is added to a color and it becomes lighter
Monochromatic - the range of values of one color

Art 1:   Plants with Negative Space Emphasis Procedures:

  1. Format  your paper with one inch border
  2. Transfer the plants drawing carefully with pencil by using your graphite carbon paper and  your tracing paper drawing of the plants. Tape your paper in place lightly before you begin so that it does not move.
  3. Draw shapes in the background of your picture that gives us three places to paint. The shapes may overlap. Paint these negative spaces with each of the primary colors ( red, yellow, and blue)
  4. Secondly, wherever these primary shapes overlap,  paint in the secondary colors( orange, green, violet).
  5. Last of all when they overlap add your third or tertiary colors.  Be careful to leave the plants white at least for now.  
  6. Use your brush with acrylic paints carefully. Neatness and completeness should be considered.  Your colors should be solid and consistent.


Art 2: Plants in Complimentary Color Harmonies

  1. Follow steps 1 and 2 and 3 above.
  2. After you break up your space in your picture as shown on the example on the left. Pay attention to colors that are located opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors when located next to each other "sizzle" and compliment each other.  
  3. Choose a pair of complimentary colors to work with in each section. Paint the negative space with one of the colors in the pairs of complimentary colors ( red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple) , and then paint the plant in that same section with the other complimentary color. 
  4. Optional: You may transfer your plant drawings to  different sheets of complimentary colored paper and work in complimentary harmonies with three different sheets of paper or you may work with all three harmonies in one.  Remember to paint the plants working with shades and tints of the colors to add variety and interest.


Art 3: Plants Painted on Black

  1. Format  your paper with a one inch border
  2. Transfer the plants drawing carefully with pencil by using your graphite carbon paper and your tracing paper drawing of the plants. Tape your paper in place lightly before you begin so that it does not move.
  3. Transfer your plant drawing to black or dark colored paper.                        Option 1: Since the original tracing paper drawing of the plants is smaller than your black or colored paper, you'll need to transfer your plant drawing 3 times to fill in the whole page. ( suggestion on the right left and in the center - possibly flipping one around backwards)                Option 2: Use large tracing paper to trace the plants drawing again and then transfer your plant drawing to black or dark colored paper.
  4. Carefully paint the plants with different colors and values without touching the pencil lines with the paint. Leave pencil lines exposed.         Option 1: Paint the plants with 3 primary colors and overlapped areas with secondary colors. Paint the background with intermediate or complimentary                                                                                                   Option 2:  Use the temperature of colors to direct the viewer's eye. The atmosphere may be a warm sunset with the plants in cool colors. Your atmosphere may be a blue sky against warm fall colors of the leaves. Paint the positive parts of the plants and negative space with different color temperatures.  Remember warm colors advance and cool colors recede.    
  5. Values are created in the use of shades and tints by mixing different amounts of white and black to your colors.  White added to a color creates a tint.  Black added creates a shade.  Consider the significance of balancing your colors around and throughout your composition.