From sharp corners, curved edges and towering sculptures, shape is used throughout art. Geometric shapes, like squares and triangles, are mainly found in objects made by humans, like houses, cars and factories. Irregular shapes are more likely to come from nature. Imagine a leaf or a shell. How do you think artists could use them differently to tell a story? Frank Stella's Hyena Stomp below uses sharp edges and corners. He even became known as a 'hard edged artist'.
Gillian Aryes used layers of different shapes on top of another. In her artwork The Colour That Was There in the slideshow above she uses a rough square as a background. She then mixes circles, rectangles, curved lines and bright colours to give her work depth.
Below are more examples of different shapes in artwork. Grab some colouring pencils and have your class draw out objects using only shapes. For example, draw a tree out of triangles, draw a computer out of circles. Have some print outs of different objects and have your group colour them in unnatural colours.
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Hi Lori — I really enjoyed your article on color — liked it on Facebook and posted it on Twitter. I officially started a 2-week vacation today and look forward to some painting time.
God bless you and your artwork! Hi Julian, thanks for your comment and for sharing your painting with me. The subject surprised me, because I was literally expecting to see a soldier. I love the yummy paint and palette. Reminds me of Van Gogh! I really enjoyed reading your post and seeing your lovely artwork!
Thanks for your insights:. Hello Lori: I just saw your blog about this topic, and I recently did a Blog of this very subject on my web site about the Presence of Color, similar to this blog, because I felt it was important to know all about color,,,,its meanings and how color really does affect us, even our personalities. Also, eveto the point of different people being attracted to certain paintings due to colors because of their personalities.
I find this all very interesting and fascinating. Thank you, Sandy. Hello Sandy, yes color is fascinating. I have enjoyed learning about it and how to use it effectively in my own art. Thanks for the comment and visit, Lori.
Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read even more things about it! Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! There is a ton of good info here. There seems to be an issue that has developed over time regarding the definition of tertiary. You definition written out is correct. But in the color wheel you posted you are showing the mixing of adjacent primary and secondary colors together, it my understand that these are intermediate colors by definition.
You are not the only one!!! If you buy any color wheel from the color wheel company they have this incorrect definition too.
Meaning that all three primary colors must be present which happens when you mix two secondary colors together. If love to get you on board with me!
You interested???? Thanks for letting me post. And keep sharing you stuff! You have a TON of great info here! Hello Jes, good points! I am way behind on comments, so thanks for your patience. I would love to get on board with you…how? Let me know your thoughts. If you would like to share a guest post on this subject, I would welcome you with open arms.
Best, Lori. You public will not necessarily know exactly what you mean. That is the mystery of a painting for each individual. However, there will be more depth and introspective meaning to the viewer…they will feel the subliminal message. I hope this helps. Is there hope for me????? Hello Todd, I love that you are painting at this stage in life. So yes, keep at it and you will get better and better.
Maybe take a class??? Your blogs are so intense if you read all your blogs you get a college art education. Color is a tool that is indispensable to an artist. Hi Jason, wow that is a nice compliment for sure. Thanks Lori, As a student teacher your site gave me some great insights into how colour is used in Art. Thanks for the wonderful article on colours… really insightful…. Hi Ed! Hope all is well. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By Lori McNee. The hidden meaning of color can be used as a powerful tool in art.
Once the simple principles are understood, the artist can use color to enchant the viewer. The following examples illustrate how people react differently to cool and warm colors.
Cool colors Based on blue undertones and bring to mind a calming effect. These colors range from cold icy blues to warm and nurturing Mediterranean turquoises. Many decorators use these colors in spas, bathrooms and other quiet environments. Blues lower heart rate and reduces appetite. Blue represents dependability. It is commonly worn in uniforms and business suits. Dark blue is generally used by more authoritative figures including police officers and our Presidents!
Blue and greens are used in advertising medicines and health care products. Dark greens do well in offices and studies. Greens are commonly used for outdoor products. Warm colors Based on yellow undertones and tend to convey emotions ranging from happiness to violence. Red, orange and yellow colors trigger hunger. Safeway, Walgreens and Costco all use red in their logos.
Red instantly attracts, makes people excited and increases the heart rate. Just think of Coke and Red Bull! Before I share the hidden meaning of each color in the spectrum, first a brief Color Theory history lesson: Philosopher, Leone Battista Alberti c. It classified red, blue and yellow as the three primary colors. Primary colors cannot be created by mixing any other colors together. Then in the early twentieth century, German painter, Johannes Itten extended the color wheel to include secondary and tertiary colors.
Cool colors on the other hand indicate calm, distant and soothing environments. White, black and gray are generally considered neutral colors. I get the most use out of these neutral colors not by using them for what they are, but rather to change the value of my colors.
For example, if you have cadmium red on your palette, you can add various amounts of gray to make a range of tones. At the start of a painting, you should determine whether you want to achieve a warm, cool or neutral balanced feel.
When I write neutral, I do not mean just to use white, black and gray, but rather an equal balance of warm and cool colors. There are a number of commonly known color combinations which can be used to evoke certain emotions from the viewer. Before starting a painting, you should briefly consider your color combination to ensure it aligns with your desired statement of the painting.
For example, a complementary color scheme could be used for an aggressive and active scene. Whilst an analogous color scheme could be used for a calm and passive environment. Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. When placed next to each other, there is an extremely strong contrasting and vibrant effect. If overused, your painting may become jarring and uncomfortable to look at.
You should select a dominant color and use the other color as an accent. A relaxing color combination using colors positioned next to each other on the color wheel.
Analogous color combinations were famously used by impressionist artists such as Claude Monet to create beautiful harmonious paintings. It is often most effective to select one dominant color, a secondary color and a third accent color.
A triadic color scheme uses three colors which are evenly placed around the color wheel. The resulting effect is a vibrant scheme, even with low saturation. It is important to properly balance the colors to not overwhelm the viewer.
Generally, a dominant color is selected and the other two colors are used as accents. This is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the dominant base color, there are two complementary adjacent colors. This color scheme is easier to balance than the complementary color scheme and is a great starting point for beginner artists.
Color has a powerful influence over human behaviour, to the extent it can manipulate your perception of what is actually there. We can use these psychological triggers to influence how we want the viewer to perceive the painting. If you want the viewer to have a passionate and aggressive response, then you should be utilizing reds and other warm colors. If you want a calming scene, then greens and blues should be utilized. We all have preconceived ideas of what color an object should be.
This idealized view can influence our perception of what is actually there. If you are painting trees for example, there is a preconceived idea that trees must be green. But that is of course not the case. If you are not careful and do not observe the tree for what it actually is, then you may be drawn towards adding more green than is necessary based on your idealized view of what the tree is supposed to look like. It is therefore important to paint what you see, not what you think. Color theory can be incredibly complex, however for artists you only need to understand the general fundamentals of color theory.
The best way to learn color theory is to purchase a color wheel or better yet, make your own using your own paints. Another technique for learning color theory is to mix your own value charts of the twelve colors on the wheel three primaries, three secondary and six tertiary.
You will end up with a range of different values of the same color. For the value chart, start with your base color, then work your way up in value by adding white tints and down by adding black shades. You should end up with a range of charts which you can use for later paintings as a reference. You should also learn how to paint with a limited palette. The fewer paints you have on your palette, the more you will be forced to mix your own colors. This will train your mind as to how the colors relate to each other.
I hope you found this post useful. Color theory is a fascinating area and a fundamental knowledge for all artists.
This post just touches on the surface of color theory as it is an incredibly complex area. However, I encourage you to learn as much as you can about color theory as it will only improve your painting ability. I put together a simple quiz to test your color knowledge. Click here to take the color theory quiz. You might also be interested in my Painting Academy course.
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