Understanding COLOR Theory VII
presentation by
Pam Coulter
Review
There are two aspects of color that we
examined last lesson:
1. Atmospheric (or aerial) perspective
2. Warm colors approach; cool colors recede
Atmospheric perspective
Aerial perspective or atmospheric perspective refers to
the effect the atmosphere has on the appearance of an
object as it is viewed from a distance. As the distance
between an object and a viewer increases, the contrast
between the object and its background decreases, and
the contrast of any markings or details within the
object also decreases. The colours of the object also
become less saturated and shift towards the
background color, which is usually blue, but under
some conditions may be some other color (for
example, at sunrise or sunset distant colors may shift
towards red).
— Wikipedia
An example
Carole Marine, High Country Shacks, 5” x 7”
Review: Exercise
Using pictures of landscapes, put aerial perspective to use in adding depth to
the flat plane of the canvas. Some pictures of mountains follow.
A note about photography: Most of us are amateur photographers. As such,
we use the default settings in taking photos. What happens is that the “depth
of field” setting is the default setting and we see, in the picture that we get
back. an infinitely sharp focus.
Hold your thumb up and look only at it. notice that, with your attention
focused on your thumb, everything around it fades in significance. That
thumb becomes your focal point. In creating a painting, we choose what the
focal point (or points) will be. In effect, we manipulate the viewer by our use
of the basics of art.
Examples of aerial (or atmospheric) perspective.
Review:
Example of Aerial Perspective Exercise
Warm colors approach
cool colors recede
In depth perception, our human vision reads
warm colors (red, orange, yellow, yellow-green)
as closer to us and cool colors (blue, purple
blue-green) as more distant. Notice that, if you
stand looking out over distant fields, while you
may still see a red roof in the distance, in
general, farther objects will be "bluer" and
nearer objects, brighter and warmer.
Flattening the plane
• You can “flatten” space
in a composition by
mis-using cues. Doing a
still life, for instance,
where all the objects
are bright and primary
brings them into the
same plane. (Not saying
this is wrong. You can
use this if you know
what you’re doing.
What’s wrong with this portrait?
Doing a portrait where the background is
brighter and more warm than the face makes
the face recede.
Mary Ellison by
Mary Cassatt
Warm colors approach
Cool colors recede
exercise: landscape or portrait – using
background color properly and “improperly”
(Discuss the result)
Pause for exercise
Color proximity:
colors affect colors they are near. As an exercise to see this,
Do a series of small simple figure-on-ground exercises
using the same color on the figure and different colors on
the ground (the background or area surrounding the figure.)
Examples follow:
Discuss!
Example
Example
Pause for color proximity exercise
Color Proximity:
Using a colored ground
Using a colored
ground under your
painting affects the
painting, particularly
if the paint is a bit
transparent. Also,
allowing a
contrasting colored
ground to show
through parts of the
painting gives an
interesting contrast.
Colored Ground
If you are going to start with
a dark ground, you will want
to ensure that your paints
are relatively opaque.
The opacity or transparency
of your paints affects the
finished product.
What’s next?
Color opacity and transparency, how it affects your painting in acrylics, oils. How to combat problems.
Give examples. Have students demonstrate. Exercise: do a chart of opacity/transparency.
color and composition:
hard and soft edges (exercise with still life)
broken color and why it is used (exercise with impressionist landscape example and mabe student’s
own picture.
why the “old masters” used dark backgrounds in their pictures (examples)
Mood and color (“psychological” aspect of color.) Maybe use Picasso’s blue guitarist and changethe color.
Have students mock up own examples.
High and low key; high and low contrast