Color – Split Complementary

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/split-complementary-colors.html

Artist: Katie Riddler
Title of Work: Park Avenue
Year Produced: Unlisted
Medium: Interior Design
Source: http://www.katieridder.com/

Split complementary is a lot like complementary colors, except instead of having two colors you have a triad consist of one color, and then the two colors next to the color opposite the first, as illustrated by the first image. The second image is a great example of the use of split complementary colors in interior design. They use the color scheme of red, yellow-green, and blue-green, creating a harmonious relationship between the yellow-green and blue-green, with bright focal points of red.

Color – Complementary

Source: http://kinnisonart120.blogspot.com/2011/03/color-quiz.html

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Title of Work: Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at night
Year Produced: 1888
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Source: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/53/Caf%C3%A9-Terrace-on-the-Place-du-Forum,-Arles,-at-Night,-The.html

Complementary colors is the term for a pair of colors that lie across from each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors do exactly what their name implies and complement each other when used together in a piece. They harmonize together and cause each other to stand out. A good example of the use of complementary colors is in this piece by Vincent Van Gogh, he uses blues and purples to complement yellows and oranges, causing both sets of colors to appear very vibrant.

Color – Analogous

Artist: Gonzalo Navarro
Source: http://www.gonzaloruiznavarro.com/blog/complementary-and-analogous-colors

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Title of Work: Sunflowers
Year Produced: 1888
Medium: Oil on canvas
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflowers_%28Van_Gogh_series%29

As the first image explains, analogous is the term for the colors near each other on the color wheel, usually referring to a set of three colors in a row. A good example of this element is Van Gogh’s sunflowers. In this piece, he uses and analogous set of yellows and oranges to create a very pleasing piece. This analogous set of colors creates unity and harmony in the piece, while still having slight variation in color to keep it interesting.

Color – Monochromatic

Artist: Adela Leibowitz
Title of work: Lily of the Valley
Year Produced: 2006
Medium: Unlisted
Source of image: http://mocoloco.com/art/archives/003269.php

These pieces are both great examples of monochromatic artwork. Monochromatic basically refers to a piece of all one hue. This piece can use many different values and saturation, but it only uses one hue throughout the entire piece. Monochromatic art can be great for a few reasons; It’s very effective in portraying a specific emotion, using all one color is a simple way of achieving unity, and, in some cases it can be more interesting simply because of that choice. For example, in these pieces, the top one seems to create a feel of calmness while the bottom creates a feel of excitement and vibrancy simply because of the hues that were used.

Color – Saturation

Medium: Digital
Source: http://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/four-quick-tips-for-improving-color-harmony-in-your-theme-customizations

Artist: Richard E. Adams
Title of work: unlisted
Year produced: 2006
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Source of image: http://www.sito.org/cgi-bin/egads/showart?show=adr.0034

Saturation is the term for the amount of gray in a color. The top image, is a saturation scale from gray to the purest form of the color. The bottom image, though not the best example (it is really hard to find a piece using just saturation), shows how saturation can be used. In it, you’ll see many different saturations of green, in particular on the body of the stuffed cow and in the background. Saturation is just another use of color that can be used to add depth and interest.

Color – Value

Medium: Digital
Source: http://karengillistaylor.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/color-value-scales-inspire-artists-to-grow-their-skills/

Artist: Leanne Wildermuth
Year Produced: 2007
Medium: Oil Paint
Source: http://intricateart.com/monochromatic-evan-in-green/

Value is the term for the lightness or darkness of a color. This piece is a good example of value because the piece only uses one color, but uses an entire scale of value to create an interesting piece with a sense of depth. Value is used to create depth, light source, interest, and many other things.

Color – Hue

Medium: Digital
Source: http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-theory-intro.htm

Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Title of the Work: Starry Night
Year Produced: 1889
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starry_Night

Hue is basically the term for the different base colors (red,blue,yellow,ect…). The top picture is an example of a color wheel portraying the 12 most basic hues. The bottom is a piece that uses different hues very effectively, most specifically yellow and blue. Van Gogh uses yellow and blue in a complementary way to make the piece very pleasing to the eye, as well as these colors (the cool blue and the washed out yellow) providing a sense of calm. Using hues together in certain ways are very important because they can set the overall mood for a piece easily.