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The Elements of Mixing Color

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The Elements of Mixing Color

The Elements of mixing color

When deciding to write this article, I thought it would be simple. At my age I should have known better. I've been mixing color for painting since I was 16. In my research I've discovered most articles, books and web sites talk of the scientific elements of color theory. I don't think in scientific terms while I'm painting. I'm in a creative, visual mode when I apply paint to canvas. I choose my colors based on the subject, mood, time of day and the way they look to please my eye. When teaching my students I explain what values, hue and intensity means in relationship to painting, breaking down scientific terms into simple language by visual examples. I discuss primary, secondary, tertiary and complementary colors. All these elements are important when learning to paint. And some of them are not easily learn.

Here are the seven basic elements, starting with hue.

HUE

Hue, in simple terms, refers to the name of a pure color. Scientifically speaking, hue relates to the length of the light wave, ranging in scale from red to violet, passing through orange, yellow, green and blue. all colors found in nature can be described as one of these 12 hues Red/Violet, Red, Red/Orange, Orange, Yellow/Orange, Yellow, Yellow/Green, Green, Blue/Green, Blue, Blue/Violet and Violet. By curving the linear shape of the visible spectrum into a circle you create a color wheel.


VALUE

The values of a color are one of the most important aspects of painting. This is how we get shape and depth of the object or subject we are painting. Value of a color means going from it's darkest range to it's lightest. Example: starting with black and adding white you create a lighter value of black. The more white you add the lighter gray you get. There are 11 value steps ranging from black - Level 0 to white - Level 10. Everything in a painting has value, sky, water, mountains, trees etc. Lets take a simple gray rock as an example. In order to get it's shape you must have at least three values, dark, medium and light. One value will only give you a blob of color (see example). Two values will leave the rock flat and uninteresting. Three values starts to give it shape and depth. The more values you add the more detailed the rock becomes. You can even make three rocks out of two.

INTENSITY

Intensity according to the dictionary means 1. quality of being intense. 2. extreme degree; great vigor ( not to be confused with my personality ). Intensity in color, sometimes referred to as saturation or chroma, is the term used to describe the purity and strength ( brightness or dullness ) of a color. In a painting if the value and hue of two different colors are the same, the one with the greatest intensity will come forward.

PRIMARY COLORS

Red, yellow and blue are classified as the primary colors, because they can not be generated by other paint mixtures. Theoretically, you can combine these three colors to create all other colors.

SECONDARY COLORS

Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors together. Example: Orange is created by mixing red and yellow. Green is created by mixing blue and yellow. Purple ( or violet ) is created by mixing blue and red. When mixing all three primaries you will get a dark neutral gray.

TERTIARY COLORS

Tertiary colors are mixed by using combinations of the primary and secondary colors. Red/Violet, Red/Orange, Yellow/Orange, Yellow/Green, Blue/Green and Blue/Violet.

COMPLEMENTARY

Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary colors. In a painting a complementary color will enhance a subject. Such as, a vase of purple flowers with a yellow background will be more pleasing to the eye then a background of green. Complementary colors can be used instead of grays to lessen the intensity of a color. However, it is important to experiment with the colors you use. You may find exceptions to this rule. For example: Orange is opposite blue and in theory it should neutralize it, but it often tends toward a green.