Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now, and perhaps without even knowing it, you will live along some distant day into the answers. - Rainer Maria Rilke

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Week 3, Day 4: Color Scheming

I am so excited, since I used Kathy's art as inspiration for my creative journey this week, I have inspired my her to investigate color recipes for polymer clay and blog about it regularly.  You might recognize one of the photos.  Click here to check it out.

Today I started with a color wheel.  I really didn't need it -- color theory in ingrained in my head -- but it's easier to show you the different color schemes rather than try to just verbally explain them.  I am explaining, although most of you probably already know it.

In Additive Color (see Week 1, Day 4 for more info) all colors are created by adding colors together.  The primary colors, which cannot be mixed from any other colors are red, yellow, blue (and black and white).  Secondary colors are made by mixing 2 primary colors together in equal amounts.  Tertiary colors by mixing a secondary and one of it's primary colors together. Tints of a color have white added, and shades of a color have black added.

Color Wheel


For my exploration in color, I have used the same image for each sample.  The only thing that changes is the color scheme -- I did use tints and shades.

Monochromatic: one color with tints and shades of that color (blue green)




Complimentary: 2 colors that are exactly opposite of each other on the color wheel (blue and orange)




Split Complimentary: 1 color (red) and then the 2 colors on either side of it's compliment (yellow-green & blue-green)




Analogous: 1 color (green) and the 2 colors next to it  (yellow-green & blue-green)




After the basic color schemes, I played with themes inspired by Art History styles, food and my personal likes.

Art History 
   -- Ancient History:


Art History
   -- Pop Art:




Jewel Tones:



Fruits and Veggies 
   -- Eggplant, avocado & artichoke:



Beach Colors
   (this is what I was going for with the polymer clay pattern):



It would be easy to go on and on with many different color schemes.  What colors do you like together?  Do you like a lot or minimal contrast?  Do you like bright or pastel colors? 

If you are interested there is this great website and blog that is a community for exploring color schemes called ColourLovers.com.  Check it out!

4 comments:

D said...

I wish my head wasn't hurting because this is so cool! And no, my head isn't hurting from looking at this, it was that drink last night. I have to come back!

klhood said...

This is giving me some ideas for future color schemes. Thanks!

AndreaS said...

KLHood, anytime you want color schemes, let me know. I love creating them!

JoLene said...

CB --- I am so loving your blog -- I look forward to seeing what you are making every day. I love color and one reason that I got into needlepoint was the color and textures that you could create. I, of course, love all the blues and purples :-D
Keep on blogging -- CB