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The Basic Idea Behind Advanced Color Theory

By Ronald Howard


Painting is an exercise that involves more than the application of colors on a surface. It is an exercise where your inner perceptions and views are actualized in a picture or a surface. Advanced color theory enables you to appreciate and take advantage of qualities of the outer light that objectifies and gives form to matter. This is a different approach as opposed to the basic understanding when colors were defined in relation to either primary or secondary elements.

The game of colors changed with the discovery or advanced use of magenta and green. The new dimension enabled people to appreciate the essence of colors beyond what is perceived with naked eyes. It is this intrinsic essence that makes different colors unique and lovely. By appreciating this aspect, you will produce a fantastic image from ordinary colors.

Mere observation was used to define colors over the years. People did not appreciate the defining and unique qualities of different colors which meant that a lot was lost during production of colored works. The subjective nature of human perceptions led to obvious errors that could not be explained. The application of similar colors produced different results depending on the surface on which it was applied. The disaster arose from failure to appreciate elements like lightness, hue and saturation.

Colors are distinguished from each other by hue. This is the element that makes blue distinct from red or yellow. There are dormant wavelengths emitted by these colors either naturally or when light falls on them. Lightness and saturation, among other elements change with the addition of white or black to form tonal families.

Saturation is how bright a color is in respect to its own value or lightness. It can be simplified as the difference in brightness relative to gray. Colors that are near gray are less saturated while those further away from middle gray are more saturated. Simply put, saturation is the freedom from interference or dilution by gray.

There are elements of this advanced theory on colors that guide their use. Jumping colors and holes are cautions that should be observed by painters. A hole is a section that appears distant on a painting because of the colors used. A section that is jumping out emanates from a distant object that is painted using similar intensity or saturation as one on the foreground. Such use of colors affects the aesthetic appeal of your work.

Shadows are an intricate part of the theory. Every painting should depict the direction of light. Classic painters would draw their images and persons with shadows. This should be consistent throughout your work. While painters work from memory and perception, there must be semblance to the truth. Further, the highlights of shadows and light depend on the shape of the object. The shadows will further be shaped by the surface on which they fall.

Optic illusions will affect the realistic appreciation of your work. These tricks to the eyes change your intention and will end up eliciting a different interpretation of your painting. For instance, a lit window on a night painting appears bigger than it actually is. As such, you should draw a smaller window since the illusion will enlarge it. Failure to appreciate illusions will create imbalances in your coloring.




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