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Color Theories for those starting out as an Abstract Painter

OR those making the transition from Representational to Abstract Painting

 

What colors am I going to use if I can’t see a reference?

Answer: you get to pick your own palette!

 

Suggestion:

Start by picking a limited palette, three or four colors plus black and white or just plus white and one “earth” tone to mute your colors.

 

Here is just one of many color combinations to try out:

 

Painting with a Triad of Colors:

 

The Split Complementary palette

 

Pick a color you love; say for instance Blue. This will be your “dominant color.” Now look for the Complimentary of Blue which is Orange. Now find two colors one on each side of that complimentary: in this case it would be yellow-orange and red-orange. These are the two colors that you will add to your basic palette. So now you have three colors. Of course, you can mix a wide variety of lights (add white or lemon yellow) and darks (add a tiny bit of black or umber) Using your three selected colors. You can use those different shades by themselves or mix them into your three chosen colors to create even more interesting variations in your colors. You will also be creating a range of lights and darks, which is especially important to creating strong work that stands out for the viewer. (Another topic for another time.)

 

How much of each of these colors should I use?

 

Ideally, if it is an abstract piece, you can try to use a “dominant” color, so that looking at the piece quickly your viewer sees either a cool, blue painting or a warm, yellow painting, or a painting about greens and so on.Think of roughly 60 % of the dominant color (and shades and tints thereof) 25% of the non-dominant color and then 15% of color you choose as your “accent’ or “spice” color.

 

For most people, colors resonate emotionally so you want your viewer to respond emotionally to your work. Blue is often a calming color, representing the ocean and the sky. Yellow is felt as joyful and exciting, representing the sun of summer or the yellow of Spring daffodils. You can think about what colors say to you! Pick one color as your Dominant or main color, say Blue. Pick one as the second color which isn’t as dominant, and then pick one to be your “spice” or “accent” color to make the main color pop. This plan is called a Split Complimentary Palette because you are splitting the colors on either side of your complimentary to your “main” color.

 

The most important thing you can do starting out, is get a good color wheel, one that has a moveable second wheel so that you can instantly see your suggested color combinations. In the end, you are in charge and the colors and color combinations you pick must feel good to you: interesting, comfortable, and harmonious. Learning the rules of colors and how they work in relation to one another gives you the tools to make good decisions.

 

   The Dalai Lama said, “Know the rules well so you can break them effectively.”

 

 

Recommended books on Color Theory

 

• David Kessler: Bigger, Faster, Fresher, Looser
• Patti Mollica: How to Paint fast, loose and bold
• Nita Leland: Confident Color, an artist's guide to harmony, contrast and unity.