Color In Art (1965)

this Focus chart is for your convenience please focus and adjust your sound level here [Music] nature is in a constant state of renewal in the rhythmic cycle of the seasons colors glow fade and then come to life once more there is no end to the variety of combinations and effects and all of them are harmonious [Music] since the artist took paintbrush in hand he has been inspired by Nature yet he does not merely copy what he observes his choice of colors and his concepts of Harmony are his creation all colors in nature are visible because of the Sun a prism shows how the white Rays separate into the spectrum of red or orange yellow green blue and violet in painting our understanding of colors is different it is based upon the materials we use man has produced his pigments his coloring materials since prehistoric times it was modern science however that made a great variety of brilliant use readily available the word Hue describes colors here the painter is preparing a red Hue countless use can be obtained by mixing paints first of all the artist must find order if he wants to achieve Harmony therefore he organizes colors according to their relationships and these relationships become self-evident on the color wheel all the different Hues originate from just three primaries yellow red and if two primaries are mixed the secondaries result yellow and red produce orange yellow and blue produce green blue and red give violet the wheel has grown from three to six basic ues now it is possible to mix a primary with a secondary in order to produce yellow orange red orange red violet blue violet blue green and yellow green the 12 VI wheel is complete and its sequence equals that of the sun's natural Spectrum we have observed that each U has a definite logical place this shows that colors do not exist independently but only in relation to each other when Hughes get along well together when they are pleasing to our eyes they seem harmonious true some artists prefer clashing colors but most paintings are based on the principles of Harmony it may be achieved in many different ways for example the painter May select analogous Hues for the dominant effect analogous means three neighboring Hues on the wheel or he may use a monochromatic scheme which is based upon a single color rembrand in his stormy landscape created Drama by varying one color from light to dark and from warm to cool cool blue predominates in this landscape it is lightened and darkened it has different values notice the sky it has been tinted white has been added and the sea has been shaded black has been added by tinting and shading his dominant color into different values the artist has created Harmony here is another example of color likeness van go used flashes of warm red for contrast with the emphasis on cool green Nature's favorite background color is shown in many variations but it is also possible to use a great number of contrasting combinations painters May select all the Hues on the wheel mix many more and still create Harmony here colors are so predominant that they assume shapes and forms what an unusual way to show patches of light shimmering through trees in this gay outdoor scene many pure colors contrast brilliantly and harmoniously with one another to produce a bright and sunny day a Pure Color has not been dulled or Changed by mixture it appears bright and saturated it is used used in full intensity this painting is very Vivid and bright yet it appears harmonious intense Hues are said to be exciting and dramatic while less intense U appear quiet and peaceful pastels are soft and subdued they have been lightened by mixture when mixed a color loses its Purity and changes its value and intensity mixed tones blend smoothly and gradually therefore they often occupy more space on the canvas than pure colors here is a good example notice the smooth gradation from yellow green to [Music] Green to dark green to gray to Black the Old Masters excelled in gradiation it was an excellent method to show the changing conditions of Illumination and to give a true picture of Nature's colors warm and cool views blend pleasantly just as our eyes see it in real life but what why should the objects of nature always be identified early in the century hre matis used colors in new exciting ways he showed that colors in art do not have to copy nature they may simply create effects making use of the many new pigments Kandinsky distributes numerous small areas of contrast throughout the canvas [Music] This Modern artist organizes large single planes of contrasting Hues the rules of color contrast are most important for harmony they are based upon simple logic complimentaries contrasting Hues are opposite on the color wheel they require each other each Hue has only one compliment and each pair has different characteristics yellow and violet are the lightest and darkest use on the wheel here Amel noter places these complimentaries side by side in his Garden of Flowers a Harmony of contrasting Hues in this painting he uses them more sparingly large areas of yellow orange contrast against the masses a blue violet the artist may use one pair of complimenting use or split complimentaries the color wheel is his guide in finding combinations that get along well [Music] together when choosing his paints he thinks of The Logical position each U occupies on the wheel and he selects logical and Systema IC combinations pairs of complimenting Hues that form triangles or rectangles on the wheel offer an unlimited variety of choice when the artist wipes his brushes and completes his work he has been Guided by rules and inspired by Nature he has created his own World of Color and his own concept of Harmony [Music]