CC - Applying Color Schemes (Lesson)

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 Applying Color Schemes

Color scheme painting in blue purple and greenArtists use color schemes in conjunction with a hue's innate emotional properties to create artworks that engage the viewer. In the previous lessons, you have seen how color can evoke a particular emotion in the viewer and how to use color theory to create color schemes.

In this lesson, you will apply your new knowledge to create an abstract painting called 4 lines and 3 circles. In this abstract painting, you will choose an analogous color scheme for the final project.

 

4 Lines and 3 Circles Abstract Project

Materials Needed

  • Pencil
  • Visual Verbal Journal
  • Watercolor Paint
  • Watercolor paper
  • Paintbrush
  • Ruler or straight edge
  • 3 circular items in different sizes to trace

Artists create artworks using color schemes. In this full studio project, you will use the elements of art; color, and value and will arrange these two elements using two of the principles, emphasis, and pattern to create an analogous abstract painting.

Step 1. Gather Materials and Set Up Work Space

In this project, you will need to find 3 different-sized circles to trace. Masking tape, the tops of aerosol cans, or the base of cups are all good choices. Make sure the three circle sizes are different. Fill a cup with clean water and place several paper towels nearby to clean your brush on or to blot areas that are overly wet.

Step 2. Divide Picture Plane

Measure a 6-inch by 9-inch rectangle in pencil on your watercolor paper and then divide it into three columns- 3 inches wide each. Next, add a horizontal line across the page to create 6- 3 inch by 3-inch squares on your paper.

Pencil drawing with lines dividing page verticallyPencil drawing with vertical and additional horizontal lines

 

Step 3. 4 Flowing Lines

Divide your paper with 4 flowing pencil lines that run off the edge of each side of the picture plane. Be sure to keep your lines very light and divide the space in an unequal way.

Pencil drawing with four flowing lines randomly intersecting original vertical and horizontal lines

 

Step 4. Three Circles, Three Times Each (9 total circles in the final design)  

Choose the largest of your three circular objects to trace and trace it in pencil lightly three times on your paper.   Trace the remaining two objects being sure to overlap and crop off the edge of the paper lightly in pencil. Each circular template should be traced three times for a total of 9 circles.

Pencil drawing of three circles drawn three different times over existing vertical horizontal and flowing lines

 

Step 5. Analogous Color Scheme Painting

Once you have broken up the picture plane creating a focal point and overall abstract design you will need to choose an analogous color scheme. An analogous color scheme is one where the colors sit next to each other on the color wheel. In this example, I have chosen blue as my main hue and then picked, blue-green, green, blue-violet, and violet as my color scheme. Every time a shape is created it will be a different color in this abstracted painting. The pencil lines depicted are much darker than yours should be so that it would show in the example pictures.

Analogous color pencil drawing with color-coding in shapes to indicate color to paintAnalogous color scheme painting almost completely painted

 

 

Review your terms for this lesson by completing the activity below.

 

 

 

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IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS; COLOR REVIEW ACTIVITY IN PUBLIC DOMAIN