Getting Started
What Students Want to Know
THE MYSTERIOUS LANGUAGE OF COLOR
If the secrets of color were contained in a book, would you open it? We hope your answer is YES! Just as learning the rules of a sport adds to your enjoyment of playing it, learning the rules of color adds to your enjoyment of making art in color. The first thing everyone should know is where to find the rulebook for color. The rulebook is the color wheel.
1. Learn the rules of color using the color wheel.
“OK”, you say, “I’m looking at the color wheel and I don’t see any rules.” We won’t let you be stuck there. Each unit in this book will introduce you to the vocabulary of the color wheel. As you practice one idea at a time, you will soon understand how to mix any colors you want with the few that are in your color set. The second and most important secret when dealing with color is all about what set you choose. Choose a set that contains blue, red, and yellow as shown on the color wheel. Most sets that are designed for students will contain the primary colors that you need.
2. See color variations and color mixtures.
Your brain is a storehouse of color knowledge. You would agree that oranges are orange and lemons are yellow. Each statement has simplified what we really see in order to reduce it to one color for easy identification. What we really see are reflections, shadows, color combinations, and all kinds of other factors that change the original color. Artists learn to see these color variations and color mixtures. An orange may appear blue in the shadows. A lemon may appear green around the ends.
3. Exaggerate colors
Artists may overstep the bounds of truth when applying color to the paper. They do this in order to make objects clearer and easier to identify. They might exaggerate to create a mood. They might use color for its associated me anings by using red because it seems “hot” or green because it seems “peaceful”. By using the color rules, you will unlock the secrets of color and gain the skills to work in color with confidence.
4
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker