Form: Color in Art Color theory in practice Let's try to apply some of this color theory to actual works of art. Once you start looking for the three primary colors, you will find them everywhere in art. In the artwork shown below left, artist Dennis Cunningham has bracketed the three primary colors with strong black and white shapes to create a compelling graphic image. In one of Roger Minick's Sightseer photographs, the red and yellow feathers of a boy's headdress pull the boy forward from a neutral mid-ground. The blue feather in the front of the boy's headdress points toward the blue sky in the background, helping produce a three-level study in physical depth and irony. Dennis Cunningham Roger Minick Now try to find the three primary colors in this abstract painting by Don Giffin. The balance of color in this painting is more subtle than in the previous two examples, but it, too, is based upon the stable triad of red, blue, and yellow. This combination provides a primal sense of balance to the work. Setting the mood Lisa Breslow Deliberately omitting one of the three primary colors lends a mood to an image. To create her evocative painting Plum Creek, Lisa Breslow has interlocked cool blue and green shapes and omitted reds. Contrast is provided through shifts in light and shadow instead of contrasting colors. Greens tinged with yellow provide the only hint of warm tones in the painting, allowing blue to set the overall tone for the work. The perfect complement Gail Spaien Let's introduce a secondary color into the mix, and consider how a complementary relationship between primary and secondary colors can help the artist's composition. Gail Spaien's Counting: Number 23, Tidal Wave makes use of the complementary relationship between yellow and violet-blue to create an impression of depth. The yellow is in fact closer to an orange (a secondary color). The two main colors are similar in their relative brightness, and they seem to vibrate against one another. Notice how the yellow-orange beads seem to float on top of the violet-blue background. A crescendo of color Carmen Quesada In this intriguing color photograph by Carmen Quesada, the artist shows us two different views of fireworks over Moscow. Each version occurred at a slightly different time; the left side seems to record the beginning of the explosion, and the right side seems to capture a later moment. The artist invites us to read the piece as a sequence from left to right, underscored by the use of the complementary colors red and green. The choice of a cool green to record the earlier event helps build drama for the hot red grand finale on the right. 10 million colors, infinite possibilities If the ten million possible variations of hue, brightness and saturation seem difficult to comprehend, just imagine the number of possible color combinations an artist must choose from every day. A skilled artist can sift through these infinite possibilities and identify the exact colors needed to express an idea or emotion. We have considered here a few simple examples of how artists use color to create their images, but a deeper appreciation of color theory in practice can be gained by looking at art and considering the choices each artist has made. Next: Space