COLOR: Elements of Art Explained in 6 minutes (funny!)

Summary

This video dives into the complexities of color theory in art, explaining different color schemes such as monochromatic, analogous, and complementary. The speaker highlights how colors evoke emotions and set moods, using examples like Picasso’s blue period and Monet’s Water Lilies to illustrate the impact of color choices. The video encourages artists to experiment with new color combinations to enhance their work and offers tips for breaking traditional color theory rules. It concludes with a call to explore more color schemes and engage with the art community.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Colour theory can be complex, but it's crucial for artists to understand how to use colours effectively.
• 🌈 Colours are categorized to help us understand different kinds of light, and all colours combined make white light.
• 🖌️ Pigments are used in a subtractive color model, which is taught in art classes and involves mixing colours to create new ones.
• 🔵 The monochromatic color scheme uses shades and tints of a single hue, which can evoke a specific emotion, like sadness in Picasso's blue period.
• 🌿 Analogous color schemes use colours next to each other on the color wheel, creating a mood that can vary even with similar color schemes, as shown by comparing Picasso's and Monet's works.
• 💧 Value, or the lightness and darkness of a color, plays a significant role in creating different moods, as demonstrated by the contrast between dark tones in Picasso's work and bright tones in Monet's.
• 🔴 Complementary color schemes use colors opposite each other on the color wheel and are often used to create striking contrasts and moody atmospheres.
• 🎮 In digital art, like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, complementary colors are used to create a mature and serious tone.
• 🚀 Experimental artists often break the rules of color theory to create unique and striking color schemes that can be harsh on the eyes.
• 📚 Understanding the basics of color theory is essential before attempting to break the rules and create innovative color schemes.
• 🌟 Trying new color combinations can lead to discovering new techniques and styles in art.

Q & A

What is the speaker's opinion on color in art?

The speaker considers color to be a crucial element in art, second only to line, and emphasizes the importance of using colors properly to avoid breaking a piece.

What does the speaker suggest about using bright colors in art?

The speaker acknowledges that while some artists may prefer bright colors, it's essential to understand color theory to use them effectively without compromising the artwork.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between colors and light?

The speaker explains that all colors combined make white light, as demonstrated by a rainbow when light passes through a prism, and that physical colors, or pigments, follow a subtractive color model.

What are the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors on the color wheel?

Primary colors are the base colors that cannot be mixed from others, secondary colors are created by mixing primary colors, and tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors.

How can colors be used to evoke emotions or create moods?

Colors can be used to evoke specific emotions or create moods by the combinations used and the values applied, which are referred to as color schemes or color palettes.

What is a monochromatic color scheme and how is it exemplified?

A monochromatic color scheme consists of all shades and tints within a single hue. The speaker uses Pablo Picasso's 'Blue Period' as an example, where he used various shades of blue to create his artworks.

How does the analogous color scheme differ from the monochromatic scheme?

An analogous color scheme uses three or more colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, creating a more evolved version of the monochromatic scheme. The speaker uses Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' as an example.

What is the role of value in creating different moods in art?

Value refers to how light or dark a color is and plays a significant role in setting the mood of a piece. The speaker contrasts Picasso's use of dark tones with Monet's use of bright tones to illustrate this point.

What is a complementary color scheme and how is it typically used?

A complementary color scheme uses colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. It is often used by concept artists to create moody atmospheres and is a favorite among those looking to create striking visual contrasts.

How do traditional and experimental artists differ in their approach to complementary color schemes?

Traditional artists typically use complementary colors with one being bright and minorly used, while the other is muted and dominant. Experimental artists often break this rule, creating schemes with both colors at the same saturation and value, resulting in eye strain and striking contrasts.

What advice does the speaker give for artists looking to challenge themselves with color?

The speaker encourages artists to try color combinations they have not worked with before, suggesting they might explore complementary or monochromatic schemes if they usually use a wide variety of colors.

Where can viewers find additional resources on color theory and art principles?

The speaker mentions a worksheet on their blog full of art resources for teachers, which includes a quicker rundown of a principle and another bonus color scheme.