Mastering Color Theory is essential to growing as an artist. It’s not an easy journey—it demands extensive research, experimentation, and plenty of trial and error.

But that’s the beauty of it; learning Color Theory is a lifelong adventure, full of discovery and creative growth.

In this blog, I will pontificate on ways I use Color Theory in my artwork and translate that into actionable steps you can consider for your art. Before I get to that, here are links to previous blogs I have written on Color Theory:

• Mastering the Palette: A Beginner's Guide to Color Theory- This article provides the basics from how we see color to the definitions of terms such as hue, value, chroma, and temperature.

• Color Theory Part 2: Exploring the Harmony of Complementary Colors- Part 2 delves more into the concept of complementary colors where I define what they are and examine what they can be used to accomplish by looking at five famous artworks.

• Goethe's Color Theory: Where Rainbows Meet Philosophy (and Maybe a Few Unicorns)- In this post, I describe some of Goethe’s musings on Color Theory and observe the theory put into artistic practice by looking at two J.M.W. Turner paintings. I also discuss three ways you can include Goethe’s theory in your artwork.

Onto what I have learned so far and ways you can apply color theory to your artwork. I create in soft pastels and colored pencils, but the same principles apply to any medium.

5 Techniques to Incorporate Color Theory In Artwork

1. Study the type of light and how that impacts the scene

This one “tip” will have a lot to it, but bear with me because this section is relevant to everything else I discuss.

In my research, I learned from Seurat that artists need to consider many aspects of light before they select colors. He suggested that artists consider a series of questions. I will use the painting of the sheep above as an example of how I used Seurat’s questions to guide my color selection for that piece.

• What is the local color of the subject? Local color is the hue that is visible on the object. For example, our eyes are very adept at letting us know that an apple is red. In the case of “Ewe and Me” above, I knew that the Valais lambs are off-white. They are a creamy, warm ivory color, with black faces and hooves. Because of this knowledge, I needed ivory, warm grays, browns, blacks, and blues. Before I selected those specific soft pastels, I considered the next question.

• What color of light is shining on the subject? Knowing what color light is shining on the subject is equally important if I am going to render the subjects realistically. The type of lighting will impact whether or not you use cool or warm colors, where you use them, what colors are in the highlights, what colors are in the shadows, etc.

  Before I tell you what I thought about “Ewe and Me”, I’ll provide a brief explanation of the types of light that can illuminate your subject matter.

  The main classifications are natural light and artificial light. There are different types of light under these categories. Look at the diagram below.

Notice the colors of wavelengths emitted by each light source in the graphic above. The wavelength color and distribution will impact the local color of an object. I will briefly discuss natural light, Light-emitting diode (LED), and incandescent lights to see how these light sources may impact color selection.

Natural light- Note that during the daytime, natural light has a lot of blue in it. There is also a fairly even distribution of the other colors of wavelengths. This is my favorite type of light. Whatever you are looking at under natural light will have less of a tint to it. The color will be more true. That’s not to say you won’t have variations with natural light. Subjects will appear differently depending on the season, time of day, and the amount of clouds in the sky.

For example, take a look at the image below. I took this picture of my dog, Addie, in the morning during wintertime. It is darker because the sun is still just above the horizon, and the color is quite blue.

Scroll down a little and compare this picture to the image I took of her around noon. It is brighter and a little less blue. Based on the graphic above, if I waited to take her picture at sunset, the image would have warmer tones in it.

LED light- LED light emits a spike of blue wavelength, which means the effect will be more of a bluish hue on your subject than natural light. The wavelength coverage isn’t as uniform. In my opinion, it is not as optimal as natural light.

That said, I purchased two LED lights to illuminate my work space as I draw. The lamps have different settings (natural, warm, and cool). They don’t completely mimic natural light, but they are good enough to draw by, especially in the winter when the day is short.

Incandescent light- Incandescent bulbs are typically used in homes. They have more of a warm hue. They can cast a yellow, orange, or reddish hue onto the scene. The color of the light shade can also combine with the bulb to add more color (ex. if the lampshade is white, beige, or some other color it will impact the color output).

See the comparison of natural light (on the left) and natural light with an incandescent bulb and a yellowish lampshade (on the right). These were both taken during daylight. The effect would have been stronger if I had taken a picture at night using only the incandescent bulb.

The last type of artificial light in the diagram is fluorescent light. Fluorescent lights are from the devil as seen by their wavelength distribution in the graphic up top. I’m just kidding, but I do hate fluorescent lights. I think they make everyone/everything look worse. I’m hoping you don’t have to draw something that is situated under this type of lighting.

Summing up. There are a couple of takeaways from this lighting conversation:

• If you are trying to mimic a reference photograph, pay attention to the coloring of the lighting. Try to discern if it was taken in natural light or artificial light. Choose your hues accordingly.

• You can tell a story with the type of lighting you use. The lighting can convey the season, time of day, mood, whether the subject is inside or outside, and many other possibilities. The options are endless.

Back to the Valais sheep (finally!)- I determined that the reference photograph was taken in natural light. As a result, I knew I would be staying true to the color of the sheep fur so I used ivory and cream colors. I also used cooler highlights where the sun was shining down from the left side of the painting. The sunlight was diluted and therefore its effect wasn’t to wash out the fur color (which can happen if you take a photo in the noon sun on a clear day).

Lastly, based on Suerat, I ask myself this final question:

• What is the color of the shadows? The color of the shadows is also dependent on the color of the light shining on the subject. That is because when light hits, it refracts all around the subject. You won’t see it as clearly because of the shadow, but it is still there. That is why I put blue-violet in my shadows. I will delve more into this topic under tip #3.

2. Consider the temperature and intensity of the color when rendering values and distance in space

For a quick refresher on warm and cool colors, check out this graphic below from Green Leaf & Blueberry’s website.

You can use warm and cool colors to represent space in a landscape. The color theorist, Goethe, says that warm colors advance and cool recede. This tip will seem simple compared to #1, but I figured you’d appreciate an easy win after that deep dive.

For the piece above, “By the River’s Edge”, the snowy mountains recede into the background because they are blue. As you approach the foreground, the colors are warm.

If you are using a reference photograph, as I did, it will probably capture this phenomenon on its own. But you can feel free to amp up the differences using color to make the piece unique and stand out even more.

An additional tip is to remember that your eye won’t discern a lot of contrast when things are further away in the distance. So make sure you use less contrast where you want to convey distance. I also used this strategy with the vegetation in this artwork. I blurred out the trees in the background and was more careful to draw details of the grass in the foreground.

Again, you can play with this technique in your artwork. In the reference photo for this painting, the mountains were more dim in the background. I played them up a bit more to make them stand out because I wanted them to have a bigger role in the piece.

3. Examine how light bounces around as it is reflected off of objects

It’s helpful to understand how light reacts with your subject matter to render it properly. Look at this diagram to understand this concept.

The key parts of this diagram I want to discuss are the reflected light and the double-reflected light. When you are studying your reference photograph, try to determine where these are on your subject. You may not be able to see them very clearly, but you can play with putting them in your artwork to make them stand out more. It will provide interest in your piece.

Consider the sphere below.

You likely already use this principle intuitively. It explains why you might incorporate the same shades of blue from a sky into the water below or in the snow. This is because both water and snow reflect the sky's colors.

Now, apply this concept to other subjects and consider how much they might reflect the colors of their surroundings. I find this consideration enjoyable, as it can add more interest and create a greater sense of cohesion in your artwork.

Let’s look at an example of how I used this in a colored pencil pet portrait.

Whenever I draw an animal in the grass, I always add some of the same green to the underparts of the animal because the color of the grass is being reflected off of the fur.

Note that I used green under Jackson’s chin on the shadow parts of his left leg and under his belly. I also saw the reflected red color from his collar on his white fur.

Again with the idea, feel free to play it up to make your piece more interesting. If you open your eyes to reflected light, you will begin to see it everywhere.

4. Use Complementary colors in the lights and shadows

Goethe understood that the human brain seeks to make sense of light and shadow. He said that shadows are truly gray due to the lack of light, but we see them as the complementary color of the light that is beaming on the object. So for example, if I am looking at a white cone bathed in green light, the shadow side will appear red.

This is another fun idea that I have been toying with. I find it boring to use browns and grays in the shadow. My older pieces look more dull before I started to put this idea into practice.

I decided to put Goethe to the test when I drew “Three Little Pigs In Hog Heaven”, I used blues in the shadowed areas of the orange fur. It felt very odd to try it, but I think it looks good.

At the top of the blog in the painting “Birds of A Feather” I used reds and greens, oranges and blues, and yellows and purples.

You can also use split complementary colors for the highlights and shadowed parts. For example, if you have an orange subject, try adding some purple in the shadows. It’s a lovely color combination.

I am still practicing and experimenting with this method, but it’s quite liberating to break free from grays all the time. I’ll keep you updated as I progress on this front.

5. Don’t worry about exactly matching the hue to the reference photograph

Perhaps you don't need this advice, but I certainly do. I often remind myself of this while creating.

I consider myself a realistic artist for several reasons: I aim to mimic the beauty I observe, I have keen attention to detail, and I’m willing to invest time into my art to ensure it looks realistic.

These traits sometimes make me a perfectionist, which can hinder creativity. I need to remember that I’m not a printer; my goal isn't to replicate something precisely. Instead, I strive to highlight what I admire and share that with others.

This means I don't need to choose the exact color of my subject. There have been times when I've been frustrated about not having the perfect hue. Ultimately, I don’t believe this is crucial. I find that if I focus on rendering values accurately—ensuring that my lights are light enough and my darks are dark enough—that's what truly matters.

So, perhaps you need this reminder too: Concentrate on your values most, and hopefully, you’ll feel freer to experiment with color.

(If you need a refresher on value- click here: How To Improve Your Artwork In One Step)

Conclusion

Mastering Color Theory isn't just about understanding the science of color; it’s about embracing the journey of artistic expression. By studying how light influences the hues we see and incorporating those insights into our artwork, we can create more dynamic and cohesive pieces. Remember, the true essence of art lies in interpretation and personal expression, not in perfect replication. As you continue to explore and experiment with color, I hope this knowledge empowers you to push boundaries and discover your unique voice as an artist.

Leave a comment if this blog resonates with you or if you have any questions. I’d love to hear your thoughts below!