Introduction

Sometimes you know what you want to paint but, you really can’t figure out what colours you want to use. This is something I struggle with, usually I have a hard time picking colours that go together and look nice. I like warm undertones rather than cool undertones. This may sound peculiar but, I like connecting to my colours. They should connect to me at a personal level, whether it relates to my favourite season or even the colour of my bed sheets. After a while of research and time, I finally how to pick good colours; colour wheels, or if you are desperate, use colour calculators. This one is good: https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/

These are the Colour Schemes that I use:

Monochromatic

Monochromatic colours are all of a single hue/tone, just choose one colour and you are done! Let’s say that you have chosen blue, you would also use the lighter or darker shade of that colour. Although it lacks colour contrast, it makes your painting look clean and smooth, since they are from the same shade, this is nice because the colours go together and look calming. It also allows you to comfortably alter the darkness and lightness of your colours.

Complementary

Complementary, it’s all in the name, the colours complement each other. This scheme presents a large amount of colour contrast. Pick two colours, use of two colors directly across from each other on the color wheel and suitable tints of those colors. Using these tints can create a bright and radiant look or a soothing and sophisticated look, it all depends on the colours. The colours could be blue and orange (opposite sides of the palette) or, pink and green. Thinking about those colours may sound unusual but, once you actually start your painting then they will complement each other.

Analogous

This one has to be my favourite among them all. This scheme uses colours that pleasingly balance out. This scheme is formed by pairing one main color with the two colors directly next to it on the color wheel. Colours like, red, orange and yellow, these colours are right next to each other on the colour wheel and complement each other tremendously. There are drawbacks though, everything has a drawback, and so does this scheme. When painting try to avoid using too many analogous colours. This might just make the meaning of the painting fade, this is because there will be too much going on in your painting. There will be too many colours and will ruin the flow of the particular area, having too much isn’t always a good thing. Aside from the drawback, analogous structures, and I can’t stress this enough, are meant for softer and lighter colours! I find it extremely annoying when people use such vibrant and high contrasting colours, it’s just too much for my eyes… please, please for the love of god, don’t use vibrant colours, the only thing you will accomplish is making people’s eyes HURT!

(Unless you’re amazing at art and can somehow pull that off, then kudos to you!)

Conclusion

These aren’t the only colour schemes, there are a few different ones that are equally as good. The three that I wrote about just happen to be my favourite, do some research on your own and figure out what scheme connects to you the most!

Website Citation:

“Color Wheel – Color Calculator.” Sessions College, http://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/.