Color surrounds us, and while it seems simple, it really is quite complex. The way we see color is largely affected by the colors and light that surround it. Understanding these relationships requires a knowledge of color theory. Color theory can be taught quite easily by using activities to understand the basic principles.
Creating a Color Wheel
A color wheel is the underpinning of color theory. This wheel helps to diagram how colors relate to one another and define complementary colors. A color wheel should consist of a circle divided into at least six equal pie-shaped pieces. The primary colors, red, yellow and blue should be filled into every other pie piece in that order. In between these colors, the pie pieces should be filled in with the secondary colors: orange, green and purple. To create the secondary colors, mix equal parts of the two colors surrounding the blank pie shape. For example, the blank shape in between red and yellow will be filled with a mixture of the two colors creating orange.
Primary Color Painting
Understanding primary colors is important in color theory. Create a painting using only the three primary colors. As the painting evolves, the colors will mix together to create the secondary colors. Adding some white and black to the painting will help to extend the colors into a fuller range and add depth to the painting. Aim to create this painting based on a simple still life of white shapes, so the focus is on understanding the combination of the colors and not the content or composition of the painting.
Secondary Color Painting
A complementary color is the color directly across from one color on the color wheel. For a secondary color, it is the color that was not used to create it. The complementary color for purple is yellow. Combining a primary color with its complement creates a grey color. This can be used to help with shading when painting. Complementary colors used together also have a large impact due to the presence of the two colors. Create a painting using a color and it's complement only. This will help to reveal the relationship of the colors and the impact the two can have with one another. Similar to the primary color painting, this should first be done using a basic still life so the relationship of colors is the focus.
Tags: color color, primary colors, secondary colors, blank shape, Color Painting, color theory