The Secrets to Drawing: Color
Lesson Description
Lesson Seventeen of The Secrets to Drawing Course introduces students to the exciting world of color. Color adds vibrancy, emotion, and depth to artwork, transforming a drawing from a study of form and value into a fully realized composition. In this lesson, students learn the fundamental principles of color, including the color wheel, color values, and color schemes, and explore how to apply these concepts in their drawings to create harmony and visual impact.
Introduction to the Color Wheel
The lesson begins with an introduction to the color wheel, a visual tool that organizes colors in a circular format, helping artists understand relationships between hues. Matt Fussell explains the three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—and how they combine to create secondary colors such as orange, green, and purple. Tertiary colors, produced by mixing primary and secondary hues, are also covered, showing students how to expand their palette.
Understanding the color wheel allows students to identify complementary colors, analogous colors, and other combinations that can create balance and harmony in their artwork. Matt emphasizes that knowledge of the color wheel is not only a technical skill but also a creative tool for developing mood, contrast, and unity in a drawing.
Exploring Color Values
Next, the lesson focuses on color values, which refer to the lightness or darkness of a color. Matt demonstrates how adjusting the value of a color can create the illusion of depth, volume, and form, similar to shading with graphite or charcoal. Lighter values suggest highlights, while darker values indicate shadows, helping to make objects appear three-dimensional.
Understanding Color Schemes
The lesson then introduces color schemes, which are systematic approaches to combining colors to achieve a harmonious effect. Matt discusses several common color schemes:
- Monochromatic: Variations of a single color, creating subtlety and unity.
- Complementary: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel, producing strong contrast and visual interest.
- Analogous: Colors next to each other on the color wheel, creating a cohesive, harmonious look.
- Triadic: Three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel, balancing contrast and harmony.
Benefits of Studying Color
Understanding color is essential for any artist seeking to create compelling and expressive work. Mastering the color wheel, values, and color schemes equips students to make deliberate, informed choices that enhance their drawings. Color adds emotional resonance, guides the viewer’s eye, and strengthens the overall composition, making artwork more engaging and dynamic.
Expanding Artistic Expression with Color
By the end of Lesson Seventeen, students have a strong foundation in color theory and practical application. They understand the color wheel, how to use color values to create depth, and how to select and apply harmonious color schemes. This lesson expands the creative possibilities of drawing, enabling students to enhance both the technical and expressive qualities of their work. Mastery of color allows artists to transform their drawings, adding vibrancy, mood, and visual interest that engages viewers and communicates their artistic vision effectively.
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Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.
Wow! A lot of information here, but learning about color was fun.
For all I love doing black & white pencil artworks, I’m also intrigued with colour and this lesson was quite fascinating especially how colours affect our emotions which I knew a bit about but it’s still fascinating all the same.
Good video!
Very good explanation, as well as interesting. Thanks a lot Matt, very good job. You are a fantastic teacher!
Thank you .. very clear and easy to follow description of color and how it is used… loved this lesson
Superb
Kinda simplistic presentation of just one out of many color theories. Newton invented this color wheel for light rays – not for paints. Artists use pigments, not light for painting. Pigments are much more complicated atomic light filters than is the monochromatic light assumed for color theories. And of course red or blue can be mixed: just add magenta and cyan to the palette. And finally, color only is a mental experience produced solely by our nervous system and a few types of photo receptors in the eyes. Considering all this, any artist who sticks to a color theory puts a lid on his or her artistic reservoir.
I find this very difficult to understand, too much information.
I usually use Titanium white but what black do you recommend? Blacks can be mixtures of different colours. Say for instance – Paynes Grey. Thanks.
Hi Gerry,
For mixing paints, you may try Ivory Black. Payne’s Grey is really a dark cool grey, but also works nicely for darkening colors.
Great lesson! Liked it)
Sure wish I could pick the lesson I want instead of being forced to just the next one.
Hi Donald,
You can. Just click on the “Curriculum” tab under the video. All the lessons from the course are listed. Just click on the one that you wish to watch.