Painting with a bold color palette can be a lot of fun, and it's a great way to get started in the world of art.
Whether you're just beginning to paint or you're an experienced artist looking for new colors to try out, consider using blue and orange as part of your color scheme.
These two colors may seem like they'd be difficult to work together, but they actually complement each other perfectly. In this post we'll go over some tips on how to use blue and orange together as well as how other colors might fit into your painting (hint: don't forget about lighting!).
Bold colors are a great way to make a statement!
Bold colors are a great way to make a statement in your painting. When you're using bold colors, it's important that you don't go too crazy with them.
You can use bright shades of the same color (for example, hot pink and red), but I would recommend staying away from mixing two or more different hues together unless they are very similar in tone.
For example, if you have purple flowers in your picture and want them to stand out against a background of yellow/green grass, then use a muted shade of purple rather than an intense one.
Bold colors are also used to create mood: for example, if you want your picture to look dark and gloomy (as opposed to upbeat), then using deep blues and purples is a great way for you to achieve this effect!
Using a blue and orange color palette allows for the warmth of orange and the coolness of blue to play off each other.
Blue and orange are complementary colors. This means that blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel. They are also warm and cool colors, respectively.
It's a common misconception that reds, yellows, and blues comprise a palette of warm colors while greens, violets and purples make up a palette of cool ones although this is often true when using these hues in isolation from each other (you can read more about this here).
A better way to think about it is that certain palettes contain more warm hues than others; for example: greens have more green in them than magenta does purple so if you want your painting to feel cooler then that's what you should use instead!
When you're just getting started painting, try adding more of one color than the other.
- Try adding more blue than orange. For example, if you like a darker shade of blue, add it to your orange and see how it looks when mixed with the same amount of orange as was used in the first mixture (the one without any black).
- Try adding more orange than blue. Again, use equal amounts of each color and then increase or decrease the amounts for different results.
- Try adding equal amounts of both colors at once - mix them together but don't add any black or white! See what happens when you do this with each combination—you might find a whole new style that fits your tastes better!
Painting with analogous colors, which are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, is a great way to begin because it will give your eye something familiar to hold on to as you discover new colors.
To start painting with a blue and orange color palette, you should use analogous colors. Analogous colors are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
This will give your eye something familiar to hold on to as you discover new colors and learn how they interact with each other.
For example, if you're using red paint in one part of your painting and another color in another part of your painting, it can be difficult for the viewer's eyes to know where one starts and where one ends.
If instead we use analogous colors, like red with orange or purple (which is closer than blue), then our eyes find it easier to follow along because we'll recognize where one begins before it blends into another:
Consider creating a gradient of colors if you want more freedom in your painting.
If you want to create a dynamic painting, consider creating a gradient of colors. The gradients can help you create depth in your paintings, texture, and even contrast.
To create a gradient in your painting, start by drawing a horizontal line on the canvas with blue paint.
Then take another sponge brush and dip it into orange paint. Starting at the top of the canvas, drag your wet brush across the surface of the blue paint until you have covered as much as possible with orange paint.
Make sure that there aren’t any sections left untouched by either color! Repeat this step until there is no more visible blue left in your brush stroke area or palette knife application area (if applicable).
If you've never painted before, you might want to create a mood board and gather your favorite blue and orange artwork together. Choosing artwork you like will inspire your own paintings and help guide your color choices.
If you’re new to painting, it might help to create a mood board of images that inspire you.
By gathering together your favorite blue and orange artworks and arranging them in a collage or Pinterest board, you can get an idea of how other artists have used this color palette before.
You will find that many artists pair these colors together because they are complementary; they balance each other out and make for visually striking artwork.
Sometimes it's helpful to look at photos or paintings that have neutral colors like brown or gray too. These can provide balance when using bold colors in your art.
If you're using a lot of blue and orange, it can be helpful to look at photos or paintings that have neutral colors like brown or gray too. These can provide balance when using bold colors in your art.
Brown is associated with earth and nature, which makes it a good choice for complementing the bright tones of blue and orange in your painting.
Brown is also known as an earth color and therefore gives paintings a grounded feeling. It's not just used for landscapes though brown can be used to create depth within any type of painting by adding shadows or highlights so the viewer feels like they're looking into space rather than just at a flat surface (a technique known as chiaroscuro).
Gray is often used as an alternative to black since it doesn't absorb light as much as black does (which means if you want something to appear darker than white but lighter than black, gray would probably be best).
Gray also creates mood better than any other color; people often associate it with sadness but this isn't always true gray has been shown to evoke feelings such as hope, longing and nostalgia depending on how it's used within a composition!
Don't forget about lighting! Once you've picked colors for your painting, take some time to see how these colors look in different lights. Some colors may look beautiful when shaded but not quite right in bright light, for example. Learning about what works for your painting is part of the fun!
It's important to remember that color doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's not just the color of your painting, but also its placement and relationship with other colors that matters.
Make sure you're painting in a space where you can see what the work looks like under different lights this will tell you if a given color combination works as well as it should.
Some may look beautiful when shaded, but not quite right in bright light, for example; or some might be too jarringly bright for the mood of your piece. Learning about what works for your painting is part of the fun!
Working with bold colors in your art can be fun!
The bold colors in this piece make it stand out, and you can use these same techniques to make your own art look bold and beautiful.
This is a great way to start using color if you’re new to painting. Just remember that the brighter the color, the more attention-grabbing it will be!
Conclusion
When you're just getting started painting, try adding more of one color than the other. This can help you get used to playing with color saturation or blending colors together before going full-on blue and orange.
