My obsession with color wheels

I love flowers; they are everywhere! They bring me great joy and put a smile on my face. Every season and even two weeks apart, there are new flowers popping up on the same walk I take near my home. Even in winter there are flowers!

Snapdragons, sunflowers, pansies, marigolds, snowdrops, the list is endless. The ones I love grow in places you wouldn’t expect, like a crack in the sidewalk or a barren stretch of sandy beach. Look even closer and you’ll see that Mother Nature is using color in familiar combinations. Analogous selections of yellows and orange (think sunflower), reds with pops of contrasting white (dahlias & geraniums), and perfect compliments of purple and yellow like in a pansy. I think she invented color theory long before it was identified and broken down into a handy color wheel.

I have always struggled with selecting a color palette. There are so many colors so choosing a few seems overwhelming. The color wheel is limited to basic color mixes and if I want something else I turn to my color chart (insert photo) for help. Even though my color chart Is done using my watercolors I can still use it as a guide to mix acrylics of similar or different names. Making color charts is time consuming especially if you want to cross reference every color you have ever bought!

There must be another way! Most of the color mixing I’ve done is using 2 colors. So what would happen if I used just one color? A color wheel using just one color? Why not! I had a brand new small journal and drew a simple color wheel prepping the page with white gesso for the acrylic paint. (insert photo) I picked a blue paint and mixed it with white for tints, black for shades, and light and dark grays for tones. All these mixes filled the color wheel, yet instead of stopping there I decided to mix the blue with its appropriate compliment. But why stop there! I decided to add 2 more colors to mix with the blue. I chose unbleached titanium and Payne’s gray because I use them a lot.

As I paint in the color wheel I also paint a swatch of it on a scrap piece of paper. (insert photo) Each color wheel is labeled with the brand name & color of paint including the viscosity (HB – heavy body or fluid which is what I use most) plus if the color is warm or cool. Sometimes I write down the pigment codes.

My observations:

1- I discovered that not every yellow is the same even if the name is the same! I had known about the pigment codes but didn’t really understand them until now. Manufacturers (like Golden and Liquitex) will list the pigment codes on the bottle or tube that they used to make them. For example, I had 2 Naples yellow hues. There were subtle yet noticeable differences between the two yellows. Does it matter? That’s a personal choice. I also learned that craft paints usually don’t list pigment codes.

2- It’s one thing to have a book of color wheels but the swatches of scrap paper have become a very useful tool. Sometimes you get a feeling of a color you want to use but need a visual guide to “see” it. On the back of each color swatch I wrote the color & brand name. This way I could look at the swatches without being influenced by names and graphs.

3- Using the color wheels allows me to create color palettes for art when I know what I want but it wasn’t on the standard color wheel. I find that when I use store bought color wheels I feel restrained.

4- Color swatches allow me to discover color palettes that are my own. There are a ton of color palettes online (which are great) but these swatches represent the paint that I have. Sure there's a blue on the color wheel but is it the cerulean blue I have? Different manufacturers with their own pigment combinations can lead to different color mixes.

5- That tube of paint that’s been sitting for 5 years is now my favorite color!

In conclusion:

By doing color wheels, you will develop a 6th sense for color and an ability to put color together. You can select beautiful compliments and color harmonies. Using the same principles on the color wheel you can say to yourself…okay I want a triad of orange, green and violet. Now grab your painted color wheels and swatches and find those 3 colors to make them your own!