Questions tagged [color]
For questions about the general nature of color and color theories, but not about the process of applying color to works. For the latter, use the specific medium tag (e.g. [watercolor], [oil-paint], [chalk-pastels]).
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colour mixing for a still life with apples
As a beginner hobbyist painter (using acrylics at the moment), I am trying to learn the basics and do some practice, and found the videos made by a US guy ('Paint Coach') very instructive.
I have 2 ...
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Creating a harmonious color wheel based on a new color system
For my current project, I'm trying to create a harmonious color scheme.
When looking at the tools like "Analogous colors" provided on new-age color wheels (RGB, CMYK, CIA Lab, CIA UV) I'm ...
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Giving epoxy resin an opaque color
I have project in which I want to use epoxy resin. I want to get a white non-transparent color, pretty solid though, and I was wondering if acrylic paint is a good option to mix into the resin?
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How to blend black to grey for dark paintings?
I am new to oil paintings and I have found that black is very difficult to work with. I’d like to do some dark/goth paintings but I’m having trouble making the black blend to grey. The transition ...
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Why are RGB and CMY the primary colors?
The RGB color model is supposed to describe how additive color works, and the CMY model how subtractive color works. But a number of things don't add up, some even appearing to violate laws of ...
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How to completely dye or tint or color clear transparency sheet?
I was planning to make numerous custom bound journals where I use a piece of transparency film as the protective cover around all my pages and would also be bound with the pages.
Part of my idea was ...
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What do the terms "lineist" and "colorist" mean in reference to painting styles?
An art student said, "I didn't use to like Picasso because I thought he's just a lineist." The pronunciation was LIN-ee-ist, in contrast with "colorist."
I do not find "...
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How to mix paint given a hex color code?
I want to replicate a color scheme that is given in Hex codes (RGB, equivalently) - example here.
Given that I have red, yellow, blue, white and black paint, how am I supposed to systematically ...
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Blocking Acrylic Yarn
How do you block acrylic yarn?
I just finished a beautiful Celtic Cable neck warmer with Lion Brand Heartland Tweed yarn, which is acrylic, and I want to make some for my friends for the holidays, but ...
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Are there any downsides when painting with a cyan-magenta-yellow palette instead of the traditional yellow-blue and-red?
From what I've read, theoretically all colours can be mixed to a higher level of saturation when done using a CYM pallete, especially for magentas and hot pinks. Is this true? Can a limited palette of ...
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Is there such a thing as squeezing your values?
I was reading the answers to What does it mean to “push your values”?. The accepted answer shows that when working with a narrow range of values "the image looks hazy as though looking through a ...
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Question about subtractive color mixing
I've been reading about subtractive and additive color mixing and one thing is still confusing me. When I mix red paint, which reflects red light and absorbs all other light, with white paint, I get ...
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How to mix burnt umber with the 3 primaries and black/white
For the last 2 sessions I have been trying really hard to create a deep brown/deep red fur.
I have gone back and forth many times trying to create this colour but feel I am just mixing something so ...
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How to tell which way a colour is leaning?
I'm only just now learning how to best estimate less or more vibrant colours and a large part of this seems to be to see what colours make up the secondary colours being used to mix.
I'm finding it ...
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What colour is a mix of two perfectly proportioned complementary colours?
I am still on my journey in colour. I'm currently sitting at my desk so I'm unable to test the following myself: if I add a colour's complementary colour to "meet in the middle", as it were, would ...
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Why do complementary colours desaturate each other?
I'm only just recently getting into colour theory, and so far I have found this to be the most shocking and confusing part.
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What is the name of the palette that apprentice painters would use? [closed]
I remember reading about a very limited palette of colors that apprentice painters would use in the 16th century ishly. Apparently, it was made of readily available, cheap pigments, which is why an ...
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How does light affect saturation?
Based on my current knowledge, light increases the saturation of a color. If that's the case, then the form shadow of an object should have lower saturation than the part of the object hit by light (...
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Is there a method for setting up my palette on axes by Hue, Value, and Intensity?
I'm a very technical person, even with painting.
I wanted to set up my palette like a graph so that it does not become messy, no matter what color I want to mix. This is not an issue if I was only ...
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What are the differences between different black oil paints?
Assuming they are all the same grade (let's assume professional grade to simplify the question), what makes one better for one purpose or another? I understand that there are a variety to choose from: ...
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Why do some artists use narrow tonal ranges?
Why do some artists use narrow tonal ranges in their paintings? What is the advantage?
Some examples:
One art writer I read writes that a narrow tonal range produces a "metaphysical" feel to the ...
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Can I be a painter as a colorblind person?
Based on the results of this online test and previous, "normal" (doctor-aided) tests, I have red-green color blindness ('protanomaly'). As for real life experience, I don't think it's very ...
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What are requirements for ballpoint/rollerball colour pens for art-grade drawing?
Some days ago I saw incredible coloured pen-drawings in some exhibition. I would like to try this medium myself. But before buying some pens I would like to get some requirements for ballpoint/...
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How to make a skin or golden color in nail paint?
I have different nail paint colors, but I don't have skin or golden. Is it possible to make these colors by using two or more different nail paints?
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Remove or hide red colour from trackpad on laptop [closed]
I have this Lenovo Y720 laptop which got an overall black design, but this one red square is driving me nuts. Is there a way to paint it black or some vinyl I can add? There are no skins for it.
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What type of color should I use to color my shoes? [closed]
I want to color my old shoes but I'm not sure what type of color will be long lasting, so the color won't be washed away when it rains or when I wash them.
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How do I get a punchy acrylic paint colour?
I am diving in abstract painting but my acrylic colors are not alive.
My reds are sleeping, my blue and green vivacity are even worse. The only one that do it are my black and white. Mmm.
I know I ...
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Why do pencils offer a larger color variety than watercolors?
Please correct me if I am wrong, but from what I observe, you can easily get 100-150 colours in a set of pencils, but if you go for sets of watercolors, there's rarely more than 24-36.
Why so?
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Color sequence of a sunset
Hi what I'm trying to do is some "light art" with simulating a sunset. For that I'm able to create all colors and fading between them in different speeds.
But what I'm missing is the actual color ...
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Need advice on a color that matches this color theory [closed]
I’m currently working on an art project and came to a barrier. I need to implement a third color that is asssociated with one another based on the color wheel and color theory, to these colors as ...
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What is a good color contrast for these pillars
I plan to paint below photo.
What color is a good contrast to the color of the pillars.
I will re-color the lady's sari accordingly
Right now, the lady's sari almost seems to blend in with ...
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I am currently struggling with drawing and coloring
As the title says it all, I honestly do not understand what is going on with my drawings.
What I am saying is that I need help with someone who can explain to me what I am doing wrong with my ...
user4606
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Rockstar theme background to enhance hand-drawn Painting [closed]
I wish to paint the following by hand (oil pastels)
He has this rockstar aura, yet the background can use improvement.
What colors, shapes, etc can I use to make this a rock-star theme painting.
...
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Using colored pencils, is it better to ink the outline, or start coloring over it?
For colored pencil art, is it better to ink over your initial pencil outline, or just start coloring over your pencil outline? And if I just color over the outline, how can I avoid smudging the ...
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What is a split primary palette?
I'm looking at building out a gouache palette and I came across the term "split primary" palette. What is that and why would I want to have that?
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What's the difference between a pigment and a dye?
When it comes to art, I see both terms quite frequently, but nobody ever really stops to explain the difference. What, then, is the difference between a pigment and a dye? Is it source? Usage? Or ...
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Dim lighting with colored pencils
I asked a similar question to this recently (Shading dark scenes) but this time I want to know how I can get a colored pencil drawing to look very shadowy and dark.
How do I color the picture where ...
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How to best judge grey values for paintings?
Seeing colors as black and white values is an essential skill in classical paintings. Yet art manuals and instructors usually only recommend to squint and, at most, to buy a grey scale.
Lame!
This ...
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Reliably identify the local color of a subject in non-white light?
I'm beginning to work with color, after a decade of using blacks and grays only.
There are helpful tools, such as gray/value finder cards that you hold up to your subject to get a good feel for ...
user24
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When working in a visual medium, how do I avoid incorrect color?
Sometimes, when working on a drawing or painting at home, the final result will look incorrect when shown outside or in different light. How can I ensure color correctness when working on my art?
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