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Lesson 3 Complimentary, Warm, and Cool Colors Add Variety

Objective:

Discover how complementary colors can add atmospheric depth and vibrancy and help separate the background and foreground subjects.

Paint Peach Roses – The Harmony of Complementary Colors
https://www.masteroilpainting.com/how-to-paint-peach-roses-in-5-steps/
Step 1
Step 1 – paint peach roses – The background washes were accomplished in two basic steps
The background washes were painted in two basic steps – starting with thin washes of light value, cool color temperature blues and tans, and then adding some quick bravura brushstrokes to mimic leaves and ambiguous distant plants.
The cool bluish greens are meant to complement the orange and red (peach) colors of the roses. Using complementary color wheel opposites will help the peach roses pop forward toward the viewer while the background colors fade farther into the distance. It helps put much of the visual emphasis on the roses.
Step 2
When my background is created with abandon, focusing on fun rhythmic movement of shapes and textures with thinner transparent brush strokes, and meant to be done in one application and then left, I am much more careful with the initial drawing and hesitant to make major changes because of the complexity of recreating the spontaneous feeling that is created in those loose layers.
Unfortunately, this was a case of ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’. I soon realized I had placed the roses too close to the left side, which threw off the compositional balance, and would have left an uncomfortable tangent between a future frame and the farthest petal edge of my left-side rose.
So, using my paper towel, I said a tearful goodbye to those roses and began moving them to the right a bit.
Step 2 – paint peach roses – my background is created with abandon, focusing on fun rhythmic movement of shapes and textures
Peonies – Begin with Simple Color Washes – Then Get Messy
10 Steps to Your Own Peony Masterpiece w/ Fast Motion | Master Oil Painting
Step 1
When a scene has a fairly tight range of colors I often determine if one or two main colors will work for the undertone or initial washes. Since the subject had a lot of greens and lavenders I decided to start with a warm yellowish color mixed from transparent oxide yellow, transparent oxide orange and some cad lemon for the top where the sky would be and added some transparent oxide red for the bottom wash. I knew that bits of complementary reddish-brown colors would still be visible behind the green leaves when the painting was finished and would create a beautiful harmony.
Step 2
Then I used simple strokes of color to indicate the general placement of the different spaces in the painting – the distant trees, peony bush shadows, foreground grasses and the shed window. Try to keep your brushstrokes varied in the early stages – different sizes and directions – to add energy and movement right away to the painting.
Step 3
A paper towel or rag is very handy to wipe back down to lower layers of paint or to the white of the panel, to establish a bright clean area for each of the translucent colorful flowers. I generally leave a little of the background colors on the edges to help integrate the flowers with the rest of the painting – that way the flowers don’t feel like cardboard cutouts.