Teaching Color Theory used to frustrate me. Until I realized there was a better way.

The easiest way to discover color is through painting.

And learning that way has the added benefit of being easier to remember since most of us in the arts are kinesthetic and visual learners.

I’ve made a list below of 7 key points for learning to use color effectively in your paintings. Be sure to try them out and they’ll make even more sense.

#1 Start with great paint. Buy the best you can afford. You’ll get better results quicker and more easily. Once you get used to a color that’s made by a certain brand, keep buying it in that brand. There’s a big difference from brand to brand.

#2 Use a limited palette with a warm and a cool version of each primary. Fewer tubes of paint are easier to control when you’re starting out. It’ll also be easier to keep your color schemes harmonious when you’re mixing your colors from these primaries.

Ultramarine Blue

Phthalo Blue

Napthol Red (Cad. Red)

Napthol Crimson (Al. Cr.)

Yellow Ochre

Indian Yellow

Titanium White

#3 Understand the Four Aspects of Color: hue, value, intensity and temperature.

Hue – the color’s position on the spectrum, the wavelength of the light, (the color name)

Value – the lightness or darkness of a color

Intensity – the brightness or dullness of a color

Temperature – the apparent warmth or coolness of a color

#4 Create color harmony (the pleasing relationship of hues) by picking a definite color scheme and mixing your colors before beginning to paint. By using a color scheme, you’re selecting hue intentionally and being sensitive to how they interact with each other. And if you mix ahead, you’ll know how the colors are going to interact with each other.

#5 Use strong contrast in value to define form and depth. Mix three variations in value of each color. Make sure that there is a significant difference between them so that the illusion of depth will be created. If you’re having trouble seeing the true value of the color you’re observing, try snapping a quick photo and converting it to greyscale.

#6 If you want a strong sense of light use optical, not local color. Optical color is closer to the way our eyes work and is based on how the color of light interacts with the physical color of the object.

#7 The Secret Sauce: Don’t forget the neutral colors. They make the intense colors sing. In other words, don’t forget to use contrast in intensity as well as the others.