3 Properties of Color Artists Should Know

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Where do I even start learning about color theory? What is the difference between hue, value and saturation? How can I start incorporating this information into my practice so that my art can improve?

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It's essential for any artist looking to bring color into their work, to learn about Color Theory.

Color Theory is an art fundamental which, includes the psychology and science behind color, the color wheel, color schemes, color temperature and more. 

A great place to start is by understanding the difference between the three main properties of color, which are color (or hue), value (or tone) and saturation (or chroma). 

Understanding the difference between these properties will help you prepare for your new pieces more successfully and create much better results. 


In the following video I explain everything you have to know and also provide exercises that you can start incorporating into your art practice that will help you improve faster. 
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The Three Properties of Color

Three properties of Color.

1. Hue/Color

Hue and color are terms that can be used interchangeably.

The term refers to the color itself, whether its Red, Red-Orange, Blue, Blue-Purple, etc.

If you're using paint, you can refer to different colors by their names (Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Quinacridone Gold, Cadmium Red, etc.). 

There are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colors in a 12-part color wheel.

Primaries are: Blue, Red, Yellow

Secondaries are: Purple, Green, Orange *These are mixtures of two Primaries.

Tertiaries are: Yellow-Green, Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Purple, Blue-Purple, and Blue-Green. *The are mixtures of a Primary and a Secondary. 

​Colors can also be warm or cool. 

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2. Value/Tone

Value and tone are terms that can be used interchangeably. It refers to the lightness to darkness of a color. 

Value plays a huge role in creating depth in a drawing or painting. 

In order to create a believable sense of depth, and light and shadow in drawings/paintings, we need a wide range of values, (from lightest light areas, to a wide range of midtones, to darkest darks). 

Value is also important, even in art that is not representational or figurative (abstract art), because it helps us create contrast.

Developing tonal contrast leads to visually striking results that pull the viewer in. 

If you enjoy drawing or painting anything representational or figurative (still life, landscapes, portraits, etc.), it is essential to be able to discern between lighter areas, darker areas and midtones, in whatever it is you are observing.

This way, you can capture value relationships successfully. 

When you're starting to develop this skill, it is very helpful to practice with black and white photos where all the different colors have been turned into grayscale. 


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​3. Saturation/Chroma

Saturation or Chroma refers to a color's level of purity or intensity.

A color straight out of a pan or tube is at its most saturated, and when you start mixing other colors in, it becomes less saturated. 

When you mix a color with an analogous color (next to it in the color wheel), it will stay quite saturated. 

When you mix a color with its complementary (opposite to it in the color wheel), it will become desaturated. 

Complementary colors mute each other down and can also create browns or grays, depending on how much of each you're mixing together. 

When you're working on a drawing or painting, and you're looking for bright/intense colors, try to avoid mixing colors that are far apart in the color wheel, especially complementaries. 

*If you're painting, keep complementary colors separate from each other on your mixing palette to avoid muting your colors by accident. You can keep warm color mixtures separate from cool color mixtures as you're working to keep things organized. 

If you're working with watercolor, change your water often and make sure you're rinsing out your paint brush bristles in between colors, too.  



Thanks for reading and enjoy your art practice!

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