To talk about colour relationships we must first look at the color wheel. Sir Isaac Newton was first to address colour in a circular diagram in 1666. The current form of color theory was developed by Johannes Itten in the mid 1900's. The way it works is quite easy. There are only three primary colors (figure 1a). Yellow, Red and Blue. This means that all other colors you use to paint will be some combination of these three colours. Mixing two primary colours will give you secondary colours (figure 1b). Mixing secondary colours with primary colours will give
you tertiary colours (figure 1c).

Here are some colour relationships to keep in mind when choosing your background and subject matter.

Primary colours - (Red, blue and yellow) They are the first colours to develop in a infants eye, think of the colours of baby toys. When placed together they are the most aggressive of all colours. Which means they all compete for your attention. They share no similarities because they are pure color. When painting with primary colors you may need to void the rest of the surface area with a neutral color to achieve harmony.

Complementary Contrast - These are colors lye opposite of each other on the colour wheel. They give you the greatest amount of contrast because they share no common colours. Combining complementary colours will boost the visual intensity and seem brighter. You will notice sports logos often use complimentary colour relationships. Vincent VanGogh was a master at using this colour contrast in his work. Research his work and test his colour choices with the colour wheel. Some contrasting colour will have a super natural effect. Its called chromostereopsis or the simultaneous effect. This is when two colours may appear to vibrate, or cast a shadow when they are placed close to one another. You know the saying "red and green should never be seen" well there a reason for that. You see these colours are both competing for your eyes attention. It usually happens when you pair a primary with its contrast on the colour wheel. It makes people feel uncomfortable, it eventually will fatigue the eye and frustrate the viewer.

Warm and Cold Colours - A century after Newton, Johann Wolfgang Goethe began studying psychological effect of colors. He discovered that certain colours of the spectrum communicated the feelings of warm and cold. To convey the feeling of warmth consider using warm colors, they are yellows, oranges, and reds. This is directly linked to what we associate with these colors, mainly fire. Although black is not a colour but a value it is also part of the warm family. Warmer colours also proved to communicate the feelings of excitement and cheerfulness. Like warm colours we associate cold colours with our experience with cold things. An artist will use blues, greens and purples. White is also a value associated with cold colours. Cold colours give us feelings weakness and unsettled feelings.

Monochromatic Relationships - Monochromatic means mono (one) chromatic (color). These one colour relationships are very harmonious and very quiet in nature. They basically work on a dark to light contrast using tints of the same colour.

Analogous - Is simple theory that harmony can be created in by colours by grouping a colour with two of its neighboring colours on a 12 part colour wheel. For example yellow- green, yellow and yellow - orange.

The Power Of Red - There is a primal need to see red. It is a symbol of revolution, love and even fast food. It may stem back to the colour of our blood or the warning of fire. We use red to attract our eyes in everyday life, for example a stop sign. Red is so powerful you can command the eyes to move around a canvas as the viewer unknowingly searches for the red hue in your composition. Use it sparingly it can be over barring at times. . "Red is one of the strongest colors, it's blood, it has a power with the eye." - Keith Haring

Submissiveness of Grey - Grey is a great value to have around. It is about as neutral as you get. It will not compete with colours, so the neighboring colour to grey will seem more vibrant and bright.

Balance of Colour - Why balance colour? Balance will ease the viewer make them appreciate your art and invite them to look at your work for longer periods. The lighter the colour the stronger it will seem visually. To create a balanced colour relationship you must keep this in mind. The combination of purple and yellow should be equal right? They are both complimentary colours and both very intense. But you need more purple to balance a small amount of yellow. The lightness vrs the darkness is what we are dealing with here. Its called the "property of extension".

Note. To have the strongest colours in painting the least amount you mix your pre-made paints the better. The integrity of the colour in your paint will weaken as you add more and more different colours to the mix. I try not to mix more than three colours together at a time.