Series 27: BALANCING COLOR

A Color S-Curve – S27L4

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This lesson is S27L4, A Color S-Curve of the BALANCING  COLOR series.  Using the same scene she used in Lesson 3 of this Series,  Dianne shows another way to create color balance by distributing a single color within an s-curve visual path throughout the scene.  This technique is especially useful when painting nature scenes where there is an isolated cluster of brilliant color.

We balance color by how we distribute it throughout the canvas, whether by proportions, by repetition or a combination of the two.  Four major kinds of color balance are symmetrical, asymetrical, radial and mosaic.  This series explores four traditional uses of asymetical color balance.

 Rather than becoming refined paintings, all these lessons are studies, each showing a different concept for dealing with balancing color.  Lessons Two is built on the study done in Lesson One.  Lessons Three and Four are independent studies.  If mastered, these four concepts can help any artist eliminate imbalanced color from their paintings.

With every brushstroke we make, we are composing.  Just as with any creation, we begin with a structure, then as the art work begins we place shapes and colors according the concept with which we are working.  But the time comes when we move to a different level of thinking and decision-making–that moment when our intention becomes to bring clarity and resolution to the work.

Among Dianne’s passions about painting and teaching painting is how composing principles can expand creative freedom if the artist transcends the “rule” idea and instead, transforms the principle into a tool that opens creative doors.

Read Dianne’s Compose blog posts HERE.  Visit Dianne’s website and example her work HERE.  And visit her YouTube Channel with dozens of Quick Tips HERE.