By using contrasts effectively, you can create rich, harmonious color. Master these six principles of contrast and you'll be on your way to more expressive painting. Let's start by looking at the contrast of pure hue . When you put pure, bright colors next to each other, they won't clash no matter how many you use or how you combine them. That's why children's and primitive artists' works are usually so vibrant and exciting.
Bright colors express high energy and emotion.
Stained glass, mosaics and Pennsylvania Dutch stencil designs are other good examples of this principle at work. Value contrast sets the tone for color expression. Full-contrast artwork has a complete range of values, from white through midtones to dark, and suggests normal illumination. Middle values usually provide the framework for value painting, with light and dark value contrast giving the work its visual impact. High-key colors, the tints and middle tones at the light end of the value scale, are usually pure colors and convey a feeling of soft, harmonious ambient light.