An artist must have a deep understanding of color theory to create expressive and harmonious works. There are several key aspects that they need to know.
Firstly, the color wheel: the artist must understand how colors are arranged on the wheel and how they interact with each other. This includes knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as their relationships. The color wheel is the foundation of color theory.
Secondly, color schemes – the use of color combinations that are visually pleasing and create balance: analogous, complementary, and triadic. The artist should be able to create color combinations for their works.
Thirdly, understanding contrast for greater expressiveness, and the different types of contrast: in hue, saturation, and temperature.
Additionally, the artist should understand how color temperature affects the perception of a painting. For example, red, orange, and yellow create a sense of warmth, energy, and attract attention, while blue, green, and purple create a sense of calm, coolness, and distance.
Moreover, it is important for the artist to know the psychological properties of each color and how to use them to convey the mood and idea of the painting.
However, knowing color theory alone is not enough. The artist must experiment with colors, create sketches and studies to better understand how different color combinations work in practice.
Understanding and applying color theory makes the artist’s work more professional and helps convey the concept and emotional message to the viewer.