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In learning Color Theory I am looking into different color relationships. There is a relationship between local color, (the color of an object), the tonal colors, (the color changed by light and shadow), and reflected color, (the color of the environment.) On a large canvas this is very noticeable as large areas can be painted and the subtle nuances can be identified. It is 'blown up', so to speak. But on a miniature these colors must be exaggerated to bring out the definition, so I am experimenting with ways to create these nuances in an exaggerated manner. The best place to start was with Color Harmony.
Color Harmony is best described as Colors That Look Good Together. This is based primarily on the knowledge of color ranges. (Now is when you pull out the Color Wheel.) Keep in mind that the order of the colors never changes on the Color Wheel as well, so you won’t have to worry about Orange changing places with Green or some such occurrence.
We use the visible light spectrum of colors as shown on a color wheel, composed of Primary, (Yellow, Blue, and Red), Secondary, (Green, Orange, and Violet), and Tertiary colors, (Yellow-Green, Blue-Violet, and Red-Orange).
Complimentary colors are always directly opposite one another on the color wheel, and when placed together they have a harmonic discord that makes them have the brightest contrast when placed together. In my studies I have also learned that a color will cast its complementary color onto a neighboring color or shade. In practice this is shown on my Inquisitor model. When the NMM hues were alone they looked like mustard, but with purple added to the cloak and tabard they brightened considerably.
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| In choosing colors for minis I tend to stick with a Simple Harmonic range. Pick one color that will dominate the figure. In the Inquisitor’s case it is Yellow. Then pick the color directly opposite on the Color Wheel. This is your dominant complementary color, which happens to be Violet for our stalwart Inquisitor. For additional colors to supplement Violet use two hues next to it, which would be Violet-Blue and Blue for our Inquisitor. (You could also use Red-Violet and Red for a Warmer range of colors. More on this below.) I use these colors to accent the figure, even adding them as highlight hues. For the Inquisitor I used different hues of Blue and Blue-Grey to highlight the black, as well as blue for the hammer and cloak. This provides harmony to the figure and ties it all together in one cohesive manner.
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There is also the Thermal Palette to choose from. This is described as Warm or Cool range of colors. A Warm palette will be predominately Red, Orange, and Yellow in hue, while a Cool palette will be predominately Green, Blue, and Violet. This is used in canvas painting to promote the sensation of distance or proximity, but in mini-painting it can portray emotion or temperature. A figure in a Warm palette of colors will be fiery, passionate, and convey the sense of warmth. A figure in the Cool palette conveys a cold, calculating persona devoid of emotion. Colors can be manipulated to broadcast emotion, which helps to catch the viewer’s attention and keep it transfixed on your work of miniature art.
Shading is an aspect of mini-painting that is frequently rushed, and it ties in also with Color Theory. Shading can be used to create contrasts to the local colors and tonal values as well.
One thing I've learned is that the color blue is present in all darkness. It's an atmospheric condition that affects the way we look at everything. (Ever see sunglasses that are 'Blue Blockers'?) Look at your skyline. The further away something is, the bluer in color it becomes due to the atmosphere between you and the object. As light fades it is extremely noticeable how colors of surrounding objects shift toward a dark blue. Painters would paint objects in the distance with a blue hue, (or violet), to promote a sensation of distance. When I paint I will either wash over the figure with a midtone hue, like Ultramarine Blue, or use Blue Ink for lining and shading.
Another aspect of color is how it casts its color onto its neighboring colors. This is true for shadows. I use a contrasting color to the local color for shading as well, but as a separate wash. This would either be a thinned down paint or a contrasting Ink wash. For example, I used Yellow Ink for the purple cloak on the Inquisitor. This violent color contrast is subdued by its translucency and darkening towards a dark-gray/black, but it also brings out the surrounding dominant hue with the contrasts.
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Finally, shadows will contain a darker hue of the local color, (the color of the object), so I apply a wash of darker paint or appropriate Ink. For the Inquisitor a wash of Violet Ink brought back the tone and laid the groundwork for the successive highlights. As you can see, with the highlighting added as well as a complementary freehand border, they bring out the detail of the cloak as well as harmonize with the rest of the colors.
Primary Colors also carry a Color Bias towards one end or the other on the Color Wheel. This is displayed on the Color Wheel example in the hexagon. Blue will carry a bias towards Green or Violet, Red will be biased towards Violet or Orange, and Yellow will carry a bias towards Orange or Green. You will notice on the Inquisitor how I used Green as a discord to the palette; a color that accentuates the colors in the Simple Harmonic range. This adds a color that is biased with Blue as well as a contrast to the Violet.
This bias is utilized not only in color choice, but color mixing as well. On the cloak I used Blues with a bias toward Violet to highlight. This brings richness to the palette as well as depth in range, and the color is vibrant to the eye. If I used Blue colors that were biased towards Green it would have muddied the hue since Violet contains Red and Blue. (Remember that two complementary colors, like Red and Green, will create Black.)
White can be used as a highlight though it tends to change the color tint drastically. I recommend White for the final highlights only.
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Rules
- A color will cast its complementary color onto a neighboring color or shade.
- Mixing two Complementary colors creates Black.
- Shadows contain the color blue, the local color in a darker tone, and the complementary of the local color.
- Primary Colors are biased towards a Secondary Color on either side of the Color Wheel.
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Glossary Local color: the color of an object.
Tonal colors: the color changed by light and shadow.
Reflected color: the color of the environment.
Primary colors: Yellow, Blue, and Red.
Secondary colors: Green, Orange, and Violet.
Tertiary colors: Yellow-Green, Blue-Violet, and Red-Orange.
Complimentary Colors: Color opposite each other on the Color Wheel.
Hue: Another name for Color.
Tint: Color plus White.
Tone: Color plus Grey.
Simple Color Harmony: Dominant color plus Complementary and two shades of Complementary color.
Thermal Palette: Warm or Cool range of colors.
Warm Palette: Red, Orange, and Yellow.
Cool Palette: Green, Blue, and Violet.
I hope these pics and tips will add to your Miniature Art repertoire. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at rg@raginggaijin.com.
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