Colours are an important part of any piece of art. Whether it's a pencil drawing or a sculpture, colour is needed to wither grab attention, or compliment it's surroundings.
There are different things that dictate how a colour appears. First, there is the hue, which is where the colour falls on the colour wheel. For an example, red is a hue. Second, there is the value, which is the lightness or darkness of a colour. So, if a colour was blue with a high value, it would be a light blue. Lastly, there is the chroma, which is the saturation of a colour. A colour could be really dull, yet still fall into the same colour as a vivid colour.
There are also tints and shades. Tint is white added to the colour to make a lighter tone, and shades are the opposite, where black or grey is added is instead.
On a colour wheel, there are the primary colours, secondary colours, and tertiary colours. There are three primary colours on any colour wheel, which are mixed together to create the secondary colours. The secondary colours are then mixed with the nearest primary colours to create tertiary colours.
There are also different combinations of colours that can be used to create different moods, tones, and overall effects.
This painting uses complimentary colours to create a vivid yet atmospheric mood to the painting. Complimentary colours are opposites on a colour wheel, and make the other look brighter than it really is. This is useful to draw attention to a piece of art.
This painting uses analogous colours to create a simple, yet effective painting. Analogous colours are colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel, and create an overall tone of calmness and simplicity. It can be used to make busy scenes look quiet.
This painting uses triadic colours to create a pop-art illustration. Triadic colours are colours that triangulate on the colour wheel, and are roughly equal distance apart. They can be used to create pictures that pop out and grab attention, much like the complimentary painting.