FINALLY THE COLOR THEORY TUTORIAL THAT IS NOW IRRELEVANT BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR A TUTORIAL, BUT THIS ONE TOOK SO LOOOOOOONG.
This tutorial was actually started because I was trying to explain to how she could take her awesome color pencil technique even further. Since it was hard for me to explain in just a few sentences without pictures, I made this. HOORAH.
Here's some resources to guide you on your color journey!
Color matters - More theories than just complementary colors. Learn all of them. Just because you don't use them, doesn't mean you shouldn't know them
This is a fantastic tutorial!! I enjoyed reading it! I have one quick comment, and that is about your suggestion to work in CMYK. I'm in the commercial printing industry, and we do a lot of art prints, as our community is rich in the arts. I'd like to put it out there that if you take your work to be printed on a high-output laser printer, say, for prints or greeting cards or what have you... Make sure that you coordinate the file type (RGB vs. CMYK) with your printer!! They will know if RGB or CMYK is more accurate with the machine they are using. This goes for smaller printers, too. The kind of file that prints best will always have to do with the printer itself, so you may need to play with the settings to get the colors to show up accurately on paper.
It depends on what media/program you are using. If you are using paints, just keep in mind that white makes things cooler as you add it to the color. As for highlights, the same principle can be used there if you want to have a neutral highlight.
I use watercolors and markers, sometimes colored pencils! Usually I just leave white spaces where I want the highlights, and I shade the base color all around. But how can I do a neutral highlight? Sorry ...I'm new to all this stuff!
If you are using watercolors, NO do NOT use white. Never mix white into anything. You would do yourself a favor if you just locked that white away forever. And the black. You don't need them. Saturate the paint with more water to make it lighter.
Doing a neutral highlight would be using a lighter version of the complementary color. For instance, if you were highlighting something blue, you could, in theory, try using a light yellow.
I try not to use black and white...I know I shouldn't! XD But sometimes it's easier to just squeeze my white tube to have lighter colors! Well, now I don't need black anymore, because with your tutorial I really understood how to make shadows
I'm in the commercial printing industry, and we do a lot of art prints, as our community is rich in the arts. I'd like to put it out there that if you take your work to be printed on a high-output laser printer, say, for prints or greeting cards or what have you... Make sure that you coordinate the file type (RGB vs. CMYK) with your printer!! They will know if RGB or CMYK is more accurate with the machine they are using.
This goes for smaller printers, too. The kind of file that prints best will always have to do with the printer itself, so you may need to play with the settings to get the colors to show up accurately on paper.
Just a thought!! Again, thank you for sharing!!
I was wandering...to make the highlights, I should just add white?
Sorry
Doing a neutral highlight would be using a lighter version of the complementary color. For instance, if you were highlighting something blue, you could, in theory, try using a light yellow.
I try not to use black and white...I know I shouldn't! XD But sometimes it's easier to just squeeze my white tube to have lighter colors!
Well, now I don't need black anymore, because with your tutorial I really understood how to make shadows