Great artists from every century have amazed us with their use of color.
They have created light and shadow using bright and dark colors other than white, gray and black.
They have created highlights using colors that are opposites on the color wheel.
The mastery of color in art to convey a message is the signature of a successful artist.
Color is affected by the colors around it. They often appear to be different than what is in the tube. That means it can be surprising to find out what colors an artist actually used. It is very informative to view youtube videos to watch brush strokes, brush shape, paper selection, and color choices.
Color can say many different things. Color can sing.
Sometimes the smallest changes make a dramatic difference.
Color will make the difference between annoying, boring, dynamic, sophisticated or peaceful.
Art can lower your blood pressure.
The best color for your art depends on your audience. You need to find out who likes your subjects and style. Are they male or female, young or more mature? The young don't tend to have $300 to pay for the art that took you 100 hours to paint. So they feel you are unreasonable and you are miserable because you are not making minimum wage. Be mindful of the financial resources available to the group who are attracted to your art. More mature individuals who can afford to buy art may not care for the subjects you like.
If you want to sell art, you will have to do some research and learn something about the marketplace and price points. You have to learn the business of art and the multiple ways you can work to actually make money.
Getting into a gallery or becoming "high priced" is the least likely way to sell art for most people because
You can do research on art houses and see what sells. There is an "art machine" that fast tracks art that is "different," has a "unique selling proposition," and multiple "art experts" who are willing to stake their professional standing on the art pieces going up in value. The "sales pitch" is more important than the "art." If you can convince me that I can see the "creation of the universe," the "soul having an epiphany" or the "rage of the persecuted" - you can probably sell a 12 x12 ft painting to someone who connects to it and will pay a fortune to hang it in their 1,500 sq ft foyer in their five million dollar house. And yes, it would be really nice if you show up in a very expensive car and clothes, so I won't feel stupid giving an unemployed individual a whole lot of money.
Gallery art and/or high priced art has to connect with the buyer's emotions or meet investment criteria
I covered some suggestions for selling your art in an earlier blog post. Some subjects do sell to art lovers and prices do increase as your art matures. Don't expect to get $1,000.00 for a painting just because it took you 100 hours to paint it - there is no hourly rate on art. As your art matures you will become more efficient and accomplish more in less time.
An artist who gets a lot of sales usually has a formula for creating multiple pieces at one sitting so that he/she can make them similar but different. Each one is an original but in the same style - the red flower appears in six (twelve or twenty or thirty) different locations in six different paintings and each is positioned/shaped somewhat differently. The pink flower also moves to six different locations. The yellow flower is not the same distance from the white flower in any of the six paintings. The vase is different - shape - color - location. The light and shadows are at a different angle. Good sketches can simplify the process even more. They are all originals.
There are several websites that can help you get started selling your art on products like coffee mugs and tote bags, etc. There are currently problems with image theft on many of these sites. Keep in mind your art could end up supporting multiple thieves and their extended families in many different countries - and they also may compete against you online. Don't use your best and most precious art for sale on coffee mugs. Keep it simple.
Selling 1,000 coffee mugs at $15 each, with a profit of $5 each, is much more likely and easier than selling one painting for $5,000.00.
Color Speaks.
If you are painting for yourself, any color will be fine. If you are painting for the market place, you will have to consider the power of color to reach the emotions of the buyer.
Color sings.
Choose three colors next to each other on the color wheel for your dominant colors with an add (up to a 70/30 ratio) of the opposite color of one of them.
You can also expand to five colors, or more. next to each other on the color wheel. The important thing is that you use all five (or more) of them.
If you like, you can expand your color selection to include at least all the cool colors or all the warm colors.
There are other options as well - such as using red, yellow and blue as the dominant colors with minimal influence of other colors and/or blending.
Colors next to each other on the color wheel are visually appealing. This can help you coordinate your color scheme.
Color Wheels are on my "What's New" page.
http://falling-star.com/color1.html
The most pleasing color schemes.
The ones you will see most often in magazines and in furniture show rooms - are based on different shades of one dominant color (monochromatic), usually in the walls, fabrics and accessories, often with one accent color.
As mentioned above, groups of three adjoining color wheel colors are often used also.
The most peaceful colors.
If you take a drive in the country during the summer, you will see thousands of shades of green everywhere you look.
The sky consists of thousands of shades of blue.
The ocean and the seas consist of thousands of shades of blue and green.
Nature adds a little brown and grey for contrast in the trees and rocks.
And while they are not flashy, they are extremely pleasing and soothing.
A drive in country can bring your blood pressure down.
You can bring that peace to your art.
Color should not be used in blobs of just one color, but in dabs, strokes, spots, flecks, splatters and glazes of shades, mixes and variations of the dominant color and at least one accent color.
Accent colors based on a color in the opposite position on the color wheel, will bring the colors to life.
Color wheel opposites are cool, peaceful vs warm, energetic.
Color wheel opposites:
The dominant color.
Art is very pleasing to look at when one color, any color, dominates the image in varying shades, tints, etc.
The dominant color is best used in various shades, by diluting its saturation or "color mixing" with other colors, such as "blue and yellow making green".
Any color can be the dominant color - with different effects, being mindful of the voice of the color.
Multiple shades of green, can be created by "color mixing" with yellow or blue or red.
They are an excellent foundation for a painting when desaturated.
Green is probably the most used color in art.
Just like in nature, it is soothing and unobtrusive in desaturated shades.
Green in various desaturated shades lowers blood pressure.
The most dynamic color.
Red is the most dynamic color, which can be emphasized or diluted.
Red is more appealing to a general audience when it is a little diluted.
Hot red and bright green are opposite and exciting colors, most often seen at Christmas at full saturation emphasizing the power of red.
Red appears the most dynamic in shades with a yellow, warm base.
Red can be used more freely in shades with a cool, blue base.
Red and green are seen frequently in nature, with red being the less dominant accent color.
Red is the most attractive and appealing when used
Feminine Colors.
Pastel colors are not masculine enough to decorate the male home.
Pink, pale yellow, pale blue, and lilac are traditionally feminine colors and should be used sparingly and with darker colors when decorating for a male household member or in an office.
Beige and grey, on the other hand, are gender neutral and can usually be used freely.
Neutrals are muted and subdued colors.
The saturated primary colors (red, yellow and blue) are diluted to produce neutrals. by "color mixing" with beige, grey, silver, black and the opposite color on the color wheel.
Neutrals are generally appreciated by the mature, sophisticated audience, rather than a younger age group (who prefer more saturation).
The desaturated blues are more like silver than blue. The whites are more beige/sand than white, which is a diluted yellow.
This use of silver-blue and/or beige-sand-yellow, which are both primary colors creates a sophisticated presentation, most likely to appeal to a more mature audience.
Falling-Star.com beautitul nature art
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