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Color Scheme Compositions

Use what you’ve learned to develop a color scheme for a portrait with personality

You've seen how Henri Matisse used color to create vivid portraits. Now it’s your turn to use color, line, and pattern to complete a painting of one of your friends in a decorative scene.

Materials

props for the scene:  brightly colored/patterned fabric, chairs, tables, and still-life objects, and a colorful costume for the model

sketch pads 

graphite pencils

16 inch x 20 inch canvases or tag board

assorted paintbrushes 

paper plates for palettes

water container

paper towels

acrylic paint: cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cadmium red, titanium white, mars black 

color wheel

Step 1: Warm Up

Include fabrics with several different patterns in your scene.

As a class, arrange a scene using tables, chairs, decorative fabrics, and still-life objects. You and your classmates should take turns posing in the scene, each adopting different poses. Draw each pose in graphite on sketch paper, making swift, confident lines. The figure should be part of the scene but should not dominate it. Make several sketches like this, trying not to use your eraser. Remember that you’re trying to capture the essence of the scene, rather than every detail. Experiment with ways of simplifying the patterns on the fabric.

Tip: If you make a mistake, don’t erase it! Use it to develop your sketch in an unexpected way.

Step 2: Compose Your Painting

Use different types of brushes to achieve a range of different line qualities.

How will you use color and pattern?

With no preliminary sketching on your canvas, paint black contour lines showing the scene’s basic forms and patterns. Don’t worry about making the scene look realistic. Instead, use sweeping lines to create an expressive scene. The patterns on the fabric can be simplified then accentuated later with color. Emphasize areas of the scene by changing the pressure of your brushstrokes. The large shapes might be made with quick, broad strokes, while the more intricate areas might require a lighter touch.

Tip: Try working with different paintbrushes. Different sizes will produce different results.

Step 3: Add Color

Add large areas of flat color before focusing on the details.

How did the student who painted this piece use analogous colors?

Pick a color scheme and experiment by mixing a few colors on your palette before you begin painting. Will your painting feature complementary colors or analogous colors? Are you interested in experimenting with a monochromatic composition? Mix yellow, blue, red, white, and black paint to create secondary colors. Begin to add color to your canvas, using the black contour lines as a guide. Include large areas of flat color. Then add highlights with warm colors and shadows using cool colors. Finally, accentuate patterns in the scene by adding contrasting colors that pop.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment by painting with arbitrary colors.

Prepared by Nancy Hoover, The Girls’ School of Austin Austin, Texas

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