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Week 3 of Summer Botanical Watercolor 2024


Color Harmony in watercolor painting refers to the pleasing arrangement of colors that work well together in a composition. It enhances the visual appeal and balance of the artwork. There are several types of color harmonies, and one effective approach is using complementary colors.


Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. The classic complementary pairs are:

  • 1. Red and Green

  • 2. Blue and Orange

  • 3. Yellow and Purple




Here’s how you can apply complementary color harmony in botanical watercolor painting using two sets of complementary colors:


1. Select Your Complementary Color Sets: Choose two complementary color pairs from the list above.

2. Determine the Dominant Color: Decide which pair will be the dominant focus of your painting. This will guide your overall color scheme.

3. Plan Your Composition: Sketch out your botanical subject lightly. Consider the areas where you’ll use each set of complementary colors.

4. Establish the Dominant Colors: Start with the dominant colors of your chosen pairs. For instance, if you’ve chosen Red and Green as dominant, you might begin with a green background and red flowers.

5. Introduce the Complementary Accents:Use the complementary color of each dominant color to add accents and details.

For example:

- In the Red and Green pair:

- Use touches of red to highlight details in the green leaves.

- Use green to add shadows or details in the red flowers.

- In the Blue and Orange pair:

- Use blue for shadows or background elements around orange flowers.

- Use orange for stamen or small flower details against a blue backdrop.

6. Finishing Touches:

- Once your main colors are established, refine your painting with additional layers or details to enhance the overall harmony.


Tips for Achieving Color Harmony:

- Value Contrast: Pay attention to the contrast in light and dark values within each complementary pair to create depth.

- Temperature Balance: Balance warm and cool tones within each pair to avoid a color scheme that feels too one-sided.

- Use of Neutrals: Incorporate neutrals or muted tones to help harmonize the overall composition.


I hope this helps you feel like you can more effectively use complementary color harmony in botanical watercolor painting to create vibrant and visually appealing artworks. Practice and experimentation will help refine your ability to balance colors and achieve harmonious compositions.




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