Difference between "Mixing" and "Visual" Complements BY HILA Y !

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$%is information could c%ange t%e wa& &ou paint' Most artists know that complementary color pairs can be used for two functions. These are (1) for color mixing- to make clear colors more neutral and (2) for isual color enhancement- to make !uxtaposed saturated colors appear e en more brilliant. Most artists" howe er" are misinformed about the actual colors of complementary colors pairs. #o read on$ This information could change the way you paint$ $%e red Amar&lis flowers appear particularl& (ibrant because t%e& are surrounded b& t%e VI)*AL C+M!L#M#,$ of red w%ic% is $ur-uoise blue green. %ong before & began to research color & reali'ed that specific pairs of colors mutually enhance one another. This was because in my youth in (ngland when & used to paint color coordinated plaster pixies to sell for extra pocket money" & found that certain combinations such as blue and yellow" were particularly pleasing. These same color pairs are what & now call ) isual complements) though & didn*t know them by that name in those days$ My later experience as a painter" and research for my books led me to +uestion the pre ailing literature on the sub!ect. &t has become clear to me that there are not !ust one set of complementary color pairs but two sets. These are re+uired for the two separate functions of color mixing and color enhancement. The colors of the two sets are definitely not the same though most artists are unaware of this. ,ow about you$ The good news is that if you use the right isual complements" the color in your paintings will be more ex+uisite and da''ling than

e er before. Lemon &ellow appears muc% more (ibrant w%en surrounded b& its "(isual" complement w%ic% is blue. Most artists erroneousl& pair &ellow wit% purple for color en%ancement w%ic% is related to t%e wa& t%e e&e wor/s 0lateral in%ibition and disin%ibition1. #o let*s take a moment here to get down to the basics. - complement is )that which completes). 2%at do MI3I," and VI)*AL complements complete t%at ma/es t%em fundamentall& different4

)Mixing) complements complete the subtracti e color mixing process. ).isual) complements complete the optical synthesis which is bound by the way our eyes work. Thus & coined the names )mixing) and ) isual) complements to pertain to these two processes. "Mixing" complements" used for color mixing are pairs of colors that neutrali'e one another as an increasing amount of one is added to the other. i.e. green neutrali'es red as increasing amounts of the green are added to the red. The actual color pairs are determined because they complete the subtracti e color mixing process in which the amount of reflected light from a painted surface is subtracted with each admixture i.e. you paint gets darker$ The right pairs (yellow/purple or red/green or blue/orange) will produce 0%-12 or a .(34 5-32 63-4 when mixed in the correct proportions. Mixing complements are usually placed opposite one another on the color wheel. MI3I," C+M!L#M#,$) 2%en neutrali5ing a color it is not necessar& to %a(e t%e precise "mixing" complement. A touc% of an& purple for instance will render most &ellows -uite unsaturated. 6uinacridone 0!ermanent1 ose 0!V78 red s%ade1 2insor Lemon 0!Y79:1 2insor Blue red s%ade 0!B7:1 !%t%alo "reen &ellow s%ade 0!";<1 !erinone +range 0!+=;1 Carbo5ole 02insor1 Violet !V>; "Visual" complements used for color enhancement are pairs of colors that make each one appear more ibrant when they are painted contiguously. i.e. blue will appear more ibrant if !uxtaposed by yellow. (1olor enhancement is an aspect of the phenomenon known as simultaneous contrast" related to how the eye works.) The actual color pairs are determined because they complete the optical synthesis in which the eyes e+uali'e reflected light from a painted surface when iewed. 7nly the right pairs will produce a 17%73%(## 63-4 when painted in the correct proportions either on a disc and spun" or as dots as in 8ointillism. 9ortunately we don*t ha e to go through this arduous process$ The color pairs ha e been +uantifiably established by (llen Marx in her incisi e book )7ptical 1ontrast : #imultaneity) (1;<= .an >ostrand 3einhold 1ompany &nc). The corresponding pairs of artists* colors are listed below and shown in the ertical chart created for the 5aniel #mith article. 4ou will need to use precise colors for optimal color enhancement. >ote that the colors of ) isual) complements correspond to the colored )light) complements that complete the additi e synthesis of adding colored lights. The right pairs when shone together yield ?,&T( light. VI)*AL C+M!L#M#,$) Here are t%e color pairs t%at I use for color en%ancement. . If &our fa(orite color is not listed? find t%e nearest (isual complement t%at &ou can find' It is important to use t%e precise paints listed to ac%ie(e optimal color en%ancement. $%us I %a(e used t%e color index name suc% as !Y79: 0included on paint tubes1 so t%at &ou can matc% t%e exact paint listed no matter w%ic% brand &ou are using. $%e brands t%at I %a(e used are Daniel )mit% and 2insor @ ,ewton paints. Clic/ %ere to lin/ to 2C+A) manufacturersA page.

$H#)# A # $H# C+L+ ) +B VI)*AL C+M!L#M#,$A Y !AI ) 9rench @ltramarine 802; rs 7r ,olbein*s 1. ,ansa 4ellow %ight 84= (cool) : @ltramarine 5eep 802; 2. ?insor %emon 841AB (warm lemon) =. ,ansa (Transparent) 4ellow 84;A C. ,ansa or ?insor 4ellow 5eep 84DB : 1obalt 0lue 5eep 80A= ?insor : >ewton : ?insor 0lue red shade 801B : ?insor or 8hthalo 0lue gs (cyan) 801BE= 6reenish 1yan- ?insor/8hthalo 0lue 801BE=F ?insor/8hthalo 6reen bs 86A

B. 3ed-7range such as 8erinone 7range 87C= : D. A. <. #carlet %ake 831<< or 7rganic .ermilion 831<< 8yrrol 3ed 832BC 7r Guinacridone 3ed 832H; Guinacridone 3ose or 8ermanent 3ose 8.1;r Guinacridone .iolet 8.1;b or 8ermanent .iolet 83<<

: Tur+uoise 8hthalos 801BE= F 86A : Tur+uoise blue green 801BE=(less) F 86A : ?insor/8hthalo 6reen bs 86A

;. Guinacridone Magenta 83122 (?insor : >ewton) : ?insor/8hthalo 6reen ys 86=D 1H. : 8ermanent 6reen %ight 84= F86A : 8ermanent 6reen (more of) 84= F86A : 4ellow- green (more) 84= F (less)86A : 6reen 6old 8412;

11. 1obalt .iolet (light) 8.C; or 8.1C 12. 1obalt .iolet 5eep 8.1C (5aniel #mith &nc.) 1C. @ltramarine iolet blue 8.1BF802;rs

1=. ?insor/1arba'ole .iolet (5ioxa'ine) 8.2= : 4ellow yellow green (more) 84= F)86A

VI)*AL C+M!L#M#,$) Here is a cop& of t%e color c%art. $%e proportions s%ow t%e approximate amount of eac% color it would ta/e to ma/e t%e re-uisite colorless gra& if spun on a disc or painted as dots as in !ointillism. +nl& color pairs t%at are (isual complements will ma/e lig%t gra& if blended in t%is wa& indicating t%at if painted contiguousl& eac% will appear more (i(id and colorful to t%e (iewer.

The mistake in not distinguishing between the colors of M&I&>6 and .&#@-% complementary color pairs dates from the start of the nineteenth century. 1olor-contrast was already an established principle and the term )complement) was first used for so called color harmony and afterimages. Johann ?olfgang on 6oethe" the prolific 6erman author" stated in his )Theory of 1olours) (1<1H) that for )completeness) the eye produces a )complemental hue upon each color). This is not the same meaning as understood by a )complement) in today*s art. (The after image effect to which he refers relates to a phenomenon known as successi e contrast). 6oethe also asserted that a mixture of all colors made gray. ,e designed a triangle of three )complemental) pairs using the same color arrangement as Moses ,arris who created the first artists* color wheel in 1AAD designed specifically as an aid to color mixing. ,arris mixed three )secondary) colors- green/ iolet/orange/- from the primary colors red/yellow/blue/ and placed them oppositeone another" with 0%-12 in the center. 3eferring to both of these charts" many artists then used the same opposite colors both for color enhancement and also for color mixing" thus erroneously combining the colors of M&I&>6 and .&#@-% complements for the two separate functions. The confusion was sustained by Michel-(ugene 1he reul " a 9rench chemist and color theorist who" unlike 6oethe" did indeed understand the difference between subtracti e and

optical/additi e color. &n his book )The 8rinciples of ,armony and 1ontrast of 1olors and their -pplication to the -rts)(1<=;) he offered a wheel showing complementary pairs and specifically stated that this was for color modification )upon the eye)" and not for paint mixing. ,owe er" since he used the same colors pairs as 6oethe" he continued the error. 9or instance" he used red/green instead of red/ tur+uoise" blue/orange instead of cyan/orange" and yellow/ iolet instead of yellow/blue for color enhancement. These color combinations were then erroneously used by many of the 9rench &mpressionist painters as well as fashion" garden and interior designers of that period and to this day. 7gden 3ood in )Modern 1hromatics) (1<A;) named the correct ) isual) complementary contrast colors- pairs that he called )companions) that when !uxtaposed glowed )with more than their natural brilliancy). @nfortunately" he failed to articulate that there was a difference between ) isual) and )mixing) complements. -nd so the confusion continued- until today when & hope this article has sorted out the mess for you$ %et me know$ hpage2Khouston.rr.com. 4ou might be interested in my ideo on .isual 1omplements . -lso in my three art books published by ?atson-6uptill publications. My books are )1olor 3ight from the #tart)" ),ilary 8ageLs 6uide to ?atercolor 8aints) and )?atercolor 3ight from the #tart). #igned copies are a ailable from this site. #ee the orderform. L#M+,) +, BL*# D#M+,)$ A$I+,C A )$*DY *$ILIDI," VI)*AL C+M!L#M#,$) BY HILA Y !A"# ,ere is a demonstration from start to finish in which & ha e used a isual complementary pair of colors- yellow and blue for color enhancementE & !uxtaposed the yellow lemons with their isual complement" blue" to make the lemons appear especially brilliant. This %emons on 0lue study is easy for you to duplicate at home or in your studio. -ll you need are a do'en or so fresh lemons" a couple of blue cloths" possibly a lemon s+uee'er and a knife" and hey presto$ 4ou can paint along$ & used a +uarter sheet (11I1B)) -rches 1CH&b cold pressed paper and the following 5aniel #mith paintsE ,ansa 4ellow %ight (84=) ,ansa 4ellow (84;A) 1obalt 0lue (802<) @ltramarine 0lue 6# (802;) 9rench @ltramarine 3# (802;) Guinacridone 3ose 8.1;r -fter carefully arranging my lemons and cloths by a north facing window & made a credit-card si'ed alue sketch by s+uinting to help me see the alue. & then did a line drawing to scale on sketch paper which & subse+uently transferred to my watercolor paper using a light table. & don*t like to photograph and trace off a drawing since this does not allow for creati ity and impro isation" and anyway it*s too boring$ & next s+uee'ed out blobs of paints in three separate palettes for my blues" yellows" and grays. & mixed the grays from 1obalt 0lue" Guinacridone 3ose and ,ansa yellow light. & put about a teaspoonful of water in each palette. To complete by preparations" near where & was working" & placed an absorbent cotton towel on a board that was a little larger than my watercolor paper. 4ou*ll see why soon$

)tage 7 & thoroughly wet my watercolor paper on the front and back surface and then placed it on a slick" plexiglass board which was a little larger than my paper si'e. & re-wet the edges. & had to work rapidly to complete the stage before the shine left the paper surface. & dropped in the shadows and blue stripes on the top left hand clothM then & laid in the blue underpainting on the glass lemon s+uee'er and the solid blue cloth as shown. Making sure the paper still had a shine & laid in the lemons* form shadows and cast shadows using a purplish gray mixed from 1obalt blue" Guinacridone 3ose and a touch of ,ansa yellow light. 7nce completed & +uickly transferred the wet paper to the cotton towel placed on a flat surface to a oid backrun watermarks round the edges. &f the shine had left the surface before & completed the shadows" & would ha e had to thoroughly dry the paper to set the paint and then re-wet it to pre ent watermarks from forming. & could also use this procedure to re-state alues. &t is important to ha e the alues correct at the preliminary stage so the second stage is a synch$ )tage > 7n completely dry paper" using a bamboo pen" & drew se eral dots of masking fluid on the blue paint on lemon s+uee'er.. 0efore painting the lemon yellow on each lemon & put a blob of clear water for the high light. & re-wet the solid blue cloth in sections and dropped on the first wash of blue paint. 7ccasionally & lifted out paint with a damp sable brush. & left the lemon next to the knife unpainted to show you the se+uence.

)tage ; #tudying my set up carefully" & worked in small areas as shown. &f & wanted a soft edge & made sure the paint was surrounded by clear water that it could merge in to. &f & wanted a hard edge & painted on dry paper. #ometimes & turned my painting upside down to gauge the underlying shapes. 9inally & added the dark accents and details. & hope you ha e en!oyed this step by step study for isual complements. There are many more such demonstrations in my books )?atercolor 3ight from the #tart) and )1olor 3ight from the #tart) and as here" each one illustrates a different aspect of watercolor painting or color theory. ),ilary 8age*s 6uide to ?atercolor 8aints) then identifies the ery best paints now a ailable to you for your own painting endea ors$ httpE//www.hilarypage.com/