What causes the difference you see between the subjects in these two photos?

 

 

 

 

 

The answer:  the temperature of their light source. 

 

Colors we see are influenced by the temperature of their light source.  A clump of yellow daffodils and their surroundings are a different color in direct sunlight than under an overcast sky.  Their color even changes at sunset, especially if conditions cause a colorful sky.  In some instances, the change can be dramatic, especially if the light source takes on a pronounced hue.  For example, what if our daffodils are in a room with purple lighting?   

 

This phenomenon is why the harmony of a painting depends upon colors belonging together in such a way that they are seen as being all under the same light source.  If we were all gifted with acute observation just as some musicians are with perfect pitch, we'd need only to observe and mix colors we see.  But what if an artist feel's insecure about that degree of observational accuracy?

 

In the photos below, the one in center was taken under an overcast sky.  The one on the left is shown under a warm light and on the right, the light is almost purple.  In the chart following, I have sampled from three areas of each to show how the different lights changed all the colors consistently.

 

The left column is taken from the photo on the left The middle, column from the middle photo The right column, from the right.

 

 

Only one overall color was added to both the one on the right and the one on the left.

 

Tip:  One way to achieve color harmony is to make sure every color in your painting has at least one color in common.

 

Try this:  Using the following photo as your reference, try doing a small study to which you add a bit of cadmium yellow medium to every color you use throughout the study.  Then, do a second study to which you add a bit of ultramarine blue to every color you use.  This small addition should give you overall color harmony for each study. And if you like, share your results with our Facebook Forum.   

Dianne

P. S. Our Facebook Forum has grown to 94 members.  We welcome all of you to join us there.  A special feature right now is access to Vicki Ross's color charts with instructions, tools that can go further than anything you can do to give color harmony to your work.

P.P.S.  Announcement:  I have changed the system for Archiving all the Newsletters.  You can now see them all listed by date and click there to see the ones you want to revisit.  The new Archive can be accessed from the top menu on my Website ,  from the side menu my Compose Blog or from the link at the bottom of this page.