Creating Successful Abstract Designs - Lesson 1: COLOR

As I have posted photos and my digital art here and visited other blogs to leave and read comments, I've noticed that many people have commented that they cannot do abstract.

I say, "Yes you can !!!"

The problem is that most people believe that abstracts are created by throwing together a bunch of lines and blobs of colors at random.  Sometimes that works, but usually you get a bunch of shapes and colors that don't go well together.

So ---I'm going to take you on a step-by-step tutorial, in 3 easy lessons, to create pleasing abstract designs. Once you are successful, you can stray from these guidelines and try other things.

You may make one copy of this copyrighted information (text and images) for your personal use or for educational purposes.

Once you complete this lesson, go to "Lesson 2: UNITY" by clicking HERE.

COLOR SCHEMES

The best designs are not made with every color in your palette.  They have a color scheme that uses a limited number of colors.  Below are five versions of essentially the same design (although there are slight variations.) Each has a different color scheme, but each individual design is made with a limited palette of colors.

Everyone has different tastes in color.  You might love #1 and hate #3, while someone else will feel just the opposite. You have to decide what you think looks good together, but don't ---at least at first ---choose every color you have available.

#1

#2

#5

#3

#4

Look around you at anything with a man-made design: a plaid or printed shirt, upholstery or drapery fabric, bathroom tile, a company logo.  They were (almost always) designed with a limited number of colors and/or shades.  Even things you find in nature may have a limited color scheme.

Yellow, orange, and rust make a
great color scheme. A touch of
green would look good, too.

You can choose a specific color scheme such as those you will find below,  or you can take your colors from a favorite chair, painting or blouse, or you can make up a color scheme yourself. I would suggest that, at least when you are beginning with abstraction, that you limit yourself with 1 to 3 colors and perhaps several shades of those colors.  

In a graduate tapestry weaving class at Carnegie Mellon University, my professor gave us an assignment to go to a bin of yarn and find 2 colors that looked terrible together.  We were then instructed to pass those colors to someone else.  Once we received our 2 samples, we had to find a third color that made the other two look good together.  

I had charcoal and a rather sad-looking grayish brown.  As I placed other colors next to them, nothing seemed to click until I found a rust color.  It brightened the color scheme and it went well with both colors. It would have worked for me, but wasn't a color scheme I would have chosen myself.  At that time, I was creating huge tapestry weavings using whites, off-whites, and some light neutral tones of tan and beige. Occasionally I would "go wild" by adding medium and dark browns.

Your tastes in color can, and probably will, change over time. For a while, black and white photography seemed the way to go for me, but now when I see one of my photos in color with the same photo in black and white next to it, I almost always choose color. You may look at one of your older designs and wonder what possessed you to put those colors together, because now you would  never choose them.

You will notice that color popularity changes. One season's fashions will be all about bright colors and the next year's might be about browns and tans. If you own an old house, you might find the original tiles in the bathroom an odd color combination.  In my mother's house the tiles are pale yellow and burgundy.  What can possibly go with that?  Suppose you found plush burgundy towels that looked great, but years later when they wear our, burgundy isn't in style so burgundy towels can't be found. You'll have to find another color that goes well, or stick with white.

THIS LESSON IS SIMPLY TO SUGGEST YOU LIMIT YOUR COLORS AND CHOOSE THOSE THAT LOOK GOOD TOGETHER.  IF YOU AREN'T SURE, WHAT TO CHOOSE, USE SOME OF MY SUGGESTIONS BELOW.

(click on images for larger views)

You may make one copy of this page for your personal use
or for educational purposes.
(There is a little extra room on the left to add holes
if you want to place it in a 3-ring binder.)

You may make one copy of this page for your personal use
or for educational purposes.
(There is a little extra room on the left to add holes
if you want to place it in a 3-ring binder.)

Once you complete this lesson, go to "Lesson 2: UNITY" by clicking HERE.