an overview for all elementary students, adapted from an excellent presentation by by Jennifer Janviere.

2. Hue
Hue: Any single color in the spectrum (red, yellow, blue, etc).

3. Value

4. Tints & Shades

5. Saturation
Saturation: The relative intensity or brightness of a color
Bright, vibrant colors (reds or oranges) have a saturation
dull or muted colors (browns) have a low degree of saturation

6. Saturation & Hue
Colors can be of the same hue and still have varying degrees of saturation

7. Color Schemes

8. Monochromatic
Monochromatic: Composition using tints and shades of only one hue.
Easiest scheme to balance visually, but lacks high impact of other more
contrasting and complicated schemes.

9. Complementary

10. Analogous

11. Split Complementary
Split Complementary: Color scheme using a hue and the two colors that lay on
either side of its compliment on the color wheel
Provides more visual variety than complementary scheme; strong contrast
Harder to balance than monochromatic, analogous color schemes
For best results, use one warm color with a range of cool colors or vice versa
and avoid de-saturated warm colors

12. Triadic
Triadic: Color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel.
Provides strong visual contrast while adding balance and richness.
For best use, choose one color to be used in larger amounts than others;
experiment with color saturation and value

13. Tetradic

14. Simultaneous Contrast
Simultaneous Contrast: The concept of color perception based on
the other colors surrounding it.
Color can look completely different when set against different hues,
and is perceived in relation to its surroundings.

15. Advancing & Receding Colors
Advancing/ Receding Color: Warm and bright colors give
the illusion of being closer to a viewer within a composition,
while cool and dull colors appear to be further away.

16. Advancing & Receding Colors
Advancing/ Receding Color: Warm and bright colors give
the illusion of being closer to a viewer within a composition,
while cool and dull colors appear to be further away.

17. Vibration
Vibration: Complementary colors of equal saturation and brightness
compete with our eye for attention when seen in close proximity to
one another.

18. Color Weight
Weight: Colors differ in visual weight based on their hue and intensity.
For example, red is considered a “heavy”color, and would demand
a viewer’s attention, even if shown in only a small amount within a
composition.

19. Warm & Cool Shading
Highlights: Shade using warm tones like yellow, orange, and peach, if you are looking at a
reflective object, or the highlight is very bright, you can leave some areas white!
Shadows: Shade using cool colors like blue, purple, and green. Shadows, just like
highlights, can vary in intensity. Check to see how many different values of shadow you can
achieve just by layering color!

20. Warm & Cool Shading

21. Warm & Cool Shading

22. Color in Composition
Look for implied triangles in the composition!

23. Color in Composition
Follow the forms of bright, contrasting shapes, or warm tones.
If there are people in the image, follow their line of sight.

24. Color in Composition
The center of interest—the woman
holding the girl—is placed in the middle
of the painting.
The horizontal lines on the boat are
balanced by the oar and the diagonal
lines of the sail.
The outer edge of the boat, the mass of
the sail, and even the man's posture point
toward the center of interest. Notice how
his outstretched left arm points toward
the girl?
The unequal distribution of light and
dark masses draws the eyes to the
brighter areas occupied by the woman,
the girl and the boat. If you painted the
man in similarly light tones, it would
deemphasize the woman and the girl.

25. Color in Composition
If an artist has placed
RED, YELLOW, or
ORANGE in a
painting, they’re
saying “LOOK
HERE!”
Henri Matisse. Madame
Matisse, "The Green Line"
( La Raie Verte). 1905

26. Color in Composition
Left: Pablo Picasso, Vase, Bowl and Lemon, 1907,
Right: Henri Matisse, Still Life with Blue Tablecloth (detail), 1909,

27. Color in Composition
Left: Hans Hofmann, The Gate, 1959-1960
Right: "The Key" [1946] by Jackson Pollock.

28. Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is applied by aligning a subject with the guide lines and their
intersection points, placing the horizon on the top or bottom line, or allowing linear
features in the image to flow from section to section.

29. Rule of Thirds

30. Rule of Thirds
‘Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi’ by Joseph-Benoît Suvée 1795.

31. Rule of Thirds
The line going down from the top of the pillars intersects the woman’s chin, the tips of the
fingers and toes and the knee of the women in the background:

32. Rule of Thirds
The line going up from the bottom left corner intersects the top of the heads of three people. It also cuts
through the lad’s neck, his head is completely above the line. The left hand of the central figure is parallel to it.
The same line intersects her right knee and right elbow. Also, notice the placement of the right leg, right foot
and the fingers of the right hand of the leftmost woman in the foreground. Her right leg is parallel to the same
line running up from the bottom left hand corner. It also intersects the tips of the little girl’s fingers.

33. Rule of Thirds

34. Wayne Thiebaud
Wayne Thiebaud is a master of
using color to create dynamic
compositions!
Can you find the implied focal
point of each painting?
* Hint: First imagine a rule of
thirds grid, then look for
Thiebaud’s use of red, orange,
or yellow!

35. Wayne Thiebaud

36. Wayne Thiebaud