Colors
that
are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors,
for example:
- red and green
- blue
and orange
- yellow and
violet
The
high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant and
jarring look, especially when used at full saturation.
The painting displayed below was created by
Claude Monet
in 1872, and titled Impression, soleil
levant (Impression:
Sunrise), is the painting
that gave its name to the Impressionism style and
artistic movement. It is
also an example of the utilization of complementary colors as the orange colors
in the sky and sun are offset by the blue colors in the boats, and water.
Keith
Haring was an American artist and social activist known for his illustrative
depictions of figures and symbols. Born
on May 4, 1958,
in
Reading, PA, he grew up in neighboring Kutztown, where he was inspired to draw
from an early age by Walt Disney cartoons and his father who was an amateur
cartoonist.
His white chalk drawings could
often been found on the blank poster marquees in New York’s public spaces and
subways. “I don't think art is propaganda,” he once stated. “It should be
something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages
people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.” Note Haring's use of complementary colors in his painting "Radiant Baby" shown below:
Born
on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Andy Warhol was the most
successful and highly paid commercial illustrator in New York even before he
began to make art destined for galleries. His screenprinted
images of Marilyn Monroe, soup cans, and sensational newspaper stories, quickly
became synonymous with Pop art.
ASSIGNMENT (3 parts):
Part I - create an Adobe Illustrator poster with 2
columns and 3 rows of squares with opposing shapes (2 circles, 2 triangles, 2
stars) inside the squares that illustrate complementary colors
Part II - create a freehand Adobe Illustrator poster in
the style of Keith Haring using complementary colors and the pen tablet (if you have access to one, otherwise use your mouse)
Part III - create
an Adobe Illustrator poster with four panels of identical minimalist portraits
in the style of Andy Warhol’s screenprints
using different complementary colors in each panel
