Exploring Complementary Colors in Your Painting Practice

At The Artists Playground, one of the most joyful parts of our adult art classes in Newburyport, MA is experimenting with color—and complementary colors are one of the

most exciting tools in your artistic toolbox.

What Are Complementary Colors?

Complementary colors are located opposite each other on the color wheel—think red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple. When placed side-by-side, they create bold contrast and visual energy. When blended or softened, they can evoke subtle mood shifts and emotional depth.

How to Use Complementary Colors in Your Artwork

There are endless ways to use complementary color combinations in your artwork. You can use them straight out of the tube (fully saturated) for a bold, high-impact look. Or you can tone them down—try adding a bit of blue to your orange, orange to your blue, or softening both with white to create a more nuanced palette.

A Muffin Still Life Study: Expressing Emotion Through Color

In one of our recent painting sessions, students explored the emotional impact of complementary colors through a series of muffin still lifes, all using blue and orange in different ways. Each painting captured a unique feeling—strong and contemporary, lighthearted and delightful, mysterious and serious, warm and homey, even sad and subdued—just by adjusting color, composition, brushwork, and value. Can you guess which muffin expresses each of these moods?

Try This Exercise in Your Next Art Session

If you’re looking to develop your painting skills, challenge your creativity, or simply have fun with color, this is a great exercise to try at home or in one of our guided painting classes.

Prompt: Pick one pair of complementary colors and paint the same subject (or a few different ones) using various techniques. Adjust your brushstrokes, values, and saturation levels. Ask yourself: “Does this color combination, executed this way, create the feeling I’m going for?”