If you are an aspiring painter, you may have wondered why many artists recommend copying the works of the masters, especially Claude Monet. What can you learn from imitating the style and technique of the famous impressionist painter? The answer is simple: What and How both color and light change.
Monet was a genius of color and light. He devoted his life to studying how light affects the color of objects under different weather conditions, times of day, and seasons. He painted the same scenes over and over again, capturing the subtle variations of color and mood. He discovered a fundamental principle of color theory: everything changes.
Temperature, Intensity and Value
Monet realized that color is not a fixed property of an object, but a relative and dynamic phenomenon that depends on the light source and the surrounding environment. He also understood that color has a few main attributes: temperature, intensity and value.
Temperature refers to how warm or cool a color is, with each color family ranging from yellow to violet, or yellow to blue. Value refers to how light or dark a color is, ranging from white to black on the grayscale. Intensity is how beautiful, saturated or pretty the color is. Monet observed that the temperature, intensity and value change according to the light.
For example, a yellow flower in the sun may appear bright and warm, but in the shade, it may appear dull and cool. Monet would use different colors to paint the same flower in different lighting situations, following the natural progression of temperature and value. He would also use complementary colors to create contrast and harmony.
How to Apply Monet’s Principle
You may wonder how you can apply Monet’s principle of color and light to your own paintings. How can you choose the right colors to paint a scene realistically and expressively? Here are some tips to help you:
Use a color chart. A color chart is a tool that shows you the relationship between temperature and value for each hue. You can make your own color chart by mixing different colors and shades on a canvas or a paper. A color chart can help you find the colors that match the light and mood of your scene.
Observe the light. Before you start painting, observe the light carefully. What is the source of the light? What is the direction of the light? What is the quality of the light? Is it soft or harsh, warm or cool, bright or dim? How does the light affect the colors of the objects and the atmosphere?
Paint the sunny areas and the shadows. One of the most challenging aspects of painting is to paint the shadows. Many beginners make the mistake of using black or gray to paint the shadows, which can make the painting look flat and lifeless. Monet never used black in his paintings. He used colors to paint the shadows, following the temperature and value changes. For example, if you are painting a yellow flower, in the sunny areas you will see the yellow color go fromCadmium Yellow Pale to Cadmium Red and in the shadow side you can use Cadmium Red and Alizarin Crimson to paint the shadow, and add some gray to tone down the intensity. A side note Yellow goes to green as well, but that is a different blog. Using the color temperature changes this will create a more realistic and vibrant effect. When you do not know what color is in the shadow, when you can not see the color in the grey, Monet showed us that when I do not see it, try adding alizarin or greens and see if that gets you there. Knowing what to use helps you see what you are looking at!
Experiment and have fun. Monet was not afraid to experiment and have fun with colors. He used bold and expressive brushstrokes, and most often mixed colors directly on the canvas. He was not concerned with accuracy of the buildings structure and the small details, but he was concerned with the accuracy of the color and the effects of color in the scene, at that specific time of the day. You can do the same. Try different colors and combinations, and see what works for you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. Enjoy the process and the result.
Enjoy Art through Color and Light
Monet was a master of color and light, and you can learn a lot from copying his paintings. By following his principle of temperature and value, you can improve your color sense and skills, and create more realistic and expressive paintings. You can also develop your own style and vision, and express your unique perspective of the world. As Monet said, “Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.”