Welcome to the newest category in the P*JET Blogshop called Art Theory! This section of the P*JET Blogs will discuss various art terms in greater detail that are entered in the P*JET Dictionary.
So, without further delay, let's get started with our first term: Monochromatic Color Scheme.
Monochromatic color schemes are simply pieces of art that have only one color, which is tinted or shaded to create values throughout the piece. The easiest example of this is a black and white pencil drawing, like Look Into My Eyes!, by Pamela Tilden.
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The color used in this piece is black, and white is added to black to make the various grays for the values presented. In the case of pencil, using varying degrees of pressure and softness/hardness of pencil lead allow the artist, Pamela Tilden, to create dark and light grays, giving it form and depth. The black color is perfect for conveying elegance, for black is sleek, professional, and let’s face it, just plain cool.
Let’s examine another monochromatic piece, called Weary Wayfarers, painted by Jean Charles Cazin in 1888. Take a look at how the entire piece is a muted yellow ochre, from the clouds in the sky to the farm field and the complexion to the sleeping people in the foreground. This piece conveys a dismal, heavy emotion, using the warmest color on the pallet, yellow, and mixing it with brown, which brings the energy down to a slow crawl, helping the viewer empathize with the tired and worn-out people in the foreground.
If you compare the two, each has a different mood associated with the color of the piece. Look Into My Eyes has a detached, professional, crisp look where Weary Wayfarers has a heavy, lethargic look.
The next time you view a piece of art, try to determine if the artist used a specific color to create the mood. I’ll be posting future articles covering different types of color schemes in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned!
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