One of the questions I get asked the most often comes when a client is considering commissioning a painting from me: “What colors would go best in my home?” I usually ask for some photos at that point and make my suggestions. Usually, it’s really easy and so I thought it would be worth going over my my thought process here when answering that question.
The simple answer involves a quick look at the color wheel. Remember that from eighth grade art class? Yes, we professional artists actually do use that tool. Here’s how it works.
Look at your current color scheme.Let’s say you have grey green walls, dark wood floor, and a tan couch in the living room with green throw pillows. That’s a lot of warm colors, so what I would recommend would be to use colors that compliment those warm colors.
Determine the complimentary color of the main colors you’re already using. Look at the color wheel. What is opposite the green wedge? Red. So depending on the green you’re looking at, the opposite may be more of a tomato soup red or a crimson red, but some sort of red would be considered the complimentary color of the green. If the green you’re looking at is a gray green, then a gray red is the compliment.
Consider the size piece you’re looking at purchasing. If my client wants a major piece of art (a statement piece), then I would use mostly greens and earth tones in the piece and just a bit of red. See, for a large piece, I do want to use a bit of the complimentary color of the green they already have, but I don’t want to completely overwhelm the eyes of the viewer. If that piece is a large statement piece, a huge completely red painting would scream at you from across the room You don’t want a painting screaming at you, right? If on the other hand, the painting is just a small piece to be used as an accent, then using mostly the complimentary color would be very effective and dramatic. I might also suggest adding an extra pillow to the couch, or adding a plant or flowers that utilize the complimentary color so that the painting created isn’t the only thing in the room that uses the compliment (red in this case).
It’s that simple. Now you’re an expert. I just saved you a semester at art school. Your welcome! :)
