Simultaneous Contrast

"Impression, Sunrise"

Claude Monet

I've written on this topic in the past, but some things deserve elaboration.  This is one of them:  the Law of Simultaneous Contrast. The phenomenon of simultaneous contrast was first articulated by an industrial chemist, Eugene Chevreul, in the 19th century. Chevreul discovered that a color appears brighter and more intense when it is placed next to its complement.   Here's proof:

In this photo, the middle square is the same color on both sides. But when surrounded by an analogous color (the orange on the left), it looks duller and less saturated. When surrounded by its complement (the blue on the right), it looks far more intense, and brighter too.  The next image is another example. The green bar positively vibrates against its complementary red.

For painters, this is a crucial concept.  We must constantly keep in mind that it is color RELATIONSHIPS, not necessarily colors themselves, that make or break a painting.  That's because no color exists in isolation.  Each color is affected by those around it.  Look no further than Monet's painting above, where the orange sun is surrounded by blue.  Without doubt, that sun would not shine so bright if it were higher in the sky with the other orange-y, yellow colors.

Moral of the story:  if you want your yellow to be more intense, put a bit of purple next to it.  If you want your red to be bright (often tricky, because reds are actually dark colors), find an opportunity to put some green next to it. As Eugene Delacorix said, "I can paint you the skin of Venus with mud, provided you let me surround it as I will".   

Untitled

(c) Lesley Powell 2021

 

I close with an image of one of my recent paintings.  I used a violet/blue on the left, to make the brightest yellows of the pears stand out.  And I used a pale blue on the right to make the orangey dark side of the right pear more intense.  It takes some planning to arrange the still life props to this advantage, but it's well worth it!