Color Theatrics

Color can be dramatic, emotional and mesmerizing when it is pushed out of its normal range. Color your world the way you want to see it: Purple people, yellow skies and blue dogs can add an element of the unexpected to your work. Subtle shifts in hue alter the tone of a painting. Change the ordinary color or hue of an object to something more intense and add excitement to your art.

TECHNIQUE ONE: Drama—High Tech

In this case, we pumped up the color in the sky, which went from blue to pink. Glue down your image, whether a toner-based image, magazine page or photo, and paint directly on it. Or just paint a section. Here’s how to do it using Photoshop.

Step 1

If you know how to use Photoshop start by scanning your image. In this case, I’m using a photo taken at a lake in northern California.

Step 2

In the Photoshop menu bar, go to Image > Adjust > Replace Color. With the eyedropper tool, select the color you want replaced and change the color. We played with several color techniques before a pink sky was chosen for this example.

Step 3

Print the image onto waterslide decal paper. (Toner-based decal paper is used here.)

Step 4

Soak the waterslide decal paper in water until the emulsion starts to move. Then apply the decal to your surface with a polymer medium.

Step 5

The background had been randomly painted and shows through the lighter areas of your transfer.

Step 6

The transfer was painted over in certain areas so that it merged with the rest of the piece.

FAMILY TREES

Darlene Olivia McElroy

TECHNIQUE TWO: Drama—Low Tech

Step 1

If you don’t have a photo-editing program, go to a local copy shop and play with color on the copy machines. Such copiers generally have color adjustment tools.

Step 2

Play around until you come up with some fun color variations. You can experiment with saturation and hue and lightness and contrast. You also can print and collage the images or use your printouts as reference images for your paintings.