What on Earth is Contrast?
So nice to visit with you again! It's a great day to be inspired by art. Let's have a fun learning experience! Today, we will be talking about something we see all the time without even knowing it. It's in paintings, pictures, and even sculptures. This thing is called contrast! Contrast is when you can see a big difference between two things that are right next to each other.
If two colors are too similar, then they do not have a lot of contrast
If the red balloon were orange, it would stick out even more because blue and orange are opposites of each other! All colors have an opposite. An easy way to find a color's opposite is with a color wheel. You find it by seeing what color is directly across from a color. Look at the color wheel below and see if you can find opposites for some of the colors on the wheel.
If you look at this color wheel, RED is opposite from GREEN. This means they are also called complements. They make each other stand out. Complements are any colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel. They are called complements because they actually make each other look brighter. Red and Green are also the colors we use for Christmas! That's because they make each other stand out so well. |
That means they are directly across from each other on the color wheel. This also means that these two colors work together to create high levels of contrast. They make each other bolder and brighter, and our eyes love to see that in different kinds of art.
Contrast right here at the AMA!
Gloria Garfinkel is a colorful origami artist who has had her work shown right here at the AMA Museum! If you look at her work, I am sure you notice how much contrast we see. Its all because of the colors she uses. |