February 4, 2018

How To Make Amazing Color

I wanted to do something special today and give a little tutorial on color. Specifically, I want to show you how to create color combinations that go well with one another.

As you might have guessed, the secret comes down to differences! Watch the video and let me know what you think – which colors are your favorites to pair together?

In gratitude, Nicholas

PS My free online workshop is starting on Tuesday, February 6th and I would love to see you there. To sign up, just go to www.artlifejoy.com

73 Comments

  1. Judy LaMar on February 4, 2018 at 6:47 am

    Terrific, thank you.



  2. Barbara Younger on February 4, 2018 at 6:54 am

    As a new artist, I’ve had a blast with colors, but I’ve been surprised/disappointed by how little patience I have mixing them. Looking forward to learning more!



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:50 pm

      This teaching will speed things way up! No more guessing or wondering why…



  3. Pippin Schupbach on February 4, 2018 at 6:58 am

    Easy to understand. Thanks for sharing!



  4. Patricia von Buelow on February 4, 2018 at 7:04 am

    So helpful. Look forward to Tuesday



  5. Lynne on February 4, 2018 at 7:21 am

    Excited to learn more on Tuesday! Thank you !



  6. Rod Winning on February 4, 2018 at 7:23 am

    Thanks Nicholas Enjoyed the demo on differences lights and darks. So important I liked the second match up where you used a little of the dark colour in the light and became more complementary.



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:49 pm

      Hey Rod- that was cool you picked that up..I couldn’t go into that as it would be too complicated but yes… you want things different but not SO different that they are not in the same worlds… thats why I add a little of both colors to each..



  7. Marjorie Claus on February 4, 2018 at 7:32 am

    Nice, Nicholas!! Thanks for the visual tip. It’s so inspiring. See you Tuesday!



  8. Betsy Ellis on February 4, 2018 at 7:35 am

    I’m signed up for Tuesday, but need to know more about how it works. Will I be able to watch the lessons “offline” if I have a regular Tuesday am commitment? Anyone who has taken the class can answer. Thanks.



    • Diane Williams on February 4, 2018 at 8:10 am

      Yes I have the same question as I have a job and can’t join at the regular time



      • Lisa G on February 4, 2018 at 12:09 pm

        I wondered that too. Got in touch with someone on Nicholas’ team by email the other day. What I learned is that the workshop is by video lessons and will be available online for a couple of weeks so we can watch anytime while the videos are “up”.



    • Carol Jackson on February 4, 2018 at 11:00 am

      That’s my question too.



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:48 pm

      Yes they will be recorded so you can jump in when convenient–plus I will be answering questions all week!



  9. Geneviève Chaussé on February 4, 2018 at 7:44 am

    Much appreciated. Thank you so much!



  10. Debanjana Bhattacharjee on February 4, 2018 at 8:05 am

    You make it so easy! Thank you so much for sharing and look forward to Tuesday.



  11. Diane Williams on February 4, 2018 at 8:08 am

    I find that after awhile the process you described becomes automatic. Thanks so much for the reminder amd breaking down the process.



  12. Patricia Isenhour on February 4, 2018 at 8:31 am

    Enjoyed watching your color presentation, thank you:)



  13. Jackie Bufton on February 4, 2018 at 8:39 am

    thank you for this one Nicholas – a real lesson for me



  14. Nancie Hines on February 4, 2018 at 9:02 am

    Thank you for your generosity of spirit!



  15. Carol on February 4, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Wow. While learning to paint, I am also decorating my bedroom. You just solved my color choice!



  16. Magdalena Bogart on February 4, 2018 at 9:32 am

    As usual, thank you for the reminder. After all this years learning from you I have this principle internalized.
    But it got sort if dimmed and cob-webbed in my mind.
    The colors I use ate not as bright as I wanted them to be.
    Your lesson here dusted off my color-brain. I am excited to apply it with refreshed awareness.



  17. Keith Zimmerman on February 4, 2018 at 9:40 am

    Thanks for sharing these ideas about color. See you Tuesday.



  18. Maryse on February 4, 2018 at 9:44 am

    Wow, that is so cool! Can’t wait for Tuesday!



  19. Lindy G. Gaskill on February 4, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Thanks for the reminder and bringing it back into my awareness. Sometimes when I’m painting intuitively I forget about color combinations. I think it’s important to know what colors work well together and I like how you have taught this technique.



  20. Glen on February 4, 2018 at 10:11 am

    always wondered how to make colors POP! You showed us today – thank you. Glen



  21. Peggy on February 4, 2018 at 10:16 am

    Can’t wait until Tuesday. I’ve been following you over a year and watching your videos has made a huge difference in my art, thank you so much.



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      Peggy that makes me super happy… great.



  22. Sandy Welch on February 4, 2018 at 10:16 am

    See you on Tuesday….xxoo



  23. Jane Ditri on February 4, 2018 at 10:26 am

    I need a constant reminder when I am painting, “Keep it interesting by creating differences. All kinds of differences!” Thanks. I want to keep that burned in my brain.



  24. Sophie M on February 4, 2018 at 11:09 am

    Hello from England Nicholas and so grateful for your generosity in making these blogs available to all. I’ve often struggled with colour combinations, and was resigned to the fact that I just wasn’t naturally good at it and that it was something you were either born with you not, and now you’ve opened my eyes up to the science and the practical application of it. Really looking forward to putting these concepts into practice.



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:45 pm

      Oh goodness… you are in for a surprise.. you are going to rock color!



  25. Cathy M on February 4, 2018 at 11:20 am

    Thanks. I am very new to painting and that was a very helpful lesson about creating differences to keep it interesting. Looking forward to Tuesday.



  26. Kai Harper Leah on February 4, 2018 at 11:29 am

    Thanks Nicholas, seems like I always come to a place in my painting that I run out of color inspiration. I know that there are an infinite number of possibilities with color but it seems like I just can’t find them near the end of working on a piece. So thanks for your help.



    • Nicholas Wilton on February 4, 2018 at 10:45 pm

      Kai–this should totally help .. you can make any color work now!



  27. Shawnee Johnson on February 4, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    Thanks, Nick. So simple and so profound. I need to keep remembering this concept. Dealing with warm saturated colors is kind of a challenge to me in some ways. I’m looking forward to getting home so I can paint something besides art journals for a change. Have hardly been home since Sayulita!



  28. Jaci Dunsford on February 4, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    As always, you’re spot on! Thank you. I’ve been watching Pamela Caughey videos today and you got an honourable mention. What an exciting world of art you, and we, all share!



  29. Jan Dean on February 4, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    More interesting combinations than straight complements. Interesting.



  30. J Loehr on February 4, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    In art school, I “discovered” that the impressionists held value and saturation constant and played with warm and cool. So enjoyable to see the importance of that implication in this lesson. See you Tuesday!



  31. Eduardo on February 4, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    Thanks Nicholas, always learning something when watching your videos … I am looking foto Tuesday .
    See you

    Eduardo



  32. Anne Marie Burke on February 4, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    Many thanks Nicholas very interesting I love purple with white and light turquoise



  33. Suzi Leggett on February 4, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    Thank you Nicholas, I am a new follower. Your videos have been very inspiring and am looking forward to the workshop on Tuesday.
    Suzi



  34. Shirley Almeta Lennon on February 4, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    Just looking for the link to your free workshop on Tuesday, Nicholas?



  35. Linda Akers on February 4, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    You are doing such a great service to all of us artists out here and want to say you are very appreciated Nicholas!!!



  36. Evan Degenfelder on February 4, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    Very nice Nickolas!



  37. Karen Hammat on February 5, 2018 at 2:01 am

    Thank you Nicholas for presenting this very helpful ‘rule of thumb’ about colour.
    I have registered for the workshop but as it airs at 3.30 on Wednesday morning here in Australia, I am relieved to hear that I can watch it later.
    thanks again



  38. Ranjana Bacrania on February 5, 2018 at 4:22 am

    Thank you so much for clarifying this topic about the color. I have always struggled with it in my abstracts. You have really simplified it for me here and I will do the same in my abstracts. Looking forward to your free lecture this week. I enjoy and benefit so much from your blogs that I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.



  39. David Meier on February 5, 2018 at 5:43 am

    “You could make your house these color.” Love that.



  40. Cheryl Sosnowski on February 5, 2018 at 8:14 am

    You are such a generous artist. Thank you! Can’t wait for the workshop 🙂



  41. Carole May Coty on February 5, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Well done! I’ll miss Tuesdays workshop. Is there a way to get to if later?



  42. Kristina on February 5, 2018 at 11:02 am

    Very useful illustration of the concept of difference. I enjoyed seeing a different way to view color relationships that did not use a color wheel. thanks



  43. Paulette Landers on February 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    Thank you. Yes, this was very helpful. I look forward to Tuesday.



  44. Julia Baker Bell on February 5, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    enjoyed this. we all strive to create things pleasing to the eye and this explains what we strive for and could’t express in words. I learned something new. thank you.



  45. Dawn Shipley on February 5, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    I signed up for your tutorial but so far nothing in my inbox??



  46. Dawn Shipley on February 5, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    maybe due to the time difference…:(



  47. Dawn Shipley on February 5, 2018 at 2:32 pm

    Great information by the way – thanks



  48. Stuart Johnson on February 5, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    Wonderful! Basic but a great start…



  49. Russell Robert Phillips on February 5, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    exactly what I’m working on right now. All shades of aqua and blue based off of sea-glass. Some work and some don’t work so well – so all I do is paint over the colors I don’t like. Thanks for the quick lesson.



  50. Chuck Goldman on February 6, 2018 at 9:51 am

    Have you considered using actual artwork considered successful to illustrate a principle? Not everyone paints in the same style. I know there’s a danger in that., but it might be worth a try.



  51. Melanie Alfred on February 6, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    Fantastic. Many thanks.



  52. I always enjoy your videos. on February 6, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    Thank you for this. I always enjoy your videos and find them very helpful.



  53. Cassandra Arnold on February 6, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    Thank you. Fascinating to see how murky colours can look great



  54. Gyan Tomasic on February 6, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    I love the way you used the piece of wood to create crisp edge between the colours. Stunning pairings.



  55. Wendy Galloway on February 7, 2018 at 3:01 am

    You make things so easy to understand and use.



  56. Joyce Petrakovitz on February 7, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    The way you illustrated this idea was very helpful. thanks



  57. Brigitte Balbinot Hawkins on February 7, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    I signed up for the workshop but didn’t get instructions on how / when to attend..?



Nicholas Wilton

Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.

With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.

Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.

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