The following are 15 exercises in utilizing proper color theory. Each piece explores a different idea relating to color theory and was created to meet the requirements relating to their respective subjects. Many different mediums were used, though most are a combination of colored pencil and sharpie marker on paper. A few also utilize paint or cut colored paper. As I created these, I focused greatly on surrealism and .... I began with the Contrast of Value piece and then decided to continue the design to make one large, surreal (and perhaps whimsical) environment. The art, together, could be understood as one very long piece, where the pieces flow upward and downward from the original. I originally worked downward through the Contrast of Value and Contrast of Temperature. I then worked upward to outer space, where my love for lonely astronauts came into play. A few of the pieces are unrelated to this larger whole, but they still utilize the same concepts, so I am including them here.
The first piece is actually my take on a color wheel, which is a collage of images taken from a few different magazines combined with paint samples and colored pencil. I used black sharpie marker and colored sharpie marker sparingly in order to better accentuate the color and design.
Following this, the second through eleventh pieces make up the journey through space and the center of the Earth. The piece can be understood top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, or the way it was created: by jumping around from piece to piece on a whim. When I originally created these pieces, I didn't have a journey (or adventurer) in mind, but as it progressed, I developed the idea of a lone traveler. As I completed each piece, I began writing about the astronaut's imagined journey, the troubles they faced and the things they saw. I remember focusing on the isolation of a solo trip through the galaxy as well as the wonder of exploration. I hope these pieces convey that, at least a little.
The remaining pieces were all also created to develop my color theory skills and knowledge, though they do not exist within the universe I'd created. At least, they aren't active scenes in the story so far. Perhaps ironically, some of these pieces became my favorites, as I had no restrictions on them whatsoever, aside from the subject they were meant to convey.
Color Wheel
Cool Symmetry
Warm Design
Simultaneous Contrast
Contrast of Complement
Monochromatic Collage
Contrast of Saturation
Contrast of Hue
Contrast of Value
Contrast of Temperature
Color Imbalance - The End of the Journey
Asymmetrical Analogous
Monochromatic Radial Symmetry
Complementary Symmetry
Asymmetrical Contrast
