Colour is a sensitive aspect of
painting; the psychology of colour makes you to understand that it is not just
enough to apply colour to a drawing, but it calls for a sensitive mind to
understand and use colours; this of course comes from training and a
considerable period of practice. In fact during the course of training I came
to understand why the artist is completely cut out from the rest of society. I
have come to understand why the artist may appear even strange in the eyes of
everyone else; it is in the same vein that the artist to my mind is the most
observant of all ‘species’ of human beings. The artist is very sensitive to
everything. As a matter of fact, I tend to notice everything that has to do
with colour (harmony) and balance, be it in art or architecture, fashion,
textile design, graphics, etc.
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| Colour palette - coutesy: www.photo-dictionary.com |
Colour application, and
sensitivity is freely encountered in the fleeting and permanent dialogues that
ensue when pigments of various hues interact on the various mediums of
expression in art and design, including also interior decoration and industrial
design as well, etc. It is the nature of colours to react either harmoniously
or otherwise in the course of mixing and eventual final application. Thus
complementary colours will always blend and give you a sense of harmony and
calmness. But when colours do not seem to match, they immediately will arouse a
feeling of disharmony, riot or uneasiness and, what have you? Thus a
combination of brown of umber, and ochre will readily blend into a calm earthy
mood; but try juxtaposing a brilliant red with cadmium yellow, it is not exactly
very complementary if you are out in search of true harmony.
In painting for instance, my
lecturer then, the late Gani Oduntokun always referred to how a flicker of
orange brought home a sense of harmony and calmness when it is applied side by
side or superimposed on a deep blue surface. It is just almost magical how
these colours tend to behave – I mean they actually almost become animated as
foreign colours and reflected (light) colours are employed in a dramatic
interplay on canvas for instance. This is what distinguishes the work of the
professional from the rest; a trait that tends to reveal a thorough
understanding of the behaviour of colours.
Flatness and rawness of colour in
painting are eliminated by the careful understanding and application of these
principles. This is what gives life and beauty to art, fashion design, interior
decoration, graphics, etc.
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| 'The storm on the sea of Galilee' by Rembrandt |
In choosing to apply colours
however, a lot of factors come together to inform the choice of the artist or
designer. So much of this could be temperamental – that is mood, or even philosophy,
beliefs and even colour temperature of coolth and warmth, and personal attachment
that may be yet hard to explain. My colleagues for a long time most often have
continued to refer to me as ‘Mr. Blue’, and even going as far as identifying a
particular hue of blue that is always present in my painting as morgan blue.
As a result I sometimes deliberately
restrict myself by keeping the blues far away from my palette. But whenever I
am not looking, there you are – it jumps into my canvas again. Rembrandt was
all his life addicted to exploring the handling of light and shade which we
call chiaroscuro, while Kolade Oshinowo seems tied to the browns and earth
colours; Pita Ohiwere is a stickler for pastel colours of blues and pinks. Yet
we cannot simply explain this phenomenon of how colours and artists nay people
relate specifically.
By Morgan Nwanguma
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