Using complementary colours in coloured pencil

What if a simple colour combination could make your artwork leap off the paper?

Complementary colors are powerful tools for achieving dynamic contrast and depth. Let’s explore how you can use these combinations to bring energy and richness to your coloured pencil artwork.

Understanding the Colour Wheel: Beyond Basics

Think back to primary school colour theory, where you learned about red, yellow, and blue as the primary colours. Mixing these gives us secondary colours like green, orange, and purple.

Arranged on the colour wheel, complementary colours—red opposite green, orange opposite blue, and yellow opposite purple—create striking contrast. But there’s more nuance, especially with coloured pencils.

The Role of Layering in Creating Depth

In coloured pencil art, we don’t mix colours physically as with paint; instead, we layer them.

The order of layering makes a difference: putting blue on the paper first and then yellow on top produces a different green than when layered in reverse. This effect is known as optical mixing and can be used creatively to achieve various shades and effects.

Start with an underpainting in the complementary colour of your main hue. This technique deepens and enriches the surface colour, especially in shaded areas, by allowing light to penetrate multiple layers and blend the colours visually.

Try this exercise: draw a small landscape, focusing on layering complementary colours.

A landscape example for layering coloured pencils

Begin with a red-violet base layer where you plan to add green foliage. Use heavier pressure in the shadowed areas, then layer green over it. The green will appear richer and more complex, with a natural shadow depth that pure green alone can’t achieve.

Using Complementary Colours for Emotional Impact

Complementary colours not only enhance contrast but also convey emotion.

High-contrast pairs, like red and green or blue and orange, can add tension and excitement, while subtler combinations create a more balanced feel.

Take inspiration from artists like Van Gogh, who used these combinations to evoke specific moods, such as the discomfort of The Night Café through clashing reds and greens.

For the strongest impact, keep the two colours at similar intensity levels.

A vibrant blue next to an equally intense orange will create a focal point, whereas a pale blue beside bright orange may lack the same draw. Use this principle to guide the viewer’s eye to specific areas in your artwork.

Using Complements to Create Focal Points

Complementary colours are ideal for emphasising certain areas in a composition.

Photo showing red and green complementary colours

A small red spot in a predominantly green area will draw immediate attention, as will a touch of blue against orange. Keep this in mind when designing compositions to guide viewers’ eyes intentionally through your work.

Remember, the key to creating compelling focal points with complementary colours is balance. If your artwork is evenly split between two complementary hues, it may feel overwhelming.

Instead, use small amounts of complementary colours in high-intensity areas to create balance and movement within the composition.

Using Complementary Colours Instead of Black for Shadows

Complementary colours can also be used as an alternative to black for creating shadows.

When shading yellow, for instance, apply layers of purple instead of black to maintain a warm, cohesive look.

This method preserves the richness of your artwork, as black can sometimes appear too stark or dull.

A favourite technique is layering dark red-violet under green (as in the exercise above), or using a complementary shade like dark blue over an orange area—such as Burnt Sienna—to produce a natural shadow.

This method allows for vibrant, realistic shadows and greater depth without dulling the overall piece.

Choosing Paper Color for Enhanced Contrast

Another powerful tool in complementary colour work is your choice of paper colour.

Selecting a complementary background can subtly enhance contrast. For example, drawing a red subject on green paper will make the red appear even more vibrant without extra layering.

Neutral-toned paper, on the other hand, gives more flexibility for both warm and cool tones, making it easier to control contrast adjustments as you build the piece.

Drawing Your Own Colour Wheel

Create your own colour wheel to see how different colour combinations look layered.

Start by drawing a circle with two inner rings. Divide it into 12 segments for primary, secondary, and tertiary colours.
Apply complementary colours to the middle band, layering each hue’s opposite on top.
Then, go over each segment with the main colour again to see how complementary layering affects intensity and depth.

Making Complementary Colours Work for You

By understanding and experimenting with complementary colours, you can add contrast, depth, and energy to your coloured pencil artwork.

Start with underpainting techniques, opt for colour layering over black in shadows, and use your colour wheel to test different combinations.

Try working with coloured paper to naturally enhance complementary hues. Remember, each colour pairing offers its own mood and impact—use these tools to craft art that is both visually striking and emotionally resonant.

Complementary colours are a simple yet powerful way to enhance your artwork, making it more vibrant and captivating.

Experiment with these techniques, and let your colours work together to bring your art to life.

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