Paint vibrant acrylic images by using high-intensity complementary colors.
Vibrant colors are bright and high-intensity, like red and lime green. Artists who use vibrant colors study the color wheel, which illustrates the relationship of all the colors and how they are formed. The 1960s "Op" artists, such as Richard Anuszkiewicz, created optical illusions by using complementary colors, which are colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel, to produce vibrant acrylic paintings. By placing high-intensity colors next to each other in geometric shapes, you can paint vibrant acrylic paintings at home like the Op artists of the 1960s.
Instructions
1. Draw a 5-by-5-inch square in the middle of your canvas with an HB pencil and ruler.
2. Draw a 2-inch border around your square by measuring 2 inches around it with a ruler. Add another 2-inch border to this border. Then add another 2-inch border. You should have a square with three stripes, or borders, around your central square.
3. Squeeze red, yellow, green, blue and white paint into small plastic cups. Start with small amounts and add more as you need it. This will help prevent waste. Acrylic paint dries quickly and once it dries you cannot use it.
4. Dip your paint brush in the red paint and paint the inner 5-by-5 inch square red. Cover it completely. Wash your brush or use a new brush.
5. Paint the 2-inch border closest to the red square, green. Mix blue and yellow paints in clean cup to make green.
6. Paint the next stripe or border out from the green border, purple. Mix blue and red paints in a clean cup to make purple and add it to the stripe.
7. Mix red and yellow paints to make orange. Paint the next outer stripe with your mixed orange.
8. Mix two parts blue paint with one part white paint. Brush on this light-blue color to the background or rest of the painting.
