Clashing Colors: How to Balance Red & Green

[@MissChelle]

Many decades ago my first art teacher would always say ‘red & green should never be seen’. She was very strict with it too. If I remember correctly, Her explanation the time was that we don’t see it in nature. At the time I just took it in and accepted it as the truth. I wish she had of explained it like this. It makes so much more sense. Sitting here watching on my back deck & I am surrounded by nature, with so much red & green. Many species of red & green leaves, red bottlebrush flowers, anthurium plants………. I was taught wrong! Awesome video! 🫶🇦🇺

[@AmyShulke]

Wow, that's a hard rule to live with but I get it. I think a lot of people are sensitive to color combinations. I can feel some color clashes in my teeth which I know makes no sense at all. Right now, I've got flaming red burning bushes in my yard which break almost all the rules I mention in the video and yet they're beautiful... but they're also balanced out by a lot of other colors around them, so maybe context is why they work in the garden?

[@AbiNomac]

I was taught it like this, “Red and Green should never be seen unless there’s a colour in between.”

[@AmyShulke]

@@AbiNomac That makes more sense to me and leaves us with a lot of wiggle room to work. I’ve never heard the phrase so thank you both for sharing it!!!

[@AbiNomac]

@ - my pleasure

[@Iwanttodrawachicken]

Holly, giant green tree with tiny red berries. Santa. A fine figure of a man dressed all in red with tiny accents of green. I can't help but wonder if compliments go wrong when both fight for dominance.

[@edwingalson5506]

I value all of your tutorials,as I find that you are a fine instructor who always brings out pertinent points of valuable information.Thank you very much for your commitment to art instuction. Please stay positive and keep up the great work!

[@AmyShulke]

I appreciate that! Thank you very much for the kind words and for your viewership.

[@pampam9590]

Love, love, love watching you and listening to you explain things!

[@AmyShulke]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching. :)

[@motherblue2208]

I feel the same about blue and orange being complimentary colors. I just don't agree that those two make each other better. What a great tip Amy on making sure they have different value as to not compete with each other. As always, great information!!

[@AmyShulke]

Yep, that's another impossible combination. I always feel bad for Chicago Bears and University of Illinois fans. Both teams went deep navy which is a step in the right direction but ugh, that road cone orange is awful.

[@positronixartandlife4545]

Value was the one key thing missing in my knowledge early on, and I struggled to figure out why these supposed red-green, blue-orange, and yellow-purple combinations were supposed to work so well; yeah, using value was the one big thing I never thought about because no one seemed to mention it when talking about choosing colours that worked well together Changing up the temperature is going into my list of tips, and thankfully I've already begun to work in texture to projects where I don't intend there to be smooth shading throughout the whole piece (because sometimes yes, I want people's eyes to drift across the whole page intentionally) Also: I tried out some X-Press It blending card and I have already been blessed by the Copic Fairy, so thank you for that 🥰 My next steps are to continue with the food designs I'm doing on The Wall paper (with coloured pencil on top; I should have enough colours seeing as I have Faber-Castel PC, Luminance, Holbein Pastels, and Derwent Lightfast), then remake my oldest copic pieces on XPI paper and really let the pens showcase their best

[@AmyShulke]

OMG, I'm so happy to hear about you trying XPI! I do think that eventually, mixed media people will want more than XPI but it's excellent training paper. The Wall can be your grown-up paper after you master markers on XPI. Good luck to you and please, keep updating your progress!

[@karenfair7799]

Ah, the red and green paper chains bring such a smile to me. No pain here for red and green together. 😊. It is hard for me to color. Thanks for the tips.

[@AmyShulke]

I love that grade-school paper chains seem to be something all Americans have in common. Did you ever get to visit the secret Teachers' Paper Closet? Heaven is a room full of gigantic rolls of colorful paper :)

[@Color-2-Calm]

Absolutely stunning, thank you for walking us through the process

[@AmyShulke]

My pleasure. I'm glad to have the excuse to color so many Christmas projects this year!

[@Art_by_Nicole]

Thank you Amy, for this wonderful video. That’s the kind of stuff I want to learn 😁 And still loving the relaxing effect with the music and seeing you color. Thanks!

[@AmyShulke]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole. If you want to share a link, I'd love to see your work.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

@ most of my work is with graphite. I’m still struggling with colours, even though colours are beautiful. Recently I tried watercolour paint for the first time. I find it less ‘scary’ because it’s more forgiving. But I think graphite will stay the closest to my heart

[@AmyShulke]

@@Art_by_Nicole I did a lot of graphite in my formative years. Here's a question for you... I found after a time that I was seeing color in the graphite-- it wasn't really colored, but my brain was wandering into color even when I wasn't using it. Have you had such an experience? If so, I'd say the color transition may be easier than you'd expect. You've already been looking at value which is much harder than hue, so you've got an advantage.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

@@AmyShulke I never thought of it that way actually. I can’t say that I see ‘colours’. If I talk about my work I use the words ‘shades’ and ‘values’. I never use the words grey, black or white. If a portrait is finished I don’t see graphite (that’s only the medium). I see a real person or a real emotion. I have been trying to make the transition to coloured pencil, but the human skin is so difficult. I know in theory about undertones (red, blue, green) but I just don’t understand it. My brain gets into error-mode 😂 And yes, I’m aware of my habit to be a perfectionist. I’m used to work very detailed. My goal is to create something that a viewer is doubting for a second if it’s a photograph or a drawing. Lately I received questions from people who want me to draw something. But I’m holding it off because I really don’t know how much money I could ask. Drawing is my hobby and If it’s for someone else it gives me pressure. Pressure my brain can’t handle.

[@AmyShulke]

@@Art_by_Nicole Okay, so we have different experiences because I was seeing shades of blue or green where there wasn't any. To me, that said I should be working in color but to be honest, this was before art school, so I really didn't have a primary medium yet. On another subject, it occurs to me, there's nothing wrong with you staying in grayscale work. If you're not feeling pulled, maybe that's a sign? Forgive me if I'm prying, just trying to help you explore something you seem of two minds about. I guess I miss dorm discussions, LOL.

[@recreepy]

I’m blown away by your talent-amazing!🥰🥰🥰😇

[@AmyShulke]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Krisstofers]

Awe!!! I love the PSA at the beginning!!! I had a friend in elementary school who is epileptic. So, I totally get how that would set him off. We had this conversation with another partisan in Burlington. My wife and I use pastel colors on our Victorian tree, instead of the 20th century Red and Green. My son on the other hand and the partisan who agreed with my son, that the green and red were traditional colors. My wife and I just had to keep ourselves reserved, as if revolving polotical issues aren't enough to create contention... It's Christmastime, we didn't see the need to argue out the point. It took me seeing someone's artwork actually painted gray tones alone, to understand what value studies meant. I wish I had seen their work first, because I never even thought to do my own sketchwork as a value study... I had already bought into the just use all your reds and greens to give you blends... Well, that skipped over the value study. Im glad that you show to look at the subject in black and white to get the value study. I think when we're self taught, there are a bunch of information holes in our learning... Hence our binders that we create to house all of our magical blends. I start getting hung up on texture. Its the details tgat I get hung up on, that sometimes, I miss the bigger picture.

[@AmyShulke]

Don't feel too bad about noticing texture. I think creative people naturally do periodic intensive deep dives into small subjects. Like for a time, I was fascinated by edges, and I'm always getting lost in anatomical sidebar topics. That's the kind of stuff that makes art fun for and I wouldn't stick around if I couldn't hyperfocus on the things that interest me. The trick is to remind yourself to pull back and check your fundamentals-- form and values on a regular schedule. Balance the fun stuff with the vital stuff :)

[@elinvenge6154]

I saw the thumbnail for this video and wasn't sure if I should watch it, because I loathe red and green together (complementary colors in general), but you always have an interesting take on things, so I decided to take the time. It was so worth it!! When you said "truly terrible color combination", I felt very seen 😅 As a card maker, I always feel naughty for not using red and green when *everyone else* seems to, but this made me feel sooo much better about my non traditional color palettes. Thank you!

[@AmyShulke]

Shall we start a red/green hater's club? I'm right there with you. I love Christmas but I can only tolerate out of balance red/green clashes in very small doses.

[@jlm517rocks]

another wow sesh ... ty ... took notes ...

[@AmyShulke]

I am so glad you're working your way through the videos and finding info that connects with you! It's fun that you're leaving little comment breadcrumbs too, so I can see where you've been, LOL.

[@Ritsumei30]

The red/green discussion is really useful and informative... but I'm over here trying to figure out what you're doing when you do the SHAPE of that awesome giftbox you're coloring! 😆

[@AmyShulke]

You mean when I bent the sides? Just playing with perspective.

[@lap83199]

Love that you chose a lime-y green vs the traditional evergreen-y green. “Traditional with a twist” 🙂

[@AmyShulke]

I do usually gravitate towards the YGs but this time, it was on a mission rather than just me being my normal picky self, LOL.

[@lap83199]

Next we’ll see you using the fluorescent Copics 😳

[@calaymo]

thanks for the tip as always 🥰

[@AmyShulke]

You’re welcome and thanks for watching! 😊

[@laraewelch5217]

Thank you for the tips and the walk down memory lane. I could smell the paste in the Christmas chain picture. ❤ (It was a cold minty paste)

[@AmyShulke]

@@laraewelch5217 OMG, you’re right! I remember the smell of mint! I wonder if that was an additive to prevent mold? My favorite was when the paste dried and crackled on the inside of the large cap. The crackle pattern fascinated me. I remember smearing paste in the cap on purpose to grow new crackles, hahaha.

[@laraewelch5217]

@AmyShulke I thought it was an additive for those who ate the paste! Do they still make it, or has it gone the way of airplane glue.

[@AmyShulke]

LOL, I would have voted for orange flavored paste. My kids are in their 20's now and they all had glue sticks which dried out much faster than tubs of paste and sticks couldn't be rehydrated to save $$$. I don't think the sticks were less messy either-- they still ended up with paste in their hair and up their nose.

[@colouringchemist]

I've been taking a bit of a break from KZbin but came back to your wonderful video. Thank you again, Amy, for sharing your wealth of knowledge! :) Edited to add: I've always struggled with incorporating the true green family into my colouring. I've searched your videos but I don't think I saw what I was looking for (my apologies if it was there and I missed it :)). Have you ever done a video talking about how to use the true green family (not the YG or BG families) in colouring so that it doesn't look so... primary? :)

[@AmyShulke]

I have not done a green-green video but it's a great idea. It'll force me out of my comfort zone because I really dislike working with viridian. I'll add it to the list.

[@colouringchemist]

@@AmyShulke Excellent! Thanks, Amy! :)

[@melody_tune991simms]

I won’t lie….. as a beginner a lot of that didn’t make sense, I understood the gist of it and I absolutey adored your present illustration and the colours. Love green and red. I must be weird ❤

[@AmyShulke]

Thanks Melody. We don't always hear good info at the right time. Add this video to your watch list and come back to it in a year? I do think some of us are more sensitive to color combinations than others. There's also conditioning where if you see colors enough, you tolerate the clash better. Actually, that was my point about the WWII and Baby Boomer generations-- constant exposure to the combination explains why after 1930-something, it was all red/green and most people didn't mind. I had a Christmas wedding so it's not like I hate red and green. It just needs a bit of thought to pull it off. I'm still not sure I did it with this project, it's a bit too bouncy for me.

[@melody_tune991simms]

@ I loved it and it made me feel festive haha but the way you coloured it, did make it more pleasing to the eye. I will save the video and keep watching it, as your advice is brilliant and I know it will completely click soon haha ☺️

[@clearwater7000]

Really beautiful!❣

[@AmyShulke]

Thank you very much!

[@boniw698]

This is an excellent tutorial. My aunt taught me that red lipstick with the blue undertone which is really crimson is so much nicer than a red lipstick with orange undertone. Wala 😉🌟

[@AmyShulke]

Yep, temperature makes all the difference! My sister-in-law has red hair and she gets away with the orangiest lipsticks which would look terrible on me. It's funny how many life lessons also apply to art and vice versa. My grandmother insisted every room have one black item in it, often a leather chair or lamp. Years later, I learn that black can be used to "ground" an otherwise etherial color palette and BOOM! Grandma for the win!

[@nathalieheath5693]

The best video in color theory❤❤❤

[@AmyShulke]

Well, thank you! Color theory makes so much more sense when it's applied to something tangible instead of the usual triangles, squares, and arrows over a color wheel. Thanks for watching!

[@melsgalleria]

On say a computer screen, reds and greens are very hard for me to look at. Particularly when they are so close in value like that. My brain and eyes just can't focus on those colors. These are great tips that I will definitely apply to some of my upcoming projects though. Thanks!

[@AmyShulke]

I totally agree, computer screens amplify the problem. Thanks for the excellent contribution, I appreciate it and wish I had mentioned it in the video!

[@whimsicalexpressions]

WHOA, she's good!!! Love this!

[@AmyShulke]

Heehee. It’s the reaction we all want, right? Thanks for watching.

[@jacqueline-w6i]

I saw this and I was like…Oh WoW! But, I’m also thinking that the clash of those two colors are why people are moving away from the traditional’ colors these days when doing holiday decorations. There seems to be a lot more of a vintage vibe going on, muted colors.

[@AmyShulke]

Exactly. I normally do the vintage twist too. I usually do cherry red with a dingy deep slightly bluish green. This present project was out on a limb for me and I'm still not sure I like it, LOL.

[@XelchanTheBrave]

To be fair, isn't red and green also the color of Mistletoe? By mistletoes are far more beautiful because they don't have the same value...

[@AmyShulke]

I could be wrong but all the mistletoe sprigs I've seen have white berries.

[@XelchanTheBrave]

​​@@AmyShulke Hmm, I've definitely saw red mistletoe around my parts... with bright red and a nice dark green, it looks very regal Edit: Italian mistletoe (vischio) also comes in red, yeah!

[@lap83199]

@@AmyShulkeI had to google. Why did I always think the berries were red?? Apparently there are a few different species that have pinkish berries/red (looks like they are native to European countries). But North American species have white berries from what I’ve found online. But I am NOT an expert 😁 Who knew 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@AmyShulke]

@@XelchanTheBrave Cool. I'll have to look it up!

[@AmyShulke]

@@lap83199 LOL, I never expected to spend this much time investigating mistletoe. I've only seen it in the greenhouses for sale next to the poinsettia so I had no idea it actually grows in balls. I just assumed people were making topiary balls just for show. I've never seen it in the wild.

[@nullavitasinemusica1]

Manga person here I'd never avoid texture

[@AmyShulke]

Excellent! But you gotta admit, there's a heavy focus on hair texture and not much anywhere else. I understand, commercial printing roots will always have a heavy influence but I sincerely hope that as the art form evolves over the next few decades, we'll start to see earthy, tactile, and even fabric textures find a place.

[@Donnistill]

I lo e your channel. You explain things well. I can understand you showing the difference between a colorist and realist but the tone after watching many of your videos seems you have a slight hurt nerve over the colorists. I hope I am wrong. Colorist do it more for relaxation and not having to think so hard or maybe minimally.

[@AmyShulke]

Most of my students are colorists making the move towards artistry so it helps for them to hear why they're frustrated with coloring techniques. I'm open to anyone using markers however they wish but when a coloring method doesn't work as promised, I think it's good to be honest about why. I do think we need a name for someone coloring for more than relaxation but with no desire to become a working artist. Without that name, I'm kinda stuck with Colorist and Colorer. Excellent comment. Thanks!