Using color theory to paint realistic shadows | watercolor tutorial

[@dannydrwing]

Which underpainting color do you think worked the best?

[@mlpelementheart]

Like you said the cyan one looks more realistic, love your content btw keep it up :)

[@splaturials9156]

Blue is the reflected sky light blue works with a lot cause a lot of bouncelight is blue cause of the sky

[@splaturials9156]

Basicly we are used to seeing blue in shadows cause outside everything has a blueish shadow or well not everything but a lot has

[@dannydrwing]

@@mlpelementheartthanks so much!

[@AaronBradWilson]

I think cyan or blue in this case (water colour shadows) Looks best. Though what colour I'd use would depend on the context and use. I think blue/purple shadows work with most warm colours honestly. Not as sure about warm shadows. Maybe if the highlights were purple moonlight shining on a warm wood. I believe directly complimentary colours are good for things like cartoons or exxagerative styles. Finn and Jake from Adventure time I think are a good example. Blue and yellow.

[@jilliancrawford7577]

I've noticed that the color theory thinking I use for digital art is different for traditional and I think that's because the chemistry of paint ingredients effect eachother in ways different from a computer using math to make its conclusions. It's why I'm not suprised to see cyan work better than green as an underpainting, but it requires the artists to know how your pants will behave together to get the results you want versus using a color picker. There have been times where I mixed complimentary colors under the assumption that it would result in gray or black, but game out as browns or even weird shades of whoknowswhat. I am at the point where I accept that my knowledge of color theory in the digital may not apply to watercolor every time lol. Better to find out in the palette than on the painting a least!

[@dannydrwing]

I think it’s worth revisiting the idea to not shade with black. You can often get a good saturated shadow value with base tone + black + saturated darker tone.

[@kasiahebda]

the difference between digital art and physical media is that on screens you use RGB color mode so red, green and blue LIGHT to create colors - therefore when you mix all of them together you end up with white light (as we know from physics white light is a mix of other colors in the spectrum), to create black you remove light. In print on the other hand we use CMYK model where when you combine all of the colors you get black and white is when you don't use color (for watercolors). Understanding physics behind it really makes it easier to mix colors :) When you mix complimentary colors you end up with browns with different temperatures. So if you want to get grey/black you need to neutralize the tint that dominates your brown. Try mixing your own dark tones, experiment - burnt siena with ultramarine is a great start. Have fun :)

[@Nyambui]

On screen, light is emitted, with paint light is absorbed. So when you mix colors using paint they absorb some of the light the other color is trying to reflect. Results can be a little different depending on the medium, and sometimes even brands within their respected mediums. A helpful thing to do is make a color wheel when you encounter a new medium. Art is fun, if it were the same on all media, there would be a lot less adventure! Happy painting!

[@sangeetaiyer9465]

This is a brilliant insight into the play of colour...thank you, Danny drawing 😊 I actually love the blue base for the fantastic shadow it creates. It's subtle and effective. Realistic is one pursuit, I guess, but for me, art needs to leap off the page. And both the blue and the cyan do that. Cheers!

[@dannydrwing]

Thanks!!

[@StarlitNova12]

Green seems best if you're going for a more grungy art style while blue seems to be better for a softer art style

[@CelesteLunaRael]

Holy molyyy!! This technique of underpainting opens up a LOT for me when coloring! Never went to art school, my fundamentals are still in illustration with pencils. I've just gotten alcohol markers and oil color pencils. They're not watercolor, BUT I wanna experiment with this technique with either of these mediums!! I'm subscribing💎

[@dannydrwing]

Yes! Give it a try! It’s not perfect for everything, but worth experimenting!

[@JefaTemari]

i think the blue version is the best, and in the other tutorial i felt like it was a pretty similar but more organized way to apply the green and red method, because the blue and the yellow where superposed in some parts and that made some shadows more purple, other more brown and the light orange and yellow. i thing that represented accourately the complex variety of colours that real objets have. thanks for your tutorials, i was in a bad moment and it helps me to reconnect with the good things❤

[@dannydrwing]

Glad that they help :) painting is always a relaxing way to clear my mind

[@alisarudaia]

your idea of using color theory is pretty cool but may i give a piece of advice that I've learned from art school: study more about lights and shadows, especially reflections, because reflections will make your art look a lot more realistic. shadow is never placed on the edge of the object, there's always a reflection of a background, which is usually darker than highlight, but a lot lighter than shadow. no hate, good luck with your work!)

[@dannydrwing]

Good feedback! Thank you :)

[@ddlang2514]

This is the first time I have thought about color in this way. Enjoying and learning from your videos.

[@truenorthspiritmedicine]

Haha! You're hillarious! 😂😂 Thanks for the tips, and for being real. 🎉

[@spikeyconstantine]

This is my new fave channel

[@sgwbutcher]

Try the Munsell color system. I’m surprised that more artists don’t know about it…

[@simpleonion660]

That's a perfect demonstration

[@nadinebradley6238]

Color👏 Theory👏 I understand watercolor a bit better now!

[@brendajones5989]

I enjoyed the blue based apple best. I was surprised that i did. ❤

[@Skullisho]

Hi, do you have any videos talking about color theory only? If so can you link it since i would love to learn it and your videos are easy to understand.

[@dannydrwing]

Not yet! But that’s on the list!

[@seanahale7149]

You have helped me so much who cares what color they are!

[@oliviabornman1098]

😂😂😂😂 your sarcasm... priceless!!!

[@IvaraEllenStuff]

Second 😀 Also, wow, you did a really good job :o , watercolor is so hard 😭

[@dannydrwing]

Thank you!

[@katherinecargill8214]

This there any reason you should underpaint the shadow rather than painting it over the base color? Since the value is darker than the base color, as long as you make sure the base color is sufficiently saturated, does it make a difference?

[@anaolmart]

Thank you! Beautiful painting 🤩

[@improvwithlions4173]

You think you know everything until someone tells you blue and yellow are opposites, and then you realize that reality is wack and the colour wheel isn't the end all be all. The sneaky existence of CMYK which is used commercially living alongside the RBY colour wheel, along with primary colours technically not existing in real life, is enough to show that something is off 😱

[@sweethomes674]

Beautiful 😊

[@reneenoriega4524]

I'm begging people to take a pause and LEARN TO TAKE A JOKE FR. Also, thanks for the color combo ideas, I'm not into watercolors (don't have the money sadly) but I've found that a lot of the technics used for watercolor give a lot of nice results with color pencils and digital

[@dannydrwing]

You can always try cheap stuff! I’m using a set of watercolors that probably cost $20! (And cheap paper too)

[@Ilikepizzawithrefriedbeans]

Lmfao i use 5$ colors cuz im beginner so i wont buy expensive stuff till i learn to use em

[@dannydrwing]

Good strat

[@reneenoriega4524]

@@Ilikepizzawithrefriedbeans just like me fr 👌 I usually buy my color pencils on the supermarket and I've found a couple of pretty good knock offs

[@angela14962002]

welll...I actually liked your video of the blue apple...

[@antoinettegriezmann8666]

This underpainting technique, is this a specific water colour technique, or is this used also in oilpainting and other drawing styles?

[@dannydrwing]

Other mediums as well!

[@WOLFPLAY70117]

Oh wow I found a new drawing artist.😊.I like your drawing. I don't do much painting.I do more sketching😅

[@dannydrwing]

Nice! Welcome!

[@LorenaFerreiraP]

Complementary means: two colors that together produce white light, red and green produce yellow, red and cyan produce white light, a RGB LED can demonstrate it. In subtrative, the colored filter will let the frequencies that compose what we see as its color pass and block the complementary ones, the area will appear black or change to another hue. There are more things about it, but in painting I prefer to use the uniform saturation concept. If you observe the object, the feeling is of seeing the same color in the area even though the light coming from the source is diminishing. To replicate it I use black paint and correct the chroma putting more hue to create the shadow. If the context brings another color reflected, then it is another case.

[@AFAskygoddess]

I just discovered your channel. The blue underpainted apple video was BRILLIANT. Thank you 💗 My gentle suggestion is for you to eliminate the background music. It's as loud as your voice. It's so distracting, and I can barely hear your voice over it.

[@alster-]

Comments: oh what so surprising! Also comments... : AYOO THATS AN PENNU-

[@dannydrwing]

Can’t control them 😂

[@eu.452]

youre so pretty

[@dannydrwing]

Thanks pigeon man

[@kathylarson7601]

Like it!

[@Panda-24]

People are losing their $#!+ over how you colour a damn apple.😭

[@dannydrwing]

Hahaha they’ll be ok

[@dannil9878]

Omg he’s so cute❤

[@foggy2819]

How do you know what color you would use for under toning certain things? Could I just use any color or is their a guide or smth that tells you what colors should go under the other?

[@dannydrwing]

Usually a cool compliment! Cast shadows tend to have a cool tint, and shadows will be less saturated versions of your main color (red+green/cyan)

[@foggy2819]

@@dannydrwing thank you :)

[@Ynsga_wl]

Apples are blue and bananas are green perfect

[@dannydrwing]

All is right

[@marivicscorner133]

For me all of the color that is mention😊.

[@WOLFPLAY70117]

Love you ❤from India🇮🇳

[@MrGoranPa]

This is optical mixing which works differently as pigment mixing.

[@dannydrwing]

Correct

[@CyanAxl]

CYAN MY NAME YAAAYYY WHOOO HOOOOO

[@AlvinJesseM.Atienza-yq3ut]

13 days earlier : what color is a banana 2 days ago : what color is an apple 1 year ago : what color is your Bugatti

[@dannydrwing]

🚙

[@superbuilders]

Quick question what colors do you use 🤔 or recomend for a beginner

[@dannydrwing]

Start with cheap stuff. No need to break the bank when you’re just starting

[@WOLFPLAY70117]

Hey , Brother can you make a video on Oil Pastel drawing 😊pls..

[@Ranpuspus]

(my ✨inglish✨is not good, not my first language) So, I love it bro, an (a?) apple is red yes, but this apple can be blue, green at the start. You leave the simplicity of "colored" in red, to do something a little more beautiful, even if you color the apple in red it's beautiful, but it makes it a little more beautiful if you sometimes complicate the way of doing it (even if the red apple is beautiful, the blue one is more beautiful) Sorry my inglish 💀💀💀💀

[@dannydrwing]

I agree! Sometimes simplicity is not the only way!

[@Fr0stKnight0k]

Yep, I agree. If I had to choose an apple to eat it would be the blue one. (Also at the beginning, you were correct with using the "an" article for "apple" because apple starts with a vowel.)

[@skfnsnrfh1896]

YOU GUYS HEAR ME OUT…. BLUEBERRIES ARE *University of Pennsylvania red*

[@azeezfatma9866]

What if the object colour is white?

[@dannydrwing]

Depends on the color of the light source. Picture an egg under a red light

[@hughtempleton8640]

Apple's, are what ever colour you want them to be . Artist have an artist license , so no rules ❤

[@programmewith_pixel]

Bro was asking for underpaint or base color but the guys are trolling him 😂

[@dannydrwing]

Haha nah I knew what I was asking for 😂

[@silverkip2992]

CMY is the most accurate and efficient model for subtractive color mixing, but it is still overshadowed by RYB in school because of cultural tradition, really.

[@dannydrwing]

Ya, dumb.

[@mxroeuiii]

what kind of paper was he using?

[@dannydrwing]

I think this is Canson watercolor paper. No need to do anything expensive!

[@Bob-thebuilder]

i kinds like green it looks like candy

[@romanbundy921]

For some reason, I'm starting to think my whole life has been a lie about all the colors I see in my daily life, but mostly for apples now

[@dannydrwing]

Same same

[@Ash9o11]

Apples are actually Red, yellow and green blue just helps hin paint it better

[@WonderAboutUs]

Apples aren’t red, they contains hundreds of colors. By layering the blue, yellow and red, you get shades of purple, orange, green and brown where all the colors layer in different levels of intensity. That’s the beauty of this method.

[@sarakatharina2928]

People are yelling at me 😂

[@Matty_Official_Jamz]

Hmm.. Last time I checked, a real apple was red and not a drawing one.

[@Ash9o11]

Ok i can see why you wpuld say you paint apples blue then red but in the short it sounded like you said apples are blue not red so i mean icansee why people didnt like when you said that but actual apples are red yellow n green blue can just help you paint it

[@dannydrwing]

Except maybe people should use some common sense 😂

[@Dolph1nVR]

Red isnt cyan Green isnt magenta Blue isnt yellow Black isnt white Cheat sheet

[@ToniM10]

Maybe if the Green was.. DARKER..???.. U did cheat with the Red Apple!!... U said that the 1st one was the Red Apple which was ACTUALLY the Blue Apple!!.. Thnx for confusing Me.....AGAIN!!!... ✌️❤️😎🙄👍💀

[@faullol]

Y?

[@crochetbyplabita]

Why do you look like Tom Holland. Nope , I'm not saying I've a crush on you. Nope nope 🌝

[@GojiraWook]

OH NO THE WORLD IS A LIE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@adelaidiee]

you single man?