Monochromatic color scheme

Monochromatic means that the entire painting is organized around just one color on the wheel then using different values of that color to complete the painting. When you decide to make use of a monochromatic color scheme, value is of upmost importance and of course is a great exercise to use when you are working on getting the values correct in your paintings.

Value is the relative lightness of darknes of a color. If you don't already have a value chart to help you, go to Sherwin Williams and pick up one of the free paint selection strips that take you from a dark color to a light version of that same color. Cannonball D45-7 to Abalone D45-1 is a good gray scale and is marketed as D45 in their color selection strip charts. Using that to judge the relative lightness and darkenss of a color will help you better define your values and serve as a check point for you.

Callaway painter Barbara Robinson has a good example of a monochromatic color scheme in this painting. Good job Barbara.


11x14 oil, "Storm Coming"

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