Artists use various elements and principles of design to create effective compositions. While some elements contrast with each other to create interest, others complement each other to unify the piece. Complementary elements work together to enhance an artwork. Understanding how to use complementary elements can help artists develop more cohesive, engaging works of art.
What Are Complementary Elements of Art?
The elements of art consist of line, shape, form, value, color, space, and texture. These are the building blocks that artists use to create a composition. Complementary elements work together to create unity within an artwork. Some examples of complementary elements include:
- Complimentary colors – Colors opposite each other on the color wheel, like red and green or blue and orange. These create vibrancy when placed next to each other.
- Analogous colors – Colors next to each other on the color wheel, like red, orange, and yellow. These create harmony.
- Warm and cool colors – Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow give an energetic feeling. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple are more calming.
- Geometric and organic shapes – Combining geometric shapes like circles and triangles with irregular organic shapes creates contrast.
- Positive and negative space – Positive space is occupied by the subject, while negative space is the area around it. Their relationship enhances the composition.
- Light and shadow – Areas of light and shadow define shapes and forms.
- Thick and thin lines – Thick lines may define boundaries, while thin lines add details.
- Smooth and rough textures – Tactile contrasts maintain interest.
Balancing complementary elements allows the artist to create unity within variety. The contrasts make pieces visually engaging, while the connections unify the composition.
Examples of Complementary Elements in Art
Many renowned works of art demonstrate the effective use of complementary elements. Here are some examples:
Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night
This painting combines fluid, organic shapes with structured forms. The energy of the swirling sky complements the straight vertical lines of the cypress tree and church steeple. The blues and yellows in the sky are complementary colors that create vibrancy.
Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
This Pointillist painting utilizes thousands of individual dots of contrasting colors. Up close, the colors seem disjointed. But when viewed from a distance, the colors blend to create harmonious scenes. The complementary colors help unify the composition.
MC Escher’s Sky and Water I
This lithograph print contrasts black and white shapes. The use of positive and negative space causes the black and white birds to transform into fish and vice versa. The complementary elements keep the viewer’s eye moving around the piece.
| Artwork | Complementary Elements |
|---|---|
| The Starry Night | Swirling organic shapes and straight vertical lines Warm and cool colors |
| A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte | Contrasting color dots Complementary colors |
| Sky and Water I | Black and white shapes Positive and negative space |
These examples demonstrate how complementary elements can work together to create captivating works of art. The contrasts create interest, while the connections unify the piece.
Using Complementary Elements in Drawing
For drawing, some key complementary elements to consider include:
- Line – Contrast thick expressive lines with thin detail lines. Outline broader forms with thick lines, and add smaller forms with thin lines.
- Value – Use a full range of values from dark to light. Dramatic contrasts attract interest.
- Shape – Integrate geometric shapes (circles, squares, triangles) with irregular organic shapes. Allow them to intersect for depth.
- Form – Indicate 3D form through the use of light and shadows. Show how forms turn and recede using value changes.
- Space – Overlap forms to create depth. Use size, placement, and value changes to make some elements appear closer than others.
- Texture – Use rubbings or crosshatching to contrast smooth textures with rough.
Balancing all of these elements creates both cohesion and dynamism within a drawing.
Complementary Colors in Painting
Complementary colors are especially impactful in painting. Dynamic color combinations include:
- Red and green
- Blue and orange
- Yellow and purple
These opposing colors heighten the intensity of each other when placed side-by-side. To make colors pop, painters can paint complementary colors adjacent to each other, or blend a color with a touch of its complement.
Analogous color schemes use hues next to each other on the color wheel. This creates a harmonious, flowing look. Analogous combinations include:
- Red, orange, yellow
- Yellow, green, blue
- Blue, purple, red
Warm and cool colors also balance each other. Warm hues like red, orange and yellow advance and feel active. Cool hues like blue, green and purple recede and feel tranquil.
Using both warm and cool colors together, such as a blue sky with orange sunset, creates a dynamic impact. The interplay of complementary colors makes for visually engaging, vibrant paintings.
Complementary Principles of Design
In addition to complementary elements of art, artists also balance principles of design:
| Complementary Principles | How They Interact |
|---|---|
| Unity and variety | Unity creates cohesion, variety adds interest. |
| Balance and asymmetry | Balance evens out elements, asymmetry energizes them. |
| Emphasis and rhythm | Emphasis directs attention, rhythm moves the eye. |
Balancing these principles allows artists to create works that are aesthetically pleasing, yet engaging.
Using Complementary Principles in Sculpture
Sculptors can utilize complementary principles like unity/variety and balance/asymmetry to develop dynamic forms:
- Use repetitive elements like curved lines to create unity, contrasted with unique details for variety.
- Balance symmetrical forms with asymmetrical shapes for contrast.
- Create emphasis through increased size or color contrast, complemented by rhythmic patterns.
- Develop centralized balance with radial symmetry, contrasted by off-center informal balance.
Thinking through how principles complement each other results in thoughtful, cohesive sculpture.
Conclusion
Complementary elements and principles are key for creating captivating works of visual art. Elements like color, line, shape, form, space, and texture work together to unify a piece through their connections. Principles such as emphasis, rhythm, balance, and proportion also dynamically interact with their contrasts. Using complementary elements and principles brings a composition together into an aesthetically pleasing, engaging work of art. Understanding these core complements allows artists to make more informed choices in developing their unique creative visions.