Contrast of Extension

This study confirms to me the visual weight relationship that exists between colors.





Goethe purposed ratios per color to perfectly balance the color weight relationship. Because of its inherent,light intensity, yellow is the smallest proportion to balance out all other colors; next (in order) are orange, red, green, blue and finally purple. Here is Goethe's wheel by proportion:










Even as I painted this I questioned the well-tested
ratios. I started with yellow, then orange, then red. I then added purple, blue and finally green. I snapped theses photos during the process. See how dark the orange was next to white? See how brilliant it becomes once white is gone and replaced with green? Wow, huh?

I painted the focal honeycomb's top red because I felt there wasn't enough red on the canvas to balance the green proportion (see Goethe's wheel to see how red and green are proportionate weight bearing colors) to illustrate my point. This also illustrates the reason Itten used squares for his color studies. With squares the exact proportions would be easier to ensure. I had to eyeball the proportions of the honeycomb shapes---though my mathematically inclined brother could tell me exactly how much area each shape occupies on the canvas.

Though in doing the red top on that one honeycomb, the visual weight of colors is even further confirmed. See how that focal point honeycomb pops out? Lighter! If I'd have painted it green it would have just been the same weight as all the others...and looked commercial...and I might never have fully understood the impact of one little space. It still would have been a good color relationship study...but this is just way more interesting to me.

See this thank you card I received awhile back? Do you think it's an accident it looks so balanced and trendy? Now you know.

I am exploring this phenomenon philosophically in/for the 'zine. We have such powerful minds, eyes---that we try to right imbalance---or try to solve an imbalance---with or without our conscious knowledge! Dang.