A new art challenge – Spectrum Square

Are you inspired by colour? Do you sometimes see a combinations of colours that just draw you to them, demand attention in a way that sets all your creative hackles rising?

I am and I do.

So I am setting a challenge for myself and anyone who would like to join me.

Each Wednesday, for a minimum of nine weeks (there may be more, depending on how inspired we all feel) I’m going to randomly choose a colour.

And with that colour I’m going to design a piece of artwork based in the majority on that colour. The rest of the colours used are going to consist of those either side of the main colour on the colour wheel plus dark and light tones.

The colour wheel is a graphic representation of the artists colour spectrum – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. (Please note: this graphic is not mine, however, I do not know who to attribute it to as I could not locate its original source. No copyright breach is intended.)

For example, say I chose lemon yellow as the main colour. Your artwork would consist of mainly lemon yellow combined with yellow → orange and yellow → green plus light and dark.

Why do this? Well, I adore colour graduations, the shift from one colour to another can be a beautiful thing, so I would like to encourage it.

This week the main colour is

Dark Red

(#8B0000)

As far to the long lightwave end of the spectrum as you can get. Doesn’t hurt to start at the beginning. (the hash number is the hexidecimal number used to represent that colour in the browser – check out this site for a really useful colour chart )

The supporting colours are deep red → red-orange and deep red → red-violet.

I’m going to do a square piece of artwork, 4-8 inches square (10-20cm). Why square? Because once all nine pieces of work are completed, they will work together well in a nine piece square on the wall, the colour spectrum shifting between them.

You are welcome to join me in my squareness, but if you feel a little rectangular or circular or even three dimensional, go for it. The only mandatory requirement is the colour restriction (as close as you can get will do on that front as well, after all, it is the art that is important). Digital manipulation is allowed, especially for photographers.

So, will you join me on my nine week challenge? Feel free to grab a copy of the icon if you would like to participate.

Nutty
(colour is my world)