Complementary colors are quite simply pairs of colors that are opposite hues on the color wheel or on any color model/system for that matter. Strictly speaking, in the application of color theory, two colors are precisely complementary if, when mixed, they result in a neutral color, be it black or grey. A test that you need not perform, since it will lead to the wasting of much paint.
When considering the primary colors:
The complement of red is green.
The complement of yellow is violet.
The complement of blue is orange.
And so on and so forth. So now, how to compose with a complementary color scheme in mind?
We will be exploring sequentiality as a means to use complementary contrast, by making an abstract comic.
Put simply, you are to devise a composition made up of panels, which are meant to be read in a sequence. There will be no text, so this will be a "silent" comic, but there will be a flow. How you divide your "page" or illustration board up, into individual panels, will be up to you, so long as you guide your viewer/reader through a chain of events.
A specific narrative or story is not required. Think of this as a series of formal transformations. You may even consider the thematic anchor of "growth to decay to regeneration," if you find yourself stuck in developing a sequence.
The use of complementary color should be considered as another tool in enlivening the space, keeping your shapes active, and creating a further dynamic viewing space.
Think of this as event a leads to event b, leads to event c and so on. You should have at least six panels, but can go up to eight or nine.
10 x 10 inches minimum. Illustration board. A least three thumbnails compositions planned. No use of white and black alone. Hard-edged, flat painting. Abstraction (no straight representational imagery).
I will have numerous examples of abstraction and comic strip narratives in class, but here are other resources for you to use:
* ABSTRACT COMICS, the blog: http://abstractcomics.blogspot.com/
* Artist Sammy Stein: http://sammyste.tumblr.com/
* Artist Alexis Beauclair: http://alexis-beauclair.tumblr.com/
*Artist Erik Nebel: http://eriknebel.tumblr.com/
DUE at the end of class on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29.
