Colour contrast describes colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel (Complimentary colours);

• Red and green
• Blue and Orange
• Yellow and Violet

they ‘Clash’, they ‘vibrate’ next to each other and therefore they give the maximum contrast against each other.

As always this can further be defined (complicated) and broken down into:

• Hue Contrast ,
• Value Contrast
• and Saturation Contrast

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This can be vital in giving your painting impact.

For example setting a house with a terracotta tiled roof against a background of green trees will make your painting ‘pop’ as some people like to say.

In the painting to the right you will see the warm reddish orange of the trees set against the cool grey background giving colour and temperature contrast, there is also tonal contrast between the very dark beneath the trees and the rest of the painting.