Composition Study Artist Renoir

There is a strong sense of movement and energy in this Renoir painting. The strong and sharp contrasting   (light and black) colors and larger figures sitting at the table on the lower right-hand corner, move these people towards the front, while the gradually blurred people in decreasing size create a wonderful perception of space and movement, as the street continues off the upper left-hand corner. This painting commands all five techniques: Overlap, Size variation, Definition location and Color! 

Color Study and Illusion of Space Artist Robert Lazuka

With crisp symmetrical geometric shapes in the foreground. the door appears as if rising up into the air, while the clearly defined pure square shapes in bright color move forward towards the front and the muted brown color recedes in the background.  This clearly defined foreground, middle ground and background design creates an excellent case of illusion of space by utilizing location, value, hues and shapes.

Illusion of Space Study artist Terry Jarrard-Dimond

With limited color and reversed contrast with darker color in the background,  light color in the middle range, and muted blue in the foreground, a beautiful landscape with illusion of space is created. 

Illusion of Space Artist  Adeine De La Noe

This picture illustrates perfect techniques of creating illusion of Space by using changes in value.  By placing dark color in the foreground and light color in the background, in addition to the technique of overlap, location. There is a clearly defined foreground, middle ground and background.

Illusion of Space Study Artist Monet

Setting against muted light pink, orange and blue hues, the small islands painted in dark color  naturally bring the image closer to the foreground. The orange setting sun with its surrounding warm color is the focal point of this beautiful painting. With excellent choice in colors and value, Monet smartly demonstrated how to create foreground, middle ground and background.

Illusion of Space Study Sunset at River

Illusion of Space Study  Sunset at River

The sharply focused tree, nets and bushes on the foreground with blurred and muted mountain as the background, the variation in size of objects whether it be a tree or birds flying through the sky, all help created a beautiful landscape with the illusion of wide open space. 

Illusion of Space Study Forest and Birds

Illusion of Space Study Forest and Birds

An illusion of space is created by using contrasting hues,  gradation in value and overlapping . By painting darker color in the lower left location and reducing intensity and hues while moving up the paper, you see white birds fly through this illusive forest space. 

Illusion of Space Study Mountain and Waterfall

Illusion of Space Study  Mountain and Waterfall

This Chinese brush painting incorporated the techniques of overlap, definition location, and value to create an illusion of space and movement. From the sharply defined pine trees in the foreground to the blurred mountain scape at the back, darker shade of black in to diluted brush work all helped in creating this illusion of space.

Color Study Color in Low Key range

Color Study Color in Low Key range Artist Vincent Van Gogh

The limited hues in the low range promotes a tired and subdued emotion. The contrasting orange color on the sole of the left shoe and the brim of the right shoe bring the shoes forward while the muted brown wall recede backward.  

Color Study Value and Space

Color Study Value and Space Artist James McNeill Whistler

This painting fully illustrates the function of color value in creating illusion of space. The dark color makes the mother appearing closer to the viewer and the light wall pushes the background further back while the median value  generated another layer of space between the woman and the wall . This simple use of range of color values created a clean yet dramatic image.

Color Study Emotion and Rhythm Artist Vincent Van Gogh

Color Study Emotion and Rhythm Artist Vincent Van Gogh

The use of ice-blue color set the serious tone for this self-portrait. The heavy-textured strokes of the facial features in unity with the textured swirls in the background created both rhythm and movement.  The stern look and the contrasting orange beard draw viewer directly into Vincent's eyes and soul, making a strong emotional statement. 

Color Study Chromatic Gray Artist Claude Monet

Color Study Chromatic Gray Artist Claude Monet

With very limited hues and value, this painting illustrates the power of chromatic grays in high keys. The pale blue contrasting with the pale yellow, creating a dreaming and romantic image of a landscape.

Color Study Emotion, Artist Picasso

Color Study Emotion, Artist Picasso

Colors are never emotionally neutral. This self-portrait of Picasso fully utilizes the emotion of blue color and gradation into darker shade to tell viewers of the person's somber mood.

Color Study Composition, Balance and Proportion, Artist Vincent Van Gogh

Color Study Composition, Balance and Proportion, Artist Vincent Van Gogh

With a broad range in hues and fully saturated colors, this painting brings out a quint and happy emotion. The balance and proportion works beautifully together to bring movement of the wheat and clouds in the sky to life.

Color Study Complementary Color, Artist Vincent Van Gogh

Color Study Complementary Color, Artist Vincent Van Gogh

With vivid complementary red and green colors, this painting adds visual energy and grabs the viewer's attention towards the walls and ceiling. The painting is further unified by browns on the lower walls and the floor. 

Color Study Muted Color High Key and Low Key, Artist Georgia O'keefe

Color Study Muted Color High Key and Low Key, Artist Georgia O'keefe

These two paintings fully illustrate the effectiveness of using muted color in different key ranges to establish clear images of seasons. While the high key indicates lightness and warm feeling, the low key displays the arrival of winter.

Color Study Temperature, Artist Georgia O’Keefe

Color Study Temperature, Artist Georgia O’Keefe

Temperature refers to the heat a color generates, both physically and psychologically. The variation in color temperature between the warm red and yellow, and the cool white and red further created illusion of space. 

Color study Hues, Artist Sune Wendelboe

Color study Hues, Artist Sune Wendelboe

This photo contains only a narrow range of blue hues, with a small opening in the clue ice, yet it effectively exhibits a calm yet interesting and hypnotic image.

Color Study Intensity, Saturation and Chroma, Artist Magunta Dayakar

Color Study Intensity, Saturation and Chroma, Artist Magunta Dayakar

High-intensity colors are used  here to maximize visual impact to the viewers. As fully saturated yellow, orange, reds and blues flow across the canvas, the picture extrudes energy. Starting with darker color at the lower right hand corner moving up into warmer and lighter colors, the painting fully utilizes colors to create space and movement. 

Rhythm Study, Artist Escher

Rhythm Study, Artist Escher

A sense of movement is created in the drawing by repetition of black and white fish. However, the artist chose to use positive and negative reversal to trick the viewer's eyes and mind so that if one stares at the positive value, they will see the white fish swimming clock-wise. But if their eyes move to the black fish, it would appear the fish are swimming counter-clockwise. 

Asymmetry Study, Artist Elena Roche

Asymmetry Study, Artist Elena Roche

With dark background and light table value contrast, three textured leaves placed in the foreground balanced by the two larger bell pepper, the painting fully illustrates the concept of asymmetrical balance, creating a very stable painting.

Symmetry Study - Chinese paper cut design

Symmetry Study - Chinese paper cut design

This traditional Chinese opera mask signifies the symmetrical balance principle in art design. The central axis acts as the vertical dividing line. Perfect symmetry in great details of lines and shapes display calm and stability, making this picture balanced and stunning. 

Value Study, Artist Stephen Wiltshire "Taxi and cobbled alley"

Value Study, Artist Stephen Wiltshire "Taxi and cobbled alley"

The value distribution in the whole composition makes the picture appears 3-D. The hatching details and strong contrasting values further enhanced the front and back, vertical and horizontal relationship.