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Looking for background colour
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Message
Posted
Hi all,
Got a bit of a dilemma. I have a painting in mind that I'd like to start soon. I quickly slapped together a mockup in photoshop, hopefully the link will work:
http://oi63.tinypic.com/bhac61.jpg
Please note, this is just a quick mockup for proportions and canvas sizes, the real thing will form a much cohesive picture. Basically, there would be a combination of abstract bits forming an overarching S curve going from red to silver (that robot head on the right will be more smudgy and spattery) and the two characters more defined in the middle with the skeleton being mainly red and the woman silver. So the main colours I want to use are red, silver and black, but I'm really not happy with the greyish-greenish background. What background colour would work with these three mains?
I'm going to do this by using acrylic calligraphy inks, so probably will need to fill in the background after the foreground elements are done. Also the light tan colour in the image is the colour of my wall.
Any help is appreciated!
Posted
Well - green is the complementary of red, so that might make it pop out, depending on how much red you're using. And how well would that work with the black and silver.... I rather like your grey background, because it has a certain ethereality to it (another good word, which my spellchecker doesn't recognize, but that's its problem).
Would a black background cause the loss of some detail, or even overpower the images (which stand out quite strongly against the colour you've already got)? As you ask, I'd tend to go for a lighter background rather than a dark one, but beyond adding that I wouldn't make it white, either (or beige: there's rarely much excuse for beige, other than in milky coffee) I can only suggest that your figures and the linking motif should carry the picture and the background shouldn't intrude or jar; which suggests softer colours rather than strong blues, violets, or crimsons. A soft yellow might work.... or a transparent one if you're using inks.