Using Color Harmony to Improve Your Paintings

I was feeling uninspired in the studio, a familiar crossroads many artists face between seasons. I had just wrapped up a series of winter still lifes and knew it was time to shift into landscapes for my summer shows.

While I normally enjoy transitioning between these subjects, nothing seemed to spark my interest. Rather than force the process, I decided to reconnect with one of the most powerful tools in an artist’s toolbox: color harmony.

Specifically, I turned to an ancient concept that has shaped art, philosophy, and nature itself—the yin and yang of complementary colors.

I decided to have some fun and experiment with color harmony or complementary colors.
Pairs of colors that share no common elements are called ‘complementary colors’.
Instead of my traditional palette, I chose to experiment with a revolutionary idea of painting using the 5000-year-old yin/yang approach.
The ancient Chinese understood our world in terms of a balance of opposites. Everything in nature has its opposite.

For example:

moon/sun
black/white
day/night
sunrise/sunset

Complementary colors are pairs of hues that sit opposite each other on the color wheel—such as blue and orange, red and green, or yellow and purple. These colors share no common pigment, yet when seen together, they create a dynamic tension and visual vibration. When mixed, they produce harmonious grays; when placed side by side, they sing.

Every color has its opposite, too! Each ‘primary’ color or hue (red, yellow, blue) is directly opposite a ‘secondary’ color (green, purple, orange).

These complementary colors are always found opposite each other on the color wheel:

Red – Green
Yellow – Purple
Blue – Orange

A Masterful Example of the Blue–Orange Yin/Yang

The painting above is a beautiful demonstration of this principle. Notice how the warm orange glow of the sky gently opposes the cool blue-violet tones in the snow. The scene feels peaceful yet alive. It’s a quiet vibration created not through bold color, but through temperature contrast.

Orange (yang) brings warmth, energy, and light.
Blue (yin) offers calm, shadow, and rest.
Together, they create atmospheric unity and emotional resonance—a perfect harmony of opposites.

My Blue & Orange Yin/Yang Palette

Orange Family:

Cadmium Red Light (warm orange)
Cadmium Orange (true orange)
Cadmium Yellow Medium (cool orange)
Burnt Sienna (earth orange)

Blue Family:

Ultramarine Blue (warm blue)
Cobalt Blue (true blue)
Phthalo Blue (cool blue)
Plus: ivory black and titanium white to control value and chroma.

This limited palette allowed me to mix a surprisingly broad range of harmonious colors—from lush greens and muted violets to warm browns and silvery grays—all while maintaining unity across the canvas.

When opposite colors are mixed, they create beautiful, chromatic neutral grays. Using this technique, I limited my palette to the family of complementary colors I felt were best suited for the subject being painted.
Out of the three yin/yang palette possibilities, I chose the blue and orange palette.

For the ‘orange’ pigments I used:

cadmium red light – warm orange
cadmium orange – true orange
cadmium yellow medium – cool orange
burnt sienna – softer orange

For the ‘blue’ pigments I used:

ultramarine blue – warm blue
cobalt blue – true blue
phthalo blue – cool blue
and ivory black & titanium white

The Beauty of Working in Complements

Complementary colors are not about contrast alone; they are about balance. Just as yin and yang describe the natural interdependence of opposites, complementary palettes offer artists a way to tap into timeless harmony in our paintings.

I was so pleased with the results that I plan to paint an entire series using the yin/yang palettes! For more information, I suggest reading The Yin/Yang of Painting.

Happy Painting!