Color Theory for Miniature Painting: Bringing Your Minis to Life

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Welcome back, my fellow burgeoning miniature painters! Have you ever stared at your collection of paints, overwhelmed by all those choices? Have you wondered how to make your minis pop? Well, fear not. Today, I’m giving you a primer on color theory for miniature painting.

In this article, I’ll explain color theory for miniature painting as best I can. I’ll also explain some important terms. Then, I’ll explain some core concepts. I’ll leave you with some resources to help you further understand color theory.

It sounds fancy, but color theory is a set of tools that helps you choose and use colors to make your miniatures look great. Let’s get started.

What is Color Theory (and Why Does color theory for Miniature Painting matter)?

As Kris Decker explains it in her article for 99design:

Color theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color. How the visual effects of colors mix, match, or contrast.

As a hobbyist, why should you care about knowing color theory?

Knowing the basics of color theory will help you make smarter color choices when painting minis. Color theory is not just about knowing about color mixing or creative color schemes; it’s also about creating atmosphere and mood through color. It’s about how colors interact with itself and with light.

Color theory is a subject that would span several articles. For your purposes, though, I will touch on the basics. Everything that is discussed in this article will refer to the subtraction method. This method involves light being either reflected and/or absorbed to produce the colors we see. It is the primary method used in painting and printing.

Now, let’s learn some terms.

As you explore color theory, you’ll encounter some new terms. Don’t worry; they’re not scary monsters!

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Hue: This is the color itself, like “red” or “blue.”

Value: This refers to a color’s lightness or darkness. This is usually achieved by adding black or white to the hue. Think of the color red. If you start to add white to it, it becomes pink. If you add black, it becomes more red-brownish

Saturation: Saturation describes the intensity of a color. When we introduce a value of grey to the hue, it becomes a bit more muted. 

An example of this is the trend of costumes in superhero movies. The costumes on the big screen are a bit more muted than those found on the comic book page. 

Now that we have the main terms, let’s start learning about color.

As you look at the colors on the color wheel, there are some primary principles you need to understand. They are:

Primary hues are the basis of every other color on a color wheel.

The primary hues for the subtraction method in painting are red, yellow, and blue.

You get the rest of the color combinations from these primary hues on the color wheel.

Secondary hues are secondary colors created by mixing two primary colors.

For example, when you mix red and yellow colors, they make orange. Mixing colors of blue and yellow creates green, and red and blue would make purple. 

Tertiary hues are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. All tertiary hues are Yellow-green, blue-green, red-orange, yellow-orange, and red-violet.

Colors can be warm or cool, just like the temperature outside. Imagine you’re outside on a sunny day. The sun feels warm, right? That warmth we see is kind of like a color feeling! This “feeling” of colors is called color temperature. Artists use this cool trick to create different moods and effects in their paintings.

There are two types of color temperatures:

Warm colors — think of reds, oranges, and yellows — can remind us of sunshine, fire, and hot lava. They sometimes evoke feelings that make us happy, excited, or angry.

Cool colors often remind us of the ocean, the sky, or a refreshing popsicle. Think of blues, greens, and purples. They sometimes make us feel calm, peaceful, or even sad.

So, how can we apply this to miniature paintings?

Color temperature can help you bring your minis to life in miniature painting! Here are some ways to use it:

Fire and Fury: Want to paint a fiery dragon or a raging barbarian? Use warm colors like reds, oranges, and yellows for their skin, scales, or armor. These colors will make them look hot and powerful!

Icy Might: Painting a frosty giant or an ethereal elf? Use cool colors like blues, greens, and purples for their skin, clothes, or magical effects. These colors will make them look cool and mysterious.

Reality Check: Want your mini to look super realistic? Use a mix of warm and cool colors! In real life, things aren’t just one flat color. Using warm and cool tones, you can create shadows and highlights that make your mini look three-dimensional.

So, next time you paint a miniature, think about color temperature! It’s a fun way to add personality and depth to your miniatures.

Now that you have many colors, it’s time to learn how to arrange them on your miniature for the most impact. This is where color schemes come in! 

Color harmony, or color schemes, is a collection of hues and values. These colors interact, creating a harmony that is pleasing to the eye. Below is a list of a few common ones in color theory:

Monochromatic: A monochromatic color scheme uses a single color/hue and relies on saturation and value (light to dark) to define form. The best example I can think of is Marvel Comics’ Daredevil. His red costume is an example of a monochromatic color, and the saturation and values of red define the figure’s form.

Analogous: An analogous color scheme uses a series of colors next to each other on the color wheel. Or, as Lucia Tonelli from Elle Decor puts it:

Analogous colors are three colors next to each other on the color wheel. The composition of the scheme includes one dominant color. Then it has a supporting color and a third color that is either a mix of the two first colors.

For example, yellow, yellow-green, and green would be the analogous color scheme. Again, you would use saturation and value to define light and shadow, giving you a large pallet of colors to play with.

Complimentary: A complementary color scheme is two hues opposite each other on the color wheel. Red and green are examples of complementary pairs. You see this color combination with trees, wreaths, and decorations around the holiday season.

Some sports logos have a complementary color scheme. For example, the Minnesota Vikings team colors are purple and yellow, complements on the color wheel. 

Triad: A triad color scheme is a series of three colors. Colors that are evenly spaced apart to form a triangle.

The primary hues on the color wheel are a classic example of a triad color scheme.

Resources to Master color theory for miniature painting

The internet is full of resources. They can help you master color theory for miniature painting. Here are a few of my favorites:

This online tool lets you explore color schemes and find inspiration.

Adobe Color gives you a handful of options to create your color schemes. Whether you start with some of the color harmonies above or play around with the color wheel, you should be able to find a color scheme right for your next miniature project.

 You can also explore a huge library of color schemes published by a community of artists. You can search by keywords and filter views to hone in on a color scheme that will inspire you.

Adobe Color can also show what color schemes are trending. The trends are categorized as fashion, graphic design, game design, and more.

Search for “miniature painting color theory” here. You’ll get many great examples, infographics, and links to other articles on the subject.

If you want to deepen your knowledge of color theory, this is a great place to start.

Conclusion

This scratches the surface. There’s so much more to cover with color theory. I hope this primer gives you enough information to make better color choices. When working on your next project, apply the information above to select the right colors for the job.

Ready to stock up on paints and bring your color theory skills to life? See our articles on the [Best Miniature Paint Sets](insert link) and [Best Craft Paint Sets](insert link). They have some top picks to get you started. Happy painting!


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