Artist’s Color Bars
In art, a color bar is a strip or chart that displays a range of colors. It is used by artists to help them select and mix colors for their artwork, as well as to create a harmonious color scheme. A color bar typically consists of a series of squares or rectangles that show different shades of a particular color, arranged in a linear or graduated fashion.
Some color bars may include a wider range of colors, such as primary and secondary colors, and may also include tints and shades of those colors. The purpose of a color bar is to provide a visual reference for artists to use as they work, helping them to achieve the desired color palette for their artwork.
Use the color bars in your coloring book to experiment with styles and color schemes.
The following examples are of countryside scenes in different styles.
Impressionism
Soft, pastel colors with a lot of light and shade. Colors might include shades of pink, blue, green, yellow, and purple. Take inspiration from Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payne’s Grey | Dark Grey | #536878 | 70, 50, 40, 20 | |
| Ultramarine Blue | Blue | #4166f5 | 90, 80, 0, 0 | |
| Viridian Green | Green | #40826d | 80, 20, 80, 5 | |
| Naples Yellow | Yellow | #fada5e | 5, 10, 70, 0 | |
| Raw Umber | Dark Brown | #826644 | 30, 50, 70, 60 | |
| Beige | Beige | #f5f5dc | 0, 0, 10, 5 | |
| Fawn | Light Brown | #c49e6c | 10, 35, 60, 25 | |
| Carnation Pink | Light Pink | #FFA6C9 | 0, 50, 20, 0 | |
| Rose Pink | Dark Pink | #FF007F | 0, 100, 30, 0 | |
| Sky Blue | Light Blue | #87CEEB | 40, 10, 0, 0 | |
| Cerulean Blue | Dark Blue | #007BA7 | 100, 50, 10, 10 | |
| Emerald Green | Light Green | #50C878 | 80, 0, 90, 0 | |
| Olive Green | Dark Green | #808000 | 30, 0, 100, 50 | |
| Lemon Yellow | Light Yellow | #FFF44F | 0, 5, 95, 0 | |
| Golden Yellow | Dark Yellow | #FFD700 | 0, 20, 100, 0 |
Expressionism
Bold, vibrant colors with high contrast. Colors might include red, yellow, blue, green, and black. Consider the works of Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, and Franz Marc.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Red | Red | #ff0000 | 0, 100, 100, 0 | |
| Yellow | Yellow | #ffff00 | 0, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Green | Green | #008000 | 100, 0, 100, 50 | |
| Blue | Blue | #0000ff | 100, 100, 0, 0 | |
| Purple | Purple | #800080 | 50, 100, 0, 0 |
Cubism
Geometric shapes and a limited color palette. Colors might include black, white, gray, and muted shades of blue, green, and brown. Research the great works of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Black | Black | #292421 | 70, 67, 66, 90 | |
| Raw Umber | Mid Brown | #826644 | 50, 60, 80, 40 | |
| Burnt Umber | Dark Brown | #8A3324 | 34, 79, 82, 59 | |
| Titanium White | White | #F0F0F0 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Cerulean Blue | Blue | #007BA7 | 87, 36, 0, 34 | |
| Alizarin Crimson | Red | #E32636 | 1, 97, 81, 25 | |
| Olive Green | Dark Green | #808000 | 30, 0, 100, 50 |
Surrealism
Dreamlike colors and unusual combinations. Colors will include pink, blue, yellow, purple, and green. Salvador Dali of course, but don’t forget Rene Magritte, and Max Ernst.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Blue | Dark Blue | #13294B | 100, 80, 20, 30 | |
| Forest Green | Dark Green | #006400 | 100, 0, 100, 50 | |
| Pale Yellow | Yellow | #FFFF99 | 2, 0, 36, 0 | |
| Light Pink | Pink | #F4C2C2 | 0, 36, 18, 1 | |
| Deep Purple | Purple | #5D3FD3 | 85, 95, 0, 13 | |
| Neon Pink | Dark Pink | #FF1493 | 0, 80, 40, 0 | |
| Bubblegum Pink | Light Pink | #FFC0CB | 0, 20, 10, 0 | |
| Hot Pink | Pink | #FF69B4 | 0, 90, 30, 0 | |
| Cerulean | Mid Blue | #007BA7 | 100, 50, 20, 0 | |
| Sky Blue | Bright Blue | #87CEEB | 40, 10, 0, 0 | |
| Turquoise | Blue/Green | #40E0D0 | 70, 0, 20, 0 | |
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 |
Pop Art
Bright, bold, and saturated primary colors (red, blue, yellow), as well as neon shades and pastels. Andy Warhol naturally springs to mind, but also look for works by Roy Lichtenstein, and Claes Oldenburg.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poppy Red | Red | #FF3B30 | 0, 95, 90, 0 | |
| Canary Yellow | Dark Yellow | #FFD60A | 0, 10, 95, 0 | |
| Electric Blue | Blue | #007AFF | 90, 50, 0, 0 | |
| Grass Green | Green | #4CD964 | 70, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Purple | Purple | #5856D6 | 50, 60, 0, 0 | |
| Neon Pink | Dark Pink | #ff1493 | 0, 80, 20, 0 | |
| Hot Pink | Pink | #ff69b4 | 0, 70, 10, 0 | |
| Neon Blue | Light Blue | #00bfff | 60, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Neon Yellow | Yellow | #ffff00 | 0, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Neon Green | Light Green | #39ff14 | 70, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Lime Green | Mid Green | #32cd32 | 70, 0, 100, 0 |
Realism
Artists such as Edward Hopper, Gustave Courbet, and Winslow Homer worked in these naturalistic and subdued colors which include earth tones such as brown, green, and beige, as well as muted shades of blue and gray.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | Off-White | #F3EFEF | 0, 0, 5, 5 | |
| Umber | Brown | #635147 | 30, 50, 60, 10 | |
| Olive Green | Green | #556B2F | 70, 25, 100, 30 | |
| Steel Blue | Blue | #4682B4 | 60, 30, 10, 0 | |
| Coal Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Light Beige | Light Beige | #F5F5DC | 0, 0, 10, 5 | |
| Medium Beige | Beige | #C2B280 | 10, 20, 50, 25 | |
| Dark Beige | Dark Beige | #6B5F4F | 40, 50, 80, 60 | |
| Light Fawn | Light Fawn | #EBD4AE | 5, 15, 40, 0 | |
| Medium Fawn | Fawn | #B08968 | 20, 45, 70, 10 | |
| Dark Fawn | Dark Fawn | #664C28 | 50, 70, 90, 60 | |
| Gainsboro | Grey | #DCDCDC | 0, 0, 0, 20 | |
| Dark Gray | Dark Grey | #A9A9A9 | 0, 0, 0, 60 |
Abstract Expressionism
Large areas of color and spontaneous brushstrokes from the likes of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. Colors might include bright red, yellow, blue, green, and black.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnt Sienna | Orange-Brown | #E97451 | 5, 65, 75, 0 | |
| Raw Umber | Brown | #826644 | 35, 50, 70, 35 | |
| Ultramarine Blue | Blue | #3F5FBC | 90, 80, 0, 0 | |
| Cadmium Yellow | Yellow | #F7D116 | 0, 5, 100, 0 | |
| Phthalo Green | Dark Green | #1C7E45 | 90, 30, 100, 10 | |
| Bright Red | Red | #FF0000 | 0, 100, 100, 0 | |
| Fire Engine Red | Dark Red | #CE2029 | 0, 90, 80, 10 | |
| Canary Yellow | Yellow | #FFFF00 | 0, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Bright Blue | Bright Blue | #0000FF | 100, 100, 0, 0 | |
| Cobalt Blue | Dark Blue | #0047AB | 100, 80, 0, 30 | |
| Bright Green | Bright Green | #00FF00 | 100, 0, 100, 0 |
Minimalism
A limited color palette with a focus on neutrals where Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, and Agnes Martin excelled. Colors tend to be limited to white, black, gray, and beige.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| White | White | #FFFFFF | 0, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Gray | Gray | #B3B3B3 | 0, 0, 0, 30 | |
| Beige | Beige | #F5F5DC | 0, 0, 10, 4 |
Baroque
The greats like Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini used rich and luxurious colors with a lot of contrast including gold, red, purple, green, and blue.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Gold | #FFD700 | 0, 16, 100, 0 | |
| Burgundy | Red | #800020 | 0, 100, 75, 50 | |
| Forest Green | Green | #228B22 | 76, 0, 100, 45 | |
| Indigo | Blue | #4B0082 | 77, 100, 0, 49 | |
| Pink | Pink | #FFC0CB | 0, 25, 10, 0 | |
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 |
Fauvism
Bold and expressive colors of bright red, orange, yellow, green, and blue (with a lot of contrast) attracted Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck to this early 20th-century style.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prussian Blue | Blue | #003153 | 100, 90, 20, 30 | |
| Veronese Green | Green | #18A148 | 87, 10, 100, 2 | |
| Cadmium Yellow | Yellow | #F9B200 | 0, 20, 100, 0 | |
| Vermilion | Red | #E34234 | 0, 80, 80, 0 | |
| Magenta | Pink | #FF00FF | 0, 100, 0, 0 | |
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 |
Art Deco
A lot of metallics and jewel tones. Gold, silver, bronze, deep green, red, and blue were the 1920s and 1930s colors for Tamara de Lempicka, Erté, and Paul Poiret.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Gold | #D4AF37 | 0, 20, 90, 18 | |
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Silver | Silver | #C0C0C0 | 0, 0, 0, 25 | |
| Platinum | Grey | #E5E4E2 | 1, 1, 1, 10 | |
| Pastel Pink | Pink | #FFD1DC | 0, 25, 10, 0 | |
| Midnight Blue | Blue | #191970 | 100, 100, 0, 30 |
Pointillism
A technique that involves using small dots of color to create a larger image. Colors might include a range of bright and muted shades, including red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and pink.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight Blue | Blue | #191970 | 100, 100, 0, 30 | |
| Forest Green | Green | #228B22 | 82, 24, 100, 12 | |
| Firebrick | Red | #B22222 | 0, 81, 81, 70 | |
| Goldenrod | Yellow | #DAA520 | 4, 19, 90, 0 | |
| Indigo | Indigo | #4B0082 | 76, 100, 0, 49 | |
| Lavender | Lavender | #E6E6FA | 6, 6, 0, 0 |
Renaissance
The warm colors of deep red, brown, green, gold, and blue spanned an artistic movement of such a grand scale it had to be divided into 3 periods. The “rebirth” includes works such as the Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Look to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Sandro Botticelli (among many others) for inspiration.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Sienna | Brown | #3C1414 | 0, 69, 69, 61 | |
| Deep Carmine | Red | #A40000 | 0, 100, 100, 64 | |
| Burnt Umber | Brown | #8A3324 | 20, 77, 100, 45 | |
| Dark Green | Green | #006400 | 100, 0, 100, 60 | |
| Golden Yellow | Yellow | #FFD700 | 0, 16, 100, 0 | |
| Ultramarine | Blue | #120A8F | 94, 93, 0, 44 |
Post-Impressionism
Developing a style from another style created a wide range of bright and muted colors, often with bold outlines, including shades of green, yellow, blue, purple, and orange. Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Georges Seurat? Enough said.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payne’s Grey | Grey | #536878 | 71, 61, 47, 33 | |
| Cadmium Yellow | Yellow | #FFD300 | 0, 11, 100, 0 | |
| Vermilion | Red | #E34234 | 0, 78, 78, 11 | |
| Ultramarine Blue | Blue | #3F00FF | 95, 100, 0, 0 | |
| Olive Green | Green | #556B2F | 82, 43, 100, 51 | |
| Raw Umber | Brown | #826644 | 26, 43, 65, 50 | |
| White | White | #FFFFFF | 0, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 |
Constructivism
Emerging from the Russian Revolution in the early 20th century, artists such as Alexander Rodchenko, Vladimir Tatlin, and El Lissitzky created bold, geometric shapes with a limited color palette of black, white, red, and shades of gray.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Red | Red | #FF0000 | 0, 100, 100, 0 | |
| Yellow | Yellow | #FFFF00 | 0, 0, 100, 0 | |
| Blue | Blue | #0000FF | 100, 100, 0, 0 | |
| White | White | #FFFFFF | 0, 0, 0, 0 |
Art Nouveau
Reaching a peak at the turn of the 20th century, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, and René Lalique created a lasting impact on modern art and design. Flowing, organic shapes and muted pastel green, pink, purple, blue, and yellow stand the test of time.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midnight Blue | Blue | #2c3e50 | 100, 81, 41, 64 | |
| Burgundy | Red | #8b0000 | 0, 100, 100, 45 | |
| Forest Green | Green | #228b22 | 82, 25, 100, 34 | |
| Goldenrod | Yellow | #daa520 | 5, 22, 84, 8 | |
| Plum | Purple | #dda0dd | 24, 47, 0, 14 | |
| Salmon Pink | Pink | #ff91a4 | 0, 60, 30, 0 | |
| Sienna | Brown | #a0522d | 0, 49, 73, 36 | |
| Beige | Beige | #f5f5dc | 0, 0, 12, 4 | |
| Fawn | Brown | #e5aa70 | 0, 26, 52, 10 |
Romanticism
Using a lot of dramatic, contrasting colors such as dark blue, deep red, green, purple, and black romantic painters sought to create works that were highly emotional and expressive, often depicting scenes of heroism, tragedy, or sublime beauty. Caspar David Friedrich, William Turner, and Eugène Delacroix left a significant impact on the development of modern art, and its influence can still be seen in contemporary art today.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Blood red | Red | #8B0000 | 0, 100, 100, 45 | |
| Royal blue | Blue | #4169E1 | 65, 48, 0, 11 | |
| Golden yellow | Yellow | #FFD700 | 0, 5, 100, 0 | |
| Forest green | Green | #228B22 | 82, 23, 100, 39 | |
| Porcelain white | White | #F0F8FF | 0, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Soft pink | Pink | #FFC0CB | 0, 24, 11, 0 |
Conceptual Art
Conceptual art can involve a wide range of styles and color schemes, but often focuses on simple, muted colors to convey a message or idea. Gray, black, white, and muted pastels are used to great effect by Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Kosuth, and Yoko Ono.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night Black | Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | |
| Blood Red | Red | #8B0000 | 0, 100, 100, 45 | |
| Royal Blue | Blue | #4169E1 | 65, 48, 0, 11 | |
| Golden Yellow | Yellow | #FFD700 | 0, 5, 100, 0 | |
| Forest Green | Green | #228B22 | 82, 23, 100, 39 | |
| Porcelain White | White | #F0F8FF | 0, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Soft Pink | Pink | #FFC0CB | 0, 24, 11, 0 | |
| Charcoal grey | Grey | #36454F | 63, 48, 43, 70 | |
| Moss green | Green | #8A9A5B | 36, 17, 61, 27 | |
| Slate grey | Grey | #708090 | 53, 43, 37, 44 | |
| Olive green | Green | #556B2F | 80, 40, 100, 50 | |
| Slate blue | Blue | #6A5ACD | 62, 59, 0, 19 | |
| Cool grey | Grey | #BEBEBE | 0, 0, 0, 25 | |
| Ash grey | Grey | #B2BEB5 | 23, 9, 18, 19 | |
| Khaki | Yellow | #C3B091 | 15, 20, 45, 11 |
Postmodernism
Postmodern art often involves a mix of styles and colors and can be difficult to define. However, it often involves bright, contrasting colors and bold shapes. The palette expands to neon shades, primary colors, and muted pastels. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Cindy Sherman should inspire your color selections.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payne’s Grey | Grey | #536878 | 70, 50, 40, 20 | |
| Ultramarine Blue | Blue | #4166f5 | 90, 80, 0, 0 | |
| Viridian Green | Green | #40826d | 80, 20, 80, 5 | |
| Naples Yellow | Yellow | #fada5e | 5, 10, 70, 0 | |
| Raw Umber | Brown | #826644 | 30, 50, 70, 60 | |
| Beige | Beige | #f5f5dc | 0, 0, 10, 5 | |
| Fawn | Brown | #c49e6c | 10, 35, 60, 25 |
Op Art
Op Art, short for Optical Art, is a style of abstract art that relies on optical illusions to create the impression of movement and depth. The artists working in this style often use geometric shapes and contrasting colors to create visual effects that seem to pulsate, shimmer, or vibrate.
The colors used in Op Art tend to be bold and bright, often in high contrast to each other. Black and white, or black and another color, are also frequently used to create stark contrasts that enhance the illusion of movement. Search for works by Victor Vasarely, Bridget Riley, and Yaacov Agam.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Green | Green | #228B22 | 90, 30, 100, 20 | |
| Olive Green | Green | #556B2F | 80, 40, 100, 50 | |
| Maroon | Red | #800000 | 30, 100, 100, 50 | |
| Scarlet | Red | #FF2400 | 0, 90, 100, 0 | |
| Canary Yellow | Yellow | #FFFF99 | 0, 0, 40, 0 | |
| Sky Blue | Blue | #87CEEB | 53, 18, 0, 9 | |
| Light Sea Green | Green | #20B2AA | 84, 14, 50, 0 | |
| Pale Turquoise | Blue | #AFEEEE | 40, 0, 10, 6 | |
| Steel Blue | Blue | #4682B4 | 65, 48, 0, 29 | |
| Teal Blue | Blue | #3CB7A1 | 67, 0, 44, 28 | |
| Dark Blue | Blue | #00008B | 100, 100, 0, 45 |
Fluxus
Fluxus is a multidisciplinary art movement that emerged in the 1960s and is characterized by a focus on experimental and often interactive art.
Fluxus works tend to be bold and bright, often using primary colors and contrasting hues to create visual impact. However, some Fluxus artists also use black and white or muted colors to create a sense of simplicity and minimalism.
Famous Fluxus artists include Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, and George Brecht.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Blue | Blue | #7DF9FF | 25, 0, 0, 0 | |
| Magenta | Pink | #FF00FF | 0, 100, 0, 0 | |
| Crimson | Red | #DC143C | 0, 100, 100, 20 | |
| Goldenrod | Yellow | #DAA520 | 5, 10, 70, 0 | |
| Olive Drab | Green | #6B8E23 | 50, 20, 90, 30 |
Biomorphism
Biomorphism is an art movement that emerged in the 20th century and is characterized by the use of organic and natural forms as well as abstract shapes and patterns.
The color schemes in Biomorphism tend to be earthy and muted, including shades of brown, green, and red.
Famous artists who have worked in the Biomorphism style include Jean Arp, Joan Miro, and Henry Moore.
| Descriptive Color | Basic Color | HEX Code | CMYK | Color Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mint Green | Green | #98FF98 | 30, 0, 30, 0 | |
| Turquoise | Blue | #40E0D0 | 70, 0, 30, 0 | |
| Lavender | Purple | #E6E6FA | 10, 10, 0, 0 | |
| Peach | Orange | #FFE5B4 | 0, 10, 30, 0 | |
| Plum | Purple | #DDA0DD | 20, 40, 0, 0 | |
| Salmon | Orange | #FA8072 | 0, 60, 50, 0 | |
| Teal | Green | #008080 | 100, 0, 30, 0 | |
| Goldenrod | Yellow | #DAA520 | 10, 30, 100, 0 | |
| Ivory | White | #FFFFF0 | 0, 0, 5, 0 | |
| Olive Green | Green | #556B2F | 80, 40, 100, 50 | |
| Rust | Red | #8B3100 | 0, 80, 100, 45 | |
| Sienna | Brown | #A0522D | 0, 50, 75, 40 | |
| Burgundy | Red | #800020 | 30, 100, 100, 50 | |
| Yellow Ochre | Yellow | #CC7722 | 0, 30, 70, 20 | |
| Raw Umber | Brown | #826644 | 30, 50, 70, 60 |
