Tuto: How to use red in an abstract painting

(To see the video, click on the play button above)

Red is a very popular color in today’s world. In acrylic & abstract painting, red is a very powerful color, giving a lot of meaning to a painting.

In this article I’m going to show you how I use red in my abstract paintings and how it’s possible, with a few simple color combinations, to get a result that works every time!

First of all, let’s talk about red, that fascinating color!

First of all, I recommend you take a look at my article on the meaning of colors (vibration and symbolism).

Red is a very powerful color

As I often say, red is a very powerful color. So powerful, it’s bound to catch your eye. That’s why red is often used for elements that connote danger and prohibition.

A simple way to check this is to look at the Highway Code, for example: “one-way” and “stop” signs are red.

Positive meaning of red

• The action
• The power
• Life
• Love
• The passion

Negative meaning of red

• The temptation
• The danger
• Destruction
• The blood
• The ban
• The penalty

How will a red board be interpreted?

As you can see above, red has many meanings, so red is a very powerful color that will appeal to your audience, but it can be double-edged.

What I’ve found during my career as a painter is that you generally have two types of reaction to a red painting:

• There are those who will see red negatively as a threat, a danger, a risk, some may see blood in my abstract paintings…
• There are those for whom red will vibrate differently and will be positive, like passion, love, strength, power, life… I have to admit that I prefer to capture their attention!

 

How to easily use red in your abstract paintings

As you know, I never embark on an abstract painting without first defining the colors I’m going to use in my composition. It’s very important, and this is how you’ll create beautiful paintings with vibrant sets of colors!

In this tutorial I’m going to explain how to use red easily in your acrylic paintings, using very effective color combinations.

The red/black color combination

The first simple combination I’d like you to experiment with is red and black.

Red and black are a perfect match. You can simply use these two colors in your composition and create a lot of emotion.

Warning / Important: When I talk about red in acrylic paint, I’m talking about a carmine red, not a primary red. Indeed, this is a trap we often fall into as beginners: Primary red is not red, but a rather pinkish hue.

In my case, I usually use a carmine or vermilion red (See / buy by clicking here).

The red / black / grey / white combination

In this painting, I’ve deliberately used very contrasting colors. The aim was to create a main form based on red and black acrylic paint within an overall composition.

On the edges and background, in the background, we find a very light gray color with a subtle white.

Tip: You absolutely must experiment with red / black / grey & white mixes. It’s a truly winning combination, and the results usually meet all expectations.

If you’d like to learn how to make this painting, watch video lesson 3 here.

Red combined with warm and cool shades

In this case, I decided to use my warm red and yellow, with a gradient background (first layer).

Yellow and red are close chromatically speaking, and are two colors that blend very easily and effectively.

On a second coat, I deliberately contrast using cool colors.

Despite its use as a background, red retains all its power of attraction, and this paintwork in acidic colors works well.

Beware of compositions that are “too” red

On this picture, red is very present, even “too much so” for some. In fact, since red is so dominant, some people will be disturbed by this picture and may see negative things in it. For others, red will have just the opposite effect.

If you’d like to learn how to make this painting, watch video lesson 2 here.

A subtle way to use red

In the latter case, I’ll show you how light, subtle use is enough to enhance your overall composition.

To conclude

Red is a color you absolutely must experiment with in your acrylic painting practice. However, as we’ve seen, using this color is a double-edged sword. Red is powerful, captivating and exciting, but it can also be interpreted as danger, risk, suffering…

You’ll need to be careful how you use the red to ensure that the result works in all circumstances!

What about you? how do you use red? Please leave a comment below.