Makeup Artistry & Color Theory Part 1

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Makeup Artists are just that. Artists. In order to be an artist you have to know a little about art history, fashion history as well as color theory. Out of those three, Color theory is the most important of them all. Here’s a look into my world:

*Color theory is one of the principal foundations of everything that the makeup artist does. Successfully recognizing and matching a client’s skin tone and underlying tones, good corrective and camouflage makeup, enhancing or complementing natural coloring, blending in prosthetic pieces and creating realistic casualty effects it all relies on color as much as technique.

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Knowing how to achieve a particular color and understanding what colors cancel each other out are essential in makeup

*Red Green Blue (RGB) model, as used in electronic systems that transmit light such as computers and televisions

*Red Yellow Blue (RYB) model, the color system traditionally used in art 

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Color Basics

1. Primary Colors (red, yellow, blue)- are the three colors from which any other color can be mixed. When all three are mixed equally, they produce grey.

2. Secondary Colors (orange, green, violet)- are made by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors.

3. Tertiary Colors (amber, chartreuse, aquamarine, indigo, violet red)- are made by mixing one primary color with one adjacent (next to) secondary color.

4. Quaternary Colors- are made by mixing any two of the secondary colors together, resulting in a brown color.  We can see how these colors relate to our skin and the underlying tones. EX: olive brown (green + purple), russet brown(purple + orange), citrine brown (orange + green)

5. Earthy or Neutral tones- browns and greys, are made by either: mixing all three primary colors; any two secondary colors or all the primary and secondary colors.

6. Complementary Color: Each color has a complementary color and this is the opposite color to it on the color wheel.When placed next to each other they create a strong contrast. When mixed in equal proportions, they cancel each other out producing a grey tone. This is useful for the makeup artist in color correction (red areas on the skin can be calmed down with a touch of green)

7. Harmonizing Colors: Colors that share a pigment and blend easily into each other.

Check back next week for Color Theory Part 2.

Written By: Brianna Coleman

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