Sometimes when our paintings aren't going the right direction, the issue could be how the colors are interacting with each other. While our paintings may have one or two dominant colors, every color on the pallete, even in small doses, can make or break the final outcome.
There is no such thing as an ugly color. It is not the color, but what color you choose to have next to it that makes a difference. Charles Hawthorn and Joseph Albers have both talked about this in their separate books (Charles Hawthorne: On Painting and Joseph Albers: Interaction of Colors). If the colors aren't working in a painting, oftentimes there can be one or two colors that need a little tweaking.
When adjusting a color, just ask yourself if it is too “blank,” and then adjust it according to the color wheel. For example, if a color is too green, add a little bit of red. Too dark? Lighten it up with white. A color does not have to match the subject exactly, but it does have to interact with the other colors in an interesting way.
