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CREATING DEPTH

with color

To make sense of the world around us, our eyes

must interpret flat, two-dimensional images and use
visual cues to help us perceive a three-dimensional
world. For centuries, artists have employed these
techniques in order to create the illusion of depth
in their artwork. While there are a number of
key elements that can be used to create a sense
of depth, color is one of the most important for
quilters.
To further understand the role that color plays in
creating dimension, here is a brief introduction to
the color wheel. This is an invaluable tool and once
you understand how to use it, you will be able to
easily use color to create depth in your quilts.

Located
between
each primary
hue, secondary
hues (orange, violet, and
green) create another triangle.
The remaining six tertiary hues
(red-orange, yellow-orange, yellowgreen, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet) result
from a combination of primary and secondary hues.
The color wheel is a visual map of the relationship
between colors. Colors opposite each other are
called complements, or contrasting colors.

The Color Wheel

The color wheel is divided into twelve segments
that represent primary, secondary, and tertiary
hues (or colors) as well as their specific tints and
shades. The three primary hues (red, blue, and
yellow) form a perfect triangle within the circle.
red
dre

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v io

red
-or
an
ge

vio
let

ge
an
or

blue-violet

yellow-orange

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blu

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low

Describing Color
Each hue (color) in the middle ring of the color
wheel is the color in its purest form, meaning
that no black, white, or gray has been added. In
thinking about fabric, these would be the bright
jewel tones. Color is described in terms of
value, the lightness or darkness. By adding
white to any of the colors, a lighter variation
of the color called a tint is created. These
are what we would generally think of as soft
pastels and are found in the inner most ring
of the color wheel. To darken a color, black is
added which is called a shade. Shades are found
in the outermost ring of the color wheel. To
create depth, we will need to use a combination
of primary colors with their shades and tints. The
key to creating an effective design is to carefully
contrast the brightness and hue of the colors.

en
gre
wllo
ye

green

blu
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en

Creating Depth with Color Copyright 20032013 Liz Schwartz & Stephen Seifert. All rights reserved. | Distributed by eQuiltPatterns.com

Creating Depth with

Color Copyright 2003
2012 by Liz Schwartz
& Stephen Seifert. All
rights reserved.
Teachers wishing to use
this pattern as part of a
class must contact ZDP
Media Group for permission and terms of use.
This document is provided for the personal
use of the original
purchaser. Please do
not make or distribute
copies, either printed or
electronic, of this document for any purpose.
May not be sold, traded,
or transferred. in any
manner.

ZDP
media
eQuiltPatterns.com
ZDP Media Group, Inc.
740 Cumberland Gap Rd
Newport, VA 24128
540.544.7153

Creating Depth
COLOR TEMPERATURE
Combinations of color evoke certain
feelings and share similar properties.
Colors that contain a mixture of red
and yellow are called warm, and are
regarded as comforting colors. They
seem to radiate heat and appear to
advance, as if they are coming toward
the viewer. Warm hues range from red,
clockwise on the color wheel through
yellow-green.

Cool colors contain a mixture of blue

and yellow and are seen as calming and
soothing. Cool colors tend to recede,
or go away from the viewer. The cool
hues are from green, clockwise through
red-violet.

The example below illustrates how

color temperature influences depth. The
orange star on the left seems to jump
out of the blue background, while the
blue star on the right is easily seen, it
appears to retreat from the viewer.

HIGHLIGHTS & SHADOWS

Adding highlights and shadows is
another way to add dimension.
Highlights occur at the place where
light hits an object. For highlights, use
a tint of a color (shown in the center
of the color wheel). Use a shade of the
same color (outermost ring of the color
wheel) for shadows. Some painters
prefer to use a contrasting shade for
shadows, as it makes the object appear
brighter.
Most three-dimensional effects created
using traditional quilt designs are
created using highlights and shadows. To
use this technique, first decide where
the light is coming from (top, bottom,
side) and place the lightest color (tint)
in that position. The shadow is cast on
the darkest side (represented by a shade
of the chosen color). The side facing the
viewer is where the pure color is added.
A variety of interesting optical illusions
may be created by varying the placement
of the values. See the examples at right
for common placement of light sources.
As shown in the example at the bottom
of the page, some very interesting
optical illusions can be created by
varying the placement of the light source
and colors on the block faces.

P
TO

P
TO

LEF

HT

RIG

While this illusion works best with

blocks that have perspective, the basic
principles can be applied to make
certain areas of a design stand out more
than others.
CONTRAST OF INTENSITY
By contrasting light and dark values, we
can give an object the appearance of
being three-dimensional. Objects that
have the brightest and richest colors
are the closest to the viewer. Objects
in the distance will be duller, more
faded, or lighter. Shades and tints give
the impression of distance because the
atmosphere has a normally muting effect
upon color, as do conditions such as
haze, smog, and fog.

All of the triangles are the same size and shape; the lighter
triangles are pushed towards the back while the darker ones
appear closer. Also, notice that the red triangle seems to
advance more than the blue one below it.

OM
TT
BO

With an understanding of basic color

theory and a few easy principles in mind,
youre ready to tackle your next quilt.
Incorporate one or all of the methods
described and you will be well on your
way to creating spectacular dimensional
quilts.

Creating Depth with Color Copyright 20032013 Liz Schwartz & Stephen Seifert. All rights reserved. | Distributed by eQuiltPatterns.com

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