Echoing color around your painting increases color harmony. That can be done in a variety of ways.

Some artists tone their canvases, allowing bits of that tone to show throughout the painting. Edgar Payne did that a lot.

Another method is just to repeat a color appropriately throughout. Color, value and temperature are modified by their surroundings. If you use this method adjust value and temperature to suit the situation. For example, blue-gray in the mountains can be repeated in the middle ground or foreground shadows, but you may need to warm it a bit, or darken it. Keep it in the same color family.

Still not sure? Think of the volume of objects in your painting: Trees are spheres, trunks are columns. Spheres and columns receive reflected light. Depending on the color of general light, your trees might be backlit in a cool slightly lavender tone or a warm orangey tone. Be subtle. This reflected lighting will give form to objects while moving color around your painting.

Set aside assumptions. In painting, a green tree can graduate to soft orange as its background transitions from one color to another. Robert Wood did this to great effect. Not only does this solve value and temperature problems, it also is a way of moving color around your canvas.

Look closely at how great artists handled various elements in their paintings. Studying original paintings is best, but art books and magazines, and online galleries and museums are also good resources. Use a magnifying glass. Enlarge your screen image.

Artists to study:

• Edgar Payne – for complimentary color schemes, neutral colors, composition & focal area.
• Neil Welliver – energetic colors, and use of paint as line and pattern.
• Vincent Van Gogh – same as Welliver
• Stephen Eugene Mirich – for close color harmony and a limited palette www.mirich.net
• Glenn Dean – color harmony and composition www.landscapesofthewest.com

Interesting Blogs:

      Keith writes about the process of thinking about and creating art. www.keithbond.com/blog

References:

• American Art Review Magazine    www.amartrev.com
• Design and Composition, by Nathan Goldstein. An excellent book. It includes color theory.
• Color in Contemporary Painting, by Charles Le Clair. Another great book.