In most art forms, primary colors (or “pure colors”) are known to be red, yellow, and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be mixed from other colors. It is from primary colors that we make other colors. For example, orange is a secondary color created from red and yellow. Mixing blue and yellow creates green.
The primary colors have been used in art and design for centuries. They are often used to create vibrant and eye-catching images. There are several sets of primary colors depending on the medium being used. The red, yellow, and blue set is just one of the most common sets. For color monitors and TVs, on the other hand, the standard primary color set is red, green, and blue (known as RGB). It is also interesting to note that there is symbolism associated with primary colors. For example, red is often associated with love, passion, and danger, whereas yellow is often associated with happiness, optimism, and creativity, and blue is often associated with peace, tranquility, and sadness.
So, what happens when an artist uses primary colors in art? Using primary colors in pure form can create a bold and vibrant effect. This is because primary colors are the most saturated and intense colors. They can be used to create a sense of energy and excitement in a piece of art.
The pieces I feature here are from Argentinean artist Mart Aire (born in Buenos Aires in 1986). His artistic expression is often seen in urban art, including graffiti and murals. The Widewalls website describes Aire’s work as “figurative works, often featuring whimsical characters and contraptions.” That is exemplified vividly in this mural he created in 2013 in my hometown of Fortaleza, Ceará, in northeast Brazil. He called it “Postales del Nordeste Brasileño” (Postcards from the Brazilian Northeast). Here are some sections of the mural that I chose to feature in this post. You can clearly see the artist’s use of primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) in this work. The mural is displayed at the Centro Dragão do Mar de Arte e Cultura (Cultural Arts Center Sea Dragon).
In the first detailed photo (“O Ritmo da Vida” – The Rhythm of Life), the artist painted a traditional musician trio from the northeast. They are dressed in local cowboy attire and are playing drums, accordion, and triangle. That is the basic formation for the native forró dance genre. The next photos are of cactus flowers, a local sailboat in the ocean, and a church and drum set. For more details, you can click each photo for an enlarged version.
This mural is a glowing example of using the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. The artist added a little of green very sparsely.
This post is in response to the latest Lens-Artists Challenge – Primary Colours, by Sofia Alves. At the end of her post, she wrote “I wouldn’t want to finish without an extra challenge. Let’s see all primary colours in one shot where it’s their presence that makes the photo.” I thought I would try the extra challenge. From over a hundred thousand photos in my catalog, only a half a dozen showed up with mostly the priimary colors of red, yellow, and blue. I truly don’t think I could have found (or remembered) these photos without the aid of the amazing catalog plug-in called Excire. It lets you search by keywords as well as colors.
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JohnRH
Great colors and art. Excellent.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you very much, John.
Wind Kisses
When I first started reading and viewing your photos I was thinking balance. The three colors together bring a balance…a rhythm of life. And I love that the artist is fairly young bring vibrance and energy and excitement to his onlookers. Very nice, and creative post, Egidio.
Egídio Leitão
Thank you, Donna. I was surprised he was from Argentina and young. I’d have thought they would have used a local artist for the mural.
Wind Kisses
Yes. But it was indeed a great choice.
Tina Schell
Perfect choice for the challenge Egidio. I absolutely loved the art and the brilliant colors. A wonderful choice for the week. Glad you included the totality as well as the various pieces
Egídio Leitão
Thanks a bunch, Tina. I tried to include the entire mural, but I did not have a complete photo. The one I used has two thirds of the mural. Well, it’s something to look for next time I’m in my hometown.
Khürt Williams
Good lesson on primary colours and how they’re use in art.
Egídio Leitão
That’s very kind of you to write that, Khurt. Thank you very much.
margaret21
This is a fabulous post. Are’t these great? Perfect for a Monday morning,
Egídio Leitão
Margaret, thank you very much for your feedback. I hope it helped get your Monday on the right foot.
margaret21
🙂
Sofia Alves
I love these, Egídio. So vibrant and pure. Wonderful.
Egídio Leitão
Sofia, many thanks for your compliment. Your post was very inspiring.
031ll1879
these murals are amazing. great capture and thanks for the information on them.
Archer
Egídio Leitão
Archer, thank you for writing. It was hard finding info about the artist. When I made the photo, I had no idea who he was. After three or four Google search tries, I finally landed on that page about the artist.
SoyBend
Bold and beautiful!
Egídio Leitão
Many thanks for your compliment.
gwenthinks
These are beautiful. I would love to see them in person!
Egídio Leitão
Thank you for the compliment. The mural is huge. Even the opening photo I used does not show it completely.
Dan
Excellent captures! Very vibrant indeed as the yellow is giving that energy.
Egídio Leitão
Thanks for the compliment and observation about the yellows. I see that, too.
Leya
Ah, brilliant! Enjoyed every piece!
Egídio Leitão
Leya, that’s very kind of you. Thanks for the compliment.