Paul Gauguin (goh-gan):
Complementary Colors
Materials:
White Construction Paper
Color Wheels
Not Supplied: Crayons/Markers
Tahitian Landscape Template
Colored Construction Paper
Let’s create our own version of Gauguin’s The Temple
Step 1: Draw the Outline with Pencil
• Draw the Outline of the bushes in the foreground. Foreground means the part of the
picture that looks closest. Draw the foreground at the bottom edge of your page.
• Draw the Outline of the flowers on the bushes.
• Draw the Outline of the fence.
• Draw the Outline of the hill. The hill in this picture helps show the horizon line. The
horizon line is the line that separates earth from sky.
• Draw the Outline of the mountain in the background. Background means the part of the
picture that looks farthest away. Draw the background at the top of your page.
• Draw over your lines with Black Sharpie or Marker
Step 2: Color in the Opposite Colors
This is the way Gauguin used complementary colors. Feel free to choose your own sets of
complementary colors.
• Yellow and Purple are on the opposite sides of the color wheel.
Gauguin painted the mountain and the flower bushes purple to compliment and balance
the yellow of the hill in the middle ground.
• Blue and Orange are on the opposite sides of the color wheel.
Gauguin painted the palm tree orange to compliment and balance the blue of the sky.
• Red and Green are on the opposite sides of the color wheel.
Gauguin painted the tree green to compliment and balance the red of the flowers in the
foreground.
Step 3: Add details if you have time
If time allows, use the Tahitian Landscape printout using crayons/markers to further experiment
using complementary colors. Use glue sticks to mount on colored construction paper.