One of the main building blocks of composition is the idea of counterchange.

So, what is this? And why is it so powerful?
And, more importantly, how can I use it in my paintings?

What is counterchange?

The dictionary describes counterchange as: to change parts or to contrast colours or values. And, as we know, anything that brings about change or contrast is great for creating powerful paintings. Here’s an example from a watercolour painting I did years and years ago when I first started teaching art online.

This flock of seagulls were taking flight because a bird of prey had begun to circle above them. You can see him on the top left.
Now, we all know that seagulls are white, and that is how they are painted against the dark trees in the background.

But look what happens when they hit the sky. They suddenly turn black! At first glance you don’t even notice this, but it is what the eye actually sees in nature, and is therefore what we should paint. Just think about how the seagulls would simply disappear if we continued painting them white!

This counterchange makes the painting. It adds a level of nuance that is really important. When I showed this painting to my wife a few moments ago, she didn’t even notice that the colours had changed! All she saw were seagulls taking flight. When I pointed out the counterchange to her she was amazed!

You can see the same effect in this second painting. The fence posts are counterchanged against the stone wall. As the sunlight hits them above the wall they are very light, and I painted the background a shade darker around them to emphasize this. The same posts in the shadow of the wall are darker and subtly blend with the wall colours and values. It would not have had the same impact if they had been painted white all the way down.

So, look for ways you can introduce counterchange into your paintings and see if you can surprise anyone with the results!

Thanks for reading!