One technique at a time · Javier Origin
Simultaneous contrast: learn to use the background when coloring
Does skin look more orange or a petal darker after you color the background? Learn to check when simultaneous contrast is involved and try different surroundings before adding more pigment.
By the end: you will know how to keep one color unchanged, compare two backgrounds and choose the one that supports the appearance you want.
Are the two grays identical?
The two central squares are exactly the same gray.
First, observe
What is simultaneous contrast?
Simultaneous contrast occurs when a color’s appearance changes because of the colors around it. The sample stays the same color, but we may perceive it as lighter, darker or different in hue.
Imagine the same gray sample on a white background and a black one. It usually looks lighter on black. You have not used another pencil or added a layer: the reference against which your eyes compare that gray has changed.
The apparent hue can also change. A gray surrounded by blue may look relatively warmer; surrounded by orange, it may look cooler. The strength depends on the colors, lightness, size and viewing conditions.
It is not mixing
Layering blue and yellow changes the sample’s material. In these examples, we keep the center unchanged and change only its surroundings.
It is not an afterimage
You do not need to stare for a while and then look at another surface. Here, you compare colors that are present at the same time.
Standing out and changing appearance
A figure may attract more attention against another background. That alone does not show that its apparent color has changed.
Start with just one comparison
What you need for this tutorial
This tutorial is for people who color with pencils and want to understand how the background affects appearance. You do not need experience in color theory or all three pencil brands.
To observe on screen
Open the laboratory on a phone, tablet or computer. Its controls require JavaScript; the examples can also be viewed as fixed samples.
To repeat it on paper
Prepare a sheet of paper, a gray pencil, a light background and a dark one. The white paper can serve as the light background. For the second test, add blue and orange. Use the pencils you already have.
To compare carefully
Keep the same lighting and sample. On paper, prepare the backgrounds on the same support. The aim is to change just one variable: the surroundings.
Observe · check · decide
How to test simultaneous contrast step by step
Choose a brand and start with “Light and dark”
In the laboratory, select your pencil range and choose “Light and dark.” You will see the same gray on a white background and a dark one. For example, with Polychromos you will see 232 · Cold Grey III; with Prismacolor Premier, PC1063 · Cool Grey 50%; with Luminance, 004 · Steel Grey.
Check: the central pencil name is the same for both samples. Keep this center unchanged during the comparison.
Compare the lightness of the two centers
Look back and forth between the central squares normally. Ask yourself, “Which one looks lighter?” Gray usually looks lighter on the dark background. Here, “lightness” means how close its appearance is to white or black.
Observe: you may perceive a difference even though both squares are the same color. Its strength will vary between people and screens.
Remove the backgrounds to check that the centers match
Select “Compare without backgrounds.” Both surroundings will become the same neutral checking gray. The centers keep their color. Then select “Show the backgrounds again” and compare once more.
Check: the two centers match when they share the same surroundings. If they looked different before, the background was affecting their appearance. If you did not see a difference, first try another lightness comparison.
Try “Warm and cool” without changing the center
Select “Warm and cool.” The laboratory places the same gray against blue and orange backgrounds. Observe whether it looks relatively warmer in the blue surroundings and cooler in the orange ones. Here, “warmer” means appearing closer to yellows or reds; “cooler” means appearing more bluish.
Observe: the hue shift may be subtle. The chosen grays have their own undertones, and the backgrounds also differ in lightness. This comparison does not isolate hue alone.
Note what you would change in your drawing
Choose one application from the examples: skin, petals or a fantasy accent. Keep the subject’s color unchanged and test two surroundings on a small scrap. Decide which supports the appearance you want before changing the skin, flower or detail.
Result: complete this sentence: “I want my sample to look _______; I will try a _______ background and check it again outside those surroundings.”
Same center · different surroundings
Your contrast laboratory
Choose your pencils and change the backgrounds. Both centers are always identical. Remove the backgrounds to check, then show them again to observe the effect.
The same gray usually looks lighter against dark surroundings. Compare without changing the central sample.
Identical center: 232 · Cold Grey III.
View this range in the Atlas (in Spanish)Use a reference from your actual pencils
You can test the color of a sample made with your own pencils. Upload a scan or photograph and tap the area you want to compare. Only the laboratory’s center will change; the examples below retain their references.
Advanced options: I have a color measurement
For values measured with an instrument or a colorimetric reference. Use the 2° observer and the reference white from your measurement.
The image is processed in this browser. For greater fidelity, use a scan with a color profile and a uniform sample. An uncalibrated photograph adds the effects of the camera and lighting.
A small image area is averaged to reduce the effect of grain and noise.
From your pencil case to your drawing
12 examples of simultaneous contrast
The first nine examples repeat three comparisons with different pencil ranges. The final three apply them to skin, petals and fantasy. Observe, remove the backgrounds to check, and move the comparison into the laboratory if you want to change pencils.
The same gray, two lightnesses · Polychromos
Identical center: 232 · Cold Grey III
Look. Compare the centers. Gray usually looks lighter on the dark background than on the light one.
Understand. Perceived lightness depends on the surroundings. Both centers use exactly the same digital value.
Try. Move a single gray sample between a light frame and a dark one.
Gray between blue and orange · Polychromos
Identical center: 232 · Cold Grey III
Look. Observe whether the gray looks warmer against blue and cooler against orange. The effect may be subtle.
Understand. Colored surroundings can shift the apparent hue. These grays also have their own undertones.
Try. Test the backgrounds on the same paper. If their lightness differs greatly, lightness contrast will also play a part.
Blue on orange and gray · Polychromos
Identical center: 120 · Ultramarine
Look. Observe the same blue against orange and gray. Compare its appearance and how much it stands out.
Understand. Both apparent hue and figure separation may change. Standing out more does not by itself demonstrate a color shift.
Try. Before adding layers to a blue garment, try a different background.
The same gray, two lightnesses · Prismacolor Premier
Identical center: PC1063 · Cool Grey 50%
Look. Compare the centers. Gray usually looks lighter on the dark background than on the light one.
Understand. Perceived lightness depends on the surroundings. Both centers use exactly the same digital value.
Try. Move a single gray sample between a light frame and a dark one.
Gray between blue and orange · Prismacolor Premier
Identical center: PC1063 · Cool Grey 50%
Look. Observe whether the gray looks warmer against blue and cooler against orange. The effect may be subtle.
Understand. Colored surroundings can shift the apparent hue. These grays also have their own undertones.
Try. Test the backgrounds on the same paper. If their lightness differs greatly, lightness contrast will also play a part.
Blue on orange and gray · Prismacolor Premier
Identical center: PC903 · True Blue
Look. Observe the same blue against orange and gray. Compare its appearance and how much it stands out.
Understand. Both apparent hue and figure separation may change. Standing out more does not by itself demonstrate a color shift.
Try. Before adding layers to a blue garment, try a different background.
The same gray, two lightnesses · Luminance
Identical center: 004 · Steel Grey
Look. Compare the centers. Gray usually looks lighter on the dark background than on the light one.
Understand. Perceived lightness depends on the surroundings. Both centers use exactly the same digital value.
Try. Move a single gray sample between a light frame and a dark one.
Gray between blue and orange · Luminance
Identical center: 004 · Steel Grey
Look. Observe whether the gray looks warmer against blue and cooler against orange. The effect may be subtle.
Understand. Colored surroundings can shift the apparent hue. These grays also have their own undertones.
Try. Test the backgrounds on the same paper. If their lightness differs greatly, lightness contrast will also play a part.
Blue on orange and gray · Luminance
Identical center: 140 · Ultramarine
Look. Observe the same blue against orange and gray. Compare its appearance and how much it stands out.
Understand. Both apparent hue and figure separation may change. Standing out more does not by itself demonstrate a color shift.
Try. Before adding layers to a blue garment, try a different background.
Skin: check the background before correcting · Polychromos
Identical center: 132 · Beige Red
Look. The same Beige Red may look warmer or cooler when its surroundings change.
Understand. This is a base sample for a skin-color exercise. Real skin requires a palette and variations; this patch lets you isolate its relationship with the background.
Try. In a portrait, assess the background and clothing before deciding that the skin needs another layer.
Petals: lightness without adding white · Prismacolor Premier
Identical center: PC939 · Peach
Look. The Peach sample usually looks lighter on the dark background. Check the effect without changing the center.
Understand. Dark surroundings can increase apparent lightness. The sample is a simplified color detail, not a petal mixture.
Try. Try a small background area around a flower before covering its petals with more white.
Fantasy: a yellow accent · Luminance
Identical center: 810 · Bismuth Yellow
Look. Compare the yellow on violet and gray. Notice both its appearance and how much attention it attracts.
Understand. Hue and lightness relationships combine here. A more visible accent and a perceptual shift are related but different observations.
Try. Try this accent in a jewel, star or magical detail, and choose the surroundings before changing the pencil.
Before adding another layer
How to use simultaneous contrast in your drawing
Skin: compare it with clothing and the background
If skin looks too warm after coloring the clothing, prepare a sample of that skin tone and try it beside two clothing colors. Also look at the face within the whole picture. If the surrounding effect helps, you can keep the skin; otherwise, you will have a clearer reason to adjust the palette.
Flowers: assess the lightness of the surroundings
If a petal looks dull, test a dark area and a light one around it on a separate sheet. Dark surroundings may make the petal look lighter. This does not add light or white pigment to the paper: it changes the visual comparison.
Fantasy: distinguish appearance from attention
Try the same yellow on violet and gray before coloring a star or jewel. Ask separately, “Does its color seem to change?” and “Does it attract more attention?” Choosing a visible accent does not by itself demonstrate a hue shift.
These are tests to support decisions, not recipes that guarantee a result in every illustration. Shape, size and the rest of the scene also matter.
Choose a role, then a pencil
Pencils used in the exercises
These references help you reproduce the exercises. Colors in the same row play a similar role, but are not exact equivalents across brands. If you lack one, match the lightness first, then the color family.
View pencil names and numbers
| Role | Polychromos | Prismacolor Premier | Luminance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gray | 232 Cold Grey III | PC1063 Cool Grey 50% | 004 Steel Grey |
| Light | 101 White | PC938 White | 001 White |
| Dark | 199 Black | PC935 Black | 009 Black |
| Blue | 120 Ultramarine | PC903 True Blue | 140 Ultramarine |
| Orange | 111 Cadmium Orange | PC918 Orange | 030 Orange |
| Violet | 138 Violet | PC932 Violet | 120 Violet |
| Yellow | 107 Cadmium Yellow | PC916 Canary Yellow | 810 Bismuth Yellow |
| Warm base | 132 Beige Red | PC939 Peach | 862 Burnt Sienna 10% |
Digital samples approximate pencil colors. A screen emits light; pencil on paper reflects the illumination. Paper, pressure, layers and finish also change the real result.
Now take it to paper
Free printable exercise
One sample, two backgrounds
Download a two-page worksheet to practice lightness and hue with your actual pencils. The frames are blank: you color them yourself.
- Color a single central sample and cut it out.
- Prepare two backgrounds on the same paper.
- Move the sample between them and note what you perceive.
- Compare outside the backgrounds before adding another layer.
A4 · 2 pages · blank template to color
Sample to cut out: _______
My observation: ___________________
If the comparison does not resolve your question
Common mistakes when testing simultaneous contrast
| What happens | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The centers do not match in your paper test | Two separately colored samples may have different layers or pressure. | Color and cut out one sample. Move it between both frames to keep the material unchanged. |
| You change the subject and background together | You can no longer attribute the difference only to the surroundings. | Keep the central sample unchanged. Try a different background before adding pigment to the subject. |
| You do not notice a hue shift | It may be subtle; lightness, size and the screen also matter. | Start with “Light and dark.” Then repeat on paper with the same sample and steady lighting, without assuming you must see an effect. |
| You confuse a visible color with a color that looks different | Figure separation and apparent hue are different observations. | Compare lightness and hue separately. Then remove the backgrounds and check. |
| The laboratory does not respond | The controls need JavaScript; the fixed samples do not. | Check that your browser allows JavaScript on this page, or use the examples and paper exercise. |
| The actual pencil does not match the screen | Digital color is approximate, and paper reflects the lighting. | Test on the paper and with the layers you will use in your drawing. An uncalibrated photograph does not establish the pencil’s exact color. |
Your final check
How to tell whether you understand simultaneous contrast
Return to a comparison and answer these three questions. You do not need to see a strong illusion to understand which variable you are testing.
- What stayed the same? The central sample’s color.
- What did you change? The surrounding colors.
- How did you check? By matching the backgrounds on screen or moving the same physical sample between two frames.
Then choose a background for skin, a petal or a detail. Explain whether you wanted a different apparent lightness, another hue or more visual attention. If you can distinguish those choices, you have a basis for applying this tutorial to your next drawing.
Resolve your questions
Questions about simultaneous contrast
Do simultaneous contrast and color contrast mean the same thing?
“Color contrast” can refer to differences between two colors or how much a figure stands apart from its background. This tutorial examines something more specific: the same sample looking different depending on its surroundings.
Does the pencil really change color?
During the comparison, you keep the same sample. Adding layers, changing paper or altering lighting introduces other variables that can also change its appearance.
Does it only happen between complementary colors?
No. You can also study lightness with a gray sample on white and black. Some colored surroundings produce hue shifts; the chosen combination and viewing conditions affect the effect.
How does this relate to warm and cool colors?
A sample may look relatively warmer or cooler when the colors around it change. That describes a perceptual relationship: it does not alter the pencil’s formulation or make “warm” and “cool” absolute properties of every color.
Do I need Polychromos, Prismacolor Premier or Luminance?
No. The examples identify pencils from those ranges so you can find them. Repeat the exercise with other pencils: keep one center unchanged and prepare sufficiently different backgrounds.
Do the digital samples show the exact pencil color?
They are approximations from the Atlas. Paper, layers, lighting and the screen all matter. The options for using your own image or a measurement help you introduce another reference; its fidelity depends on how you obtained it.
Can I correct skin by changing only the background?
The background can affect its appearance, but it does not replace work on the face’s color and form. Start with a small test, look at the whole picture and then decide whether to change the surroundings, the subject or both.
One decision for your next drawing
Keep practicing color
Organize your pencils
Check codes and color families to prepare backgrounds and samples.
Open the Atlas (in Spanish)Choose a coloring page
Try two backgrounds for the same character, animal or fantasy scene.
View free coloring pagesDedicate a session to color
Apply what you have learned to an illustration from my digital coloring books.
Discover the books (in Spanish)Want to understand what changes when you do layer pigments? Continue with the color mixing and blending guide.
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