A row of eight blues from dark to light, and a simple river scene built only from those blues.

Concept · Relationships

Monochromatic

A monochromatic scheme keeps to a single hue and varies only its lightness and strength.

With hue held still, the picture's structure rests almost entirely on light and dark. The result tends to feel calm and unified, and it shows at once whether the values are working.

To spot one, check whether every passage could be one paint, only lightened or darkened.
In practice many allow slight shifts warmer or cooler, or a few small touches of another color.
Without a wide enough value range, a one-hue picture turns flat rather than quiet.

See

Nocturne: Blue and Silver—Battersea Reach

Image: Made for this site · Original work