How to decide on wall paint color to accent this art work?

Nancy McDaniel
by Nancy McDaniel

Please look at this pic of Bob Marley Redemption and tell me what color you suggest for the wall it will be hanging on. I want it to be the focal part of the room. I was thinking thé dark blue teal- like color you see in pic but need input ! Pic is attached. Thanks!

  37 answers
  • Cindy Cindy on Mar 15, 2019

    Hi Nancy. I like the purple/silver color in the background of the pic. It really goes well with his face.

  • Cynthia H Cynthia H on Mar 15, 2019

    I would go lighter so that the painting would stand out against the background. A bluish gray would be gorgeous.

  • V Smith V Smith on Mar 15, 2019

    Wow. Great portrait. A good bit depends on the size of the wall and the size of the portrait. If your wall is very large you can scale it down to an area by paining a wide floor to cieling section behind the portrait. Go bold, nothing smaller than twice the width of the art. If you go that way it will not be a total commitment that all parts of the room coordinate. Instead it will call attention to your art much like a mat. I like your idea of the teal, it will be a bold stand-out color with a bit of a tropical vibe. I don't think the owner of this art is afraid to use color.

  • Baba Baba on Mar 16, 2019

    Golly.... great picture!! Good ideas too!!

    i would go a gray... but you may want bolder..... it kind of depends on what kind of statement you want to make with the art work!

    i’m sure whatever you decide will be gorgeous!! Be sure and post so we can see the finished work!!

  • Deb Deb on Mar 16, 2019

    Wow what a great piece. The way I see it,the contrast of the dark around his face has already given it great pop! And the bright green is awesome. I think if it is to be the focal point I would put it on a bright white wall. That would bring forward his mouth .cheek bones eyes, just were ever there are hilights . A dark wall behind would make the edge of the piece kind of disappear. If you are not sure get some fabric or sheets in the colors you are considering, hang them with some of the hooks that won’t damage your walls. Then hang it and see what happens. If you do find a color you like you may want to light it . Just some thoughts but I can just imagine it on white . It will pop!

  • Barbara Taft Trono Barbara Taft Trono on Mar 16, 2019

    I would go dark grey.

  • Genie Genie on Mar 16, 2019

    It looks like there is a sort of mauve color on the right side - whatever that color is, go with it.

  • Mic26701774 Mic26701774 on Mar 16, 2019

    It’s beautiful

    definitively the same yellow or lighter that you used for the face

  • Sharon Hedley Sharon Hedley on Mar 16, 2019

    Take Bob on a field trip to a fabric store, pick a solid color that looks best to your liking. Take a swatch to the paint store.

  • Sandy Sandy on Mar 16, 2019

    Personally, I would use light gray. I like the dark gray suggestion, but have found that dark colors shrink the room. Maybe that wall only in a darker gray.

  • Terrie Day Terrie Day on Mar 16, 2019

    I’d paint the wall a dark to medium gray, and change the frame to a teal tone with gold flecks. I actually saw the perfect frame at Michaels today :)


  • Rymea Rymea on Mar 16, 2019

    Since you want it to stand out the wall has to be light. Paint the wall a light neutral color and use the teal other places in the room. I think if you paint the wall teal it would overwhelm the painting.

  • LegalLady LegalLady on Mar 16, 2019

    Sky blue. Definitely. Brings the out doors in and picks up the blues in the painting. It will be fresh, calm and sophisticated.

  • Gary B Gary B on Mar 16, 2019

    Flat Black

  • Sandra N Leon Rollins Sandra N Leon Rollins on Mar 16, 2019

    Your color choice may depend on the use and purpose of the room where your picture will hang. A calm, serene space would suggest your favorite muted shade (I.e. mauve, teal, gold); whereas an energetic, upbeat space calls for vibrant, bold color (note the contrast of the lime green leaves next to the portrait). Poster board comes in a wide variety of colors and is a cheap way to test background color. Have fun with your home and art!

  • Carroll Carroll on Mar 16, 2019

    I like the idea of teal.

  • Tracy Lynn Jury Hockran Tracy Lynn Jury Hockran on Mar 16, 2019

    The color in his hair, just above HIS left, the arts right .... it’s a light to medium grey with a aqua blue hue, if you could match that up, and use black accessories in the room, it would be awesome!

  • Jambo Jambo on Mar 16, 2019

    Light grey color will bring the picture show out well.

  • Karen Karen on Mar 16, 2019

    White of offwhite is usually the best.

    Any other color would just the painting less noticeable

  • Jeninpowderga Jeninpowderga on Mar 16, 2019

    I like team idea, but maybe a little more blue-green, like deep sea. If you wanted a little more color pop, a burnt orange or deep gold would look great too. And you can never go wrong with a medium gray!

  • I would go bold! Just like him. I would paint the wall it is hung on red and then the other walls white or light gray.

  • Bobbie Bobbie on Mar 16, 2019

    I would choose a light background, maybe not white but something light like gray or silver. Marching blue tone or gold might work as they would pick up the colors in the picture.


  • Joanie Joanie on Mar 16, 2019

    My Son's fav..........Bob Marley.......My son is also an artist, he would be able to take you in the right direction for sure. I will show him this......it may take a while, so have patience. Thank you!

  • Erica Erica on Mar 16, 2019

    It depend entirely on how much light there is in the room. An art work like this will automatically absorb light, and surrounding it with more dark can make the room look cave like--if that is what you want. At the same time, any art work stands out best against white. That's why museums use it. If you want this piece to stand out dramatically, while still keeping the room light and airy, the color should be the one of the whites in the portrait. This will add depth to the piece as well. Other than that, any of the lighter colors in the painting would achieve the somewhat the same result. If you use any of the darker colors on the wall,it will "absorb" the piece and it may look like it's coming out of the wall itself. Whatever look suits you, have tons of fun with it. The portrait is gorgeous!

  • CJ CJ on Mar 16, 2019

    A tip a picture frame told me for a mat color is if the first two main colors in the picture dont work go with the third coloe... we did it on a framed picture and it worked to pop the picture.

  • KLI122 KLI122 on Mar 16, 2019

    Personally I like the pale aqua on the right side of his nose. But it depends on the colors and decor in the rest of the room. Also size of the wall and the picture. And is there natural light?

  • Bluerose445 Bluerose445 on Mar 17, 2019

    If you want to show off the picture, keep the wall color behind it neutral. Paint the wall adjacent to, or opposite in the accent color.

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Mar 17, 2019

    The wall-color of the lightest highlights on his face; use the lighter teal as ceiling color; gray accents around room(pillows,candle,bong-kidding)

  • Anonymous Anonymous on Mar 17, 2019

    Cream, turquoise or green.

  • Laura Cooper Laura Cooper on Mar 17, 2019

    I see just a touch of a deep red color on the wall above the picture. I think that contrast is stunning

  • Bir15106365 Bir15106365 on Mar 18, 2019

    I like light to medium pumpkin and think that would look good.

    Sonia Jividen

  • Ella Ella on Mar 20, 2019

    Colors that remind you of Reggae & Jamaican colors.

  • VB VB on Mar 25, 2019

    I think a light color on the wall would highlight the artwork

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jul 31, 2021

    i would either go white or go with outside color of this painting .. All depends on the rest in your room

  • Gibbhynds Gibbhynds on Sep 07, 2022

    The first step is choosing a color to determine the atmosphere that you want to create in your home. Some people want a bright and cheerful summer. Others like neutral beige shades. A properly selected picture can correct a curve and ugly wallpaper. I purchased Vincent van Gogh reproductions last week. By the way, you should never paint the whole room at once in the chosen color. The fact is that you choose the paint based on a small piece of the palette. The whole room could look different.

  • Mogie Mogie on Sep 08, 2022

    The painting has so many dark and intense color go with something neutral and very light to highlight the contrast.