COLOR THEORY

Basic Color Principles

When a beam of white light is passed through a prism, a spectrum of the entire range of pure colors visible to the naked eye is formed.

The color wheel or color circle is the basic tool for combining colors. The first circular color diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. The color wheel is designed so that virtually any colors you pick from it will look good together. Over the years, many variations of the basic design have been made, but the most common version is a wheel of 12 colors based on the RYB (or artistic) color model. Traditionally, there are a number of color combinations that are considered especially pleasing. These are called color harmonies or color chords and they consist of two or more colors with a fixed relation in the color wheel.

The Three Dimensions of Color

Hue Value Chrome

Most designers agree that color is the most significant design element. Color has an immediate and profound effect on a design. Color can be used to express individuality, set a mood, create an illusion, or actually affect the temperature of a room. When color is combined with the other design elements, the possibilities become much more exciting.

COLOR WHEEL

HUE

 Hue identifies a color by name. Every color falls into a definite hue category as indicated by the spectrum color name on the color wheel.

Hue

Value
Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue achieved by adding white, gray, or black.

White added to a

hue creates a tint. Gray added to a hue creates a tone. Black added to a hue creates a shade.

Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue. A color is at full intensity when not mixed with black or white - a pure hue. the intensity of a color can be changed by making it duller or more neutral by adding gray to the color. the intensity of a color can be changed by adding its complement (this is the color found directly opposite on the traditional color wheel). When changing colors this way, the color produced is called a tone. When complementary colors are mixed together, a dull tone is produced. When complementary colors are placed side by side, you increase their intensity. This effect is called simultaneous contrast - each color simultaneously intensifies the visual brightness of the other color.

SATURATION brilliance or depth of color

Franz Marc, Fighting Forms

Chrome
Chrome refers to the degree of intensity, strength, saturation, or purity of a color. Purity of a color refers to its freedom from white, black, or gray.

Primary Colors
Red, blue, and yellow comprise the three primary colors. These three colors can approximate, through selective mixture, all of the other colors.

Secondary Colors
Orange, violet, and green are the
secondary colors.

Each is placed

between the two primaries that are mixed to produce it.

Primary & Secondary Colors

Color Harmony

Complementary Split Complementary Triadic Tetradic Analogous Monochromatic

Complementary
Complementary color harmony features colors
directly opposite on the color wheel.

Split Complementary
Combining one color with two colors on either side of
its direct complement results in a split complementary.

Triadic
Triadic color harmony involves three
colors equally spaced on the color wheel.

a very aware use of contrasts of complementar y & analogous colors AND shades and tints

Robert Delaunay, Circular Forms, c. 1912

RECTANGLE (TETRADIC) COLOR SCHEME

The rectangle or tetradic
color scheme uses four colors arranged into two complementary pairs. This rich color scheme offers plenty of possibilities for variation. Tetradic color schemes works best if you let one color be dominant. You should also pay attention to the balance

Analogous
Analogous colors consist of related colors
that are adjacent on the color wheel. They usually include only one primary color. Analogous color harmony allows one color to dominate and others to enhance.

Monochromatic
Monochromatic color represents a harmony arrived at through variation in the value and intensity dimensions of a single color.

Color Balance
Any color which dominates its immediate
environment in hue, intensity or value will over balance a color or colors of lesser contrast and tend to divert attention from the composition.

WARM AND COOL COLORS The color circle can be divided into warm and cool colors. Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space. Cool colors give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression. White, black and gray are considered to be neutral.

 Warm, or advancing colors, are those that resemble fire and heat. Red, red-violet, red-orange, and yellow-orange are examples of warm colors. Warm colors appear closer and are more eye catching than cool colors.

Warm Colors

 Cool, or receding colors, are associated with peace and calm. Blue, blue-green, and blue-violets represent cool colors. Cool colors in a composition tend to visually recede and look smaller. They are not easily seen from a distance.

Cool Colors

Cool colors represent nature :blue, green, violet. Creates a calm and restful feeling. Cool colors recede (move away) making the space appear larger. They generally look good in rooms that receive direct sunlight.

 NEUTRAL COLORS:

Colors NOT found on the color wheel. Includes: Black, Gray, White, Beige, Tan, Brown. Blends well with other colors. Safer color choice; easy to live with and easy to change accent colors. Adding a small amount of color to a neutral color scheme. Provides contrast and interest.

ACCENTED NEUTRAL