FRUITPORT HIGH SCHOOL

COLOR THEORY
A JACOBSON PRODUCTION
ART ONE

T H E D I S C OV E RY O F C O LO R

The scientist_ called Sir Isaac Newton

discovered color in 1704. Newton
showed that by passing a beam of
sunlight into a prism that white light is
a combination of seven colors of the
rainbow or color spectrum.
Newton discovery helped artists
understand color as being the visual
quality of objects caused by the amount
of light reflected or _absorbed by them.

 His color spectrum was adopted by

artists and made into a useful tool.
The circular chart that organizes colors
into different color relationships is
called the color wheel.
THE COLOR WHEEL

THE COLOR WHEEL

Primary Colors
Are:
Red
Blue
Yellow
They make up all
other colors you
see
And they cannot
be made.

THE COLOR WHEEL

Secondary Colors:
are made by mixing
equal amounts of
two primary colors.
Orange
Violet
Green

THE COLOR WHEEL

Yellow + Blue = Green

Yellow + Red= Orange
Red + Blue= Violet

THE COLOR WHEEL

INTERMEDIATE COLORS

Definition: An intermediate color is

formed when a primary color is mixed
with an adjacent secondary color - for
instance, blue (a primary) is mixed
with violet (a secondary) to produce
blue-violet

THE COLOR WHEEL

Intermediate Colors
Also called the Tertiary colors. They are the
"two-name colors" yellow orange, red
orange, yellow green, blue green, red
violet, and blue violet. They are created by
mixing a primary to its closest secondary.

3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
HUE
VALUE
INTENSITY

3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR

HUE
The color itself
The name of the
basic color in a color
scheme.
Example: Blue could
have variations: sky
blue, light blue, navy
blue royal blue,
aqua, dark blue

3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
:

VALUE

Value is the lightness or darkness of a

hue.

3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
:

VALUE

Values can be made darker by

adding black to a color called a
shade.
Values can be made lighter by
adding a white to a color called a
tint.

PROPERTIES OF COLOR
:

VALUE

TONES: made by adding black

and white or graying a color.

PROPERTIES OF COLOR:

INTENSITY
Intensity is the
brightness or
dullness of a hue.
Colors are bright
when they are
purer in hue and
lighter in value .
When painting we
want to avoid using
pure hue right out of
the bottle because it
is often too intense .

3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR:

INTENSITY
There are 3 ways to make a color
less intense or dull
1.

Darken with a black and shade the color

2.

Mix in a tone and gray the color

3.

Mix in the colors complementary color

INTENSITY if also called SATURATION

Knowing how to dull a color is important skill
you will have to master so KNOW this Slide!

SO
WHAT ARE THE 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR?

SO
WHAT THREE WAYS CAN I MAKE A COLOR LESS INTENSE?

WHAT ELSE IS THERE ABOUT COLOR YOU NEED TO KNOW?

AS WE MOVE ON CONSIDER THIS
HOW DOES COLOR EFFECT WHAT WE SEE?
HOW DOES COLOR EFFECT WHAT WE FEEL?

A knowledge of Color Theory increases our

understanding and appreciation of the
different ways that artists use color.

Placement of colors in an
artwork can create different
visual effects. Examine how
colors effect the red/brown
words

WARM & COOL COLORS ON THE COLOR WHEEL

HOW DOES THE ATMOSPHERE OF THIS

ROOM MAKE YOU FEEL?

WARM COLORS

The colors of red, orange, and yellow are considered

warm colors because they are the colors of fire. Warm
hues are also said to advance, meaning they appear to
come forward, making the walls and space feel closer.
Thus, they can actually make a room feel cozy when
used in decorating.
Colorcommunicat
es the
emotionalfeelof
aroommost
powerfully.
Decorating in
warm colors can
enliven a dull
room or bring
comfort to a stark
space.

HOW DOES THE ATMOSPHERE OF THIS

ROOM MAKE YOU FEEL?

Blue, green, and

violet are
considered cool
colors. When you
think of a cool lake
or ice covered
pond, you see cool
colors. Because
these colors have
a tendency to feel
like they are
receding (or
backing away from
you), cool tones
are often used to
paint the walls of a

COOL COLORS

THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME

Colors that are opposite each other on the

color wheel are considered to be
complementary colors (example: red and
green).

THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME

If you mix complementary colors you will

dull a color make it less intense. If you
keep mixing them you can produce a
neutral color like brown or gray.

EXAMPLES OF COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEMES

THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

Food merchandisers understand this well.

Strawberries are nearly always packaged in
green, the complement of red, and the meat
counter in a grocery store will often have some
touch of green. Both the fruit and the meat
therefore seem redder and more appetizing.

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

The split-complementary
color scheme is a variation of
the complementary color scheme.
In addition to the base color, it uses
the two colors adjacent to its
complement. This color scheme has
the same strong visual contrast as
the complementary color scheme,
but has less tension.

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

Once again a Split Complementary Color scheme has the base color,
and uses the two colors adjacent to its complement.
The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good choice for
beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.

Split Complementary Color

TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are
evenly spaced around the color wheel.
Triadic color schemes tend to be quite
vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated
versions of your hues.
To use a triadic harmony successfully, the
colors should be carefully balanced - let one
color dominate and use the two others for
accent

TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME

TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME

ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES

Analogous colors are next to each

other on the color wheel. These colors
will have a common base color. For
instance: blue, blue-violet, and violet.
Another example is yellow-green,
green, and blue-green.

ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES

They usually match well and create
serene and comfortable designs.
Analogous color schemes are often found
in nature and are harmonious and
pleasing to the eye.

ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES

They usually match well and create serene and
comfortable designs.
Simply choose any color as your main Mother
Color. Then select two or three colors on either
side of it. They all share similarities at their root
and will be fairly easy to harmonize .

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEMES

Monochromatic colorsare all

the colors (tints, tones, and
shades) of a single hue.

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEMES

The monochromatic
color scheme uses
variations in
lightness and
saturation of
asingle
colorwithin the
Color Wheel. This
color scheme gives
the feeling of
simplicity, elegance,

Claude Monet, Rouen and Paris, 1894

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEME & POLYCHROMATIC
The term monochrome refers to the use of one
color or various shades of one color in a single
form. Polychrome refers to the use of many colors
in one form.

LETS LOOK NOW INTO MORE ADVANCED COLOR

SCHEMES

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

Brands and color are inextricably linked because
color offers an instantaneous method for conveying
meaning and message without words

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

Branding is a word commonly referred to by advertisers and
marketing people, but what does it actually mean? Marketing
experts define "brand" as the "name, term, sign, symbol or
design, or a combination of them intended to identify a
company's products or services." In other words, a brand
communicates the "idea" of company or product. This is
what forms the connection with consumers.

IN WHAT PROJECT DID WE TOUCH ON BRANDING?

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

Our minds are programmed to respond to color. For
example, we stop our cars for red lights and go on green.
Consider the effects of color in the image of
contemporary symbols below.

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

Color is the visual component people remember most
about a brand followed closely by shapes/symbols then
numbers and finally words. For example, the real
McDonald's is easy to detect in the image below.

People see color before they absorb anything else.

Color Design and Psychology for Branding

So Why Does Color Matter so Much to a Designer or Artist?
Facts
Research has reinforced that 60% of the time people will
decide if they are attracted or not to a message - based on
color alone!
Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent.
To the artist or designer knowing how to use color effectively
can impact the popularity of their work, attract views
attentions, help with sales.