VISUAL COMMUNICATION 2

VISC6311

LU 2-(CH6)
P123 - 129
PRESENTATION: MARGINS, RULES,
BORDERS, CROPPING, AND BLEEDS

How you present an image affects communication.

 Margins: the blank space surrounding a visual on the left, right, top, or bottom
edge of a page can frame a visual, almost presenting it in a formal manner.
 Rules: thin stripe(s) or line(s) used for borders or for separating text, columns
of text, or visuals. Most often, rules function best when used to separate, as
dividers.
 Borders: a graphic band that runs along the edge of an image, acting to
separate the image from the background, like a frame.
 Cropping: the act of cutting an image, a photograph, or an illustration to use
only part of it, not using it in its entirety. Crop an image to edit it, to improve
it, or to delete visual information that might distract the viewer from the
communication.
PRESENTATION: MARGINS, RULES,
BORDERS, CROPPING, AND BLEEDS

 Bleed or full bleed:

type or a visual that
extends off the edges of
the page, filling the
page with an image.
USING COLOR
Responses to color vary depending on culture, region, gender, and personal
preferences. Designers understand the potential of color to communicate on a
symbolic, brand, and visceral level.

o The three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) on the

color wheel are connected by an inscribed equilateral
triangle.

o The secondary colors in pigment (orange, green, and

violet) are mixtures of the primaries. They have less hue
contrast among themselves than the primary group
because they are mixtures.

o Mixtures of the pigment primaries and secondary's yield

interval colors between the two: blue (primary) + green
(secondary) = blue-green (interval). These three sets of
color groups (primary, secondary, and interval).
Task Time - 8

 Answer the following questions:

o What are the 3 primary colors of pigment.
o What are the 3 secondary colors of pigment.

 Draw a color wheel that represents the primary, secondary and interval colors
of pigment.
RELATIONSHIPS ON THE PIGMENT
COLOR WHEEL
 Neutrals (white, black, and gray), also called achromatic
colours within a group of saturated hues, might act as areas
of visual rest or chromatic neutrality.
 Black may darken (as well as deepen) a design, and white
may lighten (as well as open up, enlarge) a design.
 Black-and-white relationships may also be used for contrast,
differentiation, or drama.
COLOR TEMPERATURE

 A hue may be warm or cool in temperature, which refers to whether the color looks
hot or cold.
 The temperature of a color is not absolute but can fluctuate depending on the strength
of the dominant hue in a composition. Saturation and value also affect temperature.
 Cool and warm colors may visually separate or appear disparate.
 Cool and warm colors in opposition on the color wheel seem to create visual tension or
spatial “push-and-pull” effects when composed together.
 A warm color may seem to move forward while a cool colour
recedes.
 A color’s visual appearance may by altered by surrounding
colours.
COLOR TEMPERATURE
 Cool colors are the blue, green, and violet hues located approximately on the
left half of the pigment color wheel. When a composition is based on a cool
color palette, it feels synchronized. Cool colors are easier to balance than warm
colors or combined warm/cool palettes.
 Warm colors are associated with the sensation of heat (fire, the sun), spiciness,
or intensity. These are the red, orange, and yellow hues located approximately
on the right half of the color wheel. Warm colors look harmonious and are easier
to balance than combined warm/cool palettes.
COLOR TEMPERATURE
Color groupings can also be found in nature (earth tones,
minerals, sea, etc.), seasons and climates (autumn,
tropical, etc.), fine art (Fauves, Pointillism, Divisionism,
Mannerism, etc.), periods of design history (Psychedelic,
New Wave, etc.), fashion across centuries and countries,
textiles (batik, Scot plaids), ceramics (ancient Chinese
ceramics, Greek red vase period, etc.), and in global
cultures. Always research color symbolism for meaning in
relation to the audience.
Designers use color to denote, connote, symbolize,
distinguish, differentiate, cue, as themes, to demarcate
spatial zones.
COLOUR SCHEMES
When designing with color, always consider hue, value, and
saturation. Changing the value or saturation of a color will
affect how it works and communicates.
In print, the inert properties of ink applied to a paper
substrate will look differently from when designing them on
screen.
 Monochromatic color schemes employ only one hue. A
monochromatic palette can contribute to a visualization
and composition’s unity and balance. It can appear
restrained, simple, and act as an alternative to black for a
one-color project.
 Analogous color schemes employ three adjacent hues and
tend to form a harmonious or congruent color palette. The
harmony is created because of the color's similarity to each
another. One color can dominate, and the other two colors
play supporting roles.
COLOUR SCHEMES
 Complementary color schemes are based on a relationship
between any two opposing hues on the pigment color wheel.
o These opposing hues tend to visually vibrate and can
express tension or excitement through their strong contrast.
o Complementary colours may mix optically to form grays or
to shimmer, which is called mélange optique (optical
mixture).
o (In painting, Divisionism described the separation of color
through small individual strokes of paint. Pointillism
described the application of small dots of paint positioned
closely together. Both create optical mixtures.)
COLOUR SCHEMES
 Split complementary color schemes include three hues:
one color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement
on the colour wheel. A split complement’s nature is high
contrast but somewhat more diffused than a complement
and is less dramatic than a complementary color scheme
but still visually intense.
 Triadic color schemes include three colors that are at
equal distance from each other on the color wheel. A
triadic colour scheme is visually diverse with good hue
contrast yet harmonious.
 Tetradic color schemes are composed of four colors in
two sets of complements (a double complementary). This
color scheme may be difficult to harmonize unless one
hue becomes dominant with the others as supporting
players.
COLOUR SCHEMES

 Analogous colors are any three adjacent hues.

 Complementary colors are opposing hues.
 Split complementary colors are two near hues in
opposition to one hue.
 Triadic colors are three hues at equal distance from
each other.
 Tetradic colors are two sets of complements.
 Cool and warm colors are blue, green, and violet hues
versus yellow, orange, and red hues.
A FINAL WORD ON VISUALIZATION:
STORYTELLING
 Every image tells a story through its subject,
visualization, and composition.
 All images tell stories—the story the visual
artist, director, or writer intends—and the
story the viewer gleans from it and brings to it.
Task Time - 9

 Describe the characteristics of warm colors.

 Describe the characteristics of cool colors.

 Draw color wheels representing the following:

o Complementary colors
o Triadic colors
o Analogous colors
Fin