Color Theory

Color Theory What is color

anyway?› Color is an element

of art› Color is produced

by the way our vision responds to different wavelengths of light.

Color Theory The Spectrum

When a ray of light passes through a prism and is broken up into bands of color.

Neutral Colors Neutrals are created

by different amounts of light

3 Neutrals are:› black › white› gray

Color Properties Color is an

Element of art with three properties;› Hue› Intensity› Value

Color Properties Hue

› The name of the color For example red,

yellow, blue

Color Properties Intensity

› The strength, brightness, or purity of a color.

› Changing a color’s value can change its intensity.

Color Properties Value

› The lightness or darkness of the color.

Tints and Shades (value) Tints

› The light values of a color.› In painting, they can be

achieved by adding white to a hue. Baby blue Pink

Shade› The dark values of a color.› In painting, shades can be

achieved through mixing black with a color. Navy Blue Burgundy

The Color Wheel When the spectrum is

organized as a color wheel, the colors are divided into groups or harmonies.

Some of these groups are:› Primary colors› Secondary colors› Tertiary colors› Analogous colors› Complimentary colors

The Primary Colors ALL colors begin with the

primaries. Primary colors are the

three colors that cannot be achieved through mixing.

They are pure and are the basis of the color wheel.

These primary colors are:› RED› BLUE› YELLOW

The Secondary Colors Secondary colors are those colors that are achieved

through mixing any two of the primaries together. The secondary colors are:

› Orange› Green› Purple

The Tertiary / Intermediate Colors

Tertiary colors result from the equal mixture of a primary color with a secondary color adjacent to it on a color wheel.

Tertiary colors are:› Red Orange› Yellow Orange› Yellow Green› Blue Green› Blue Violet› Red Violet

Color Harmonies Combinations of color that

can be defined by their positions on the color wheel.

These color typically work well together.

Some examples are:› Monochromatic› Analogous › Complementary colors› Triadic› Split Complementary› Warm Colors› Cool Colors

Monochromatic

Monochromatic When only one

hue, plus black and white, is used in an artwork.

Analogous Colors Two or more colors

that are next to each other on the color wheel.

They have one color in common.

For example, blue, blue-green, and green all have the color blue in common and are therefore analogous to each other.

Complementary Colors Complementary colors

› Colors that are directly opposite of each other on the color wheel

› Complementary colors to each other are: Red and Green Blue and Orange Violet and Yellow

› When complements are mixed together they form the neutral colors of brown or gray.

Complementary

Complementary Colors

Analogous

Triadic A triadic color

scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.

Split Complementary A split

complementary includes 3 colors. One is on the opposite side of two that are adjacent to the direct opposite (i.e. green, red orange, and red violet)

Warm

Colors

Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space.

Possible emotions: passionate, optimistic, excited, angry, violent.

Examples are the 6 colors: Yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange, red, and red-violet.

Cool Colors

Earthy colors that are calm and soothing.

Possible emotions: sad, impersonal, and relaxed

Examples: Violet, blue-violet, blue, blue-green, green, and yellow-green