chapter 13 color
DESCRIPTION
DesignTRANSCRIPT
Design Principles
Chapter 13: Color
Color Theory
Every decision from clothes selection to home/work environment is a color choice.
The study of color is complex. Everyone can profit from the knowing some
basic color principles.
The Essentials
Light is made of all colors (Sir Isaac Newton put white light through a prism = colors)
Color is a property of light. Objects have no color of their own, they just reflect a
particular wavelength from the color spectrum. (For example a blue object absorbs all of the wavelengths, EXCEPT the blue ones, thus the blue ones are reflected back to our eyes.
Black absorbs all the wave lengths of the color spectrum.
White reflects all the wave lengths of the color spectrum.
Color Mixing
Additive System – Color is created from projected light. (Example: theater lighting, photography, interior design, etc.) (The primary colors mix to create white in an additive system.)
Subtractive System – Color is created from pigments, (Painting, drawing, etc…) The primary colors mix to create neutral gray or black.
Color Wheel – most common organization for color Primary Colors – Subtractive Color:
– Red – Blue – Yellow
Color Characteristics
Light and Color Perception Color is a product of light. Light changes affect color Colors shift throughout the
times of the day.Color Constancy or
Constancy Effect While an object changes color
with different conditions, we remain tied to thinking of it as one color. (grass = green)
Claude Monet. Poplars. 1891. Oil on canvas, 3’ 3 3/8” x 2’ 1 5/8” (100 x 65 cm). Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Color and its Surroundings
Color changes with light, and it also changes with its surroundings.
Rarely do we see color by itself, normally it is in conjunction with other colors
These surrounding colors will change how we see. One color can appear to be 2 different colors.
Josef Albers devoted his career to the study of color and color relationships. The gray sample looks different against the two
background colors.
The 3 Properties of Color
Hue
Value
Intensity/Complementary Colors
Properties of Color: Hue
First property of Color
Hue – Refers to the name of the color Example: Pink, scarlet, maroon and
crimson are all a hue of Red. There are few hues but there are many
colors. The same hue or color can have many
different names. This is especially true in the world of commercial products. (Think color names of cars, shirts, etc.)
Color Wheel
The most common organization for the relationship of the basic colors is the color wheel. (Wheel system dates from the 18th century.)
3 Primary ColorsRed, Yellow and Blue
3 Secondary Colors - mixtures of the primary colors. Orange, Green and Violet
6 Tertiary Colors - mixtures of a primary and a secondary color.
The twelve-step color wheel of Johannes Itten.
Properties of Color: Value
Value - Lightness or darkness of the hueTint - adding white to a hue = high value colorShade - adding black to a hue = low value color
“Most people can distinguish at least 40 tints and shades of any color.”“Normal” Color Values Differ “Not all the colors on the color wheel are shown at the same value.” Yellow = light value color Blue = darker value color
Value scales for blue, gray, and yellow with equal visual steps.
Properties of Color: Value
Changing Color Value When working with paint you can thin
a color by adding medium. The more transparent a color is, the
lighter it’s value placed over white. You can also alter the value by mixing
hues together. Value, just like color, is changed by its
surroundings.
Color Properties
Color Interaction Colors change with
their context. Amounts and repetition
are also critical factors. Here green looks
different “woven” through black or white.
Properties of Color: Intensity/Complementary Colors
Intensity = brightness of a color. At full intensity only when pure
or unmixed. Also called chroma or
saturation.
2 ways to lower intensity:
(or make a color duller) Mix with Gray Mix with Complement
Complementary colors neutralize each other in mixture.
Intensity/Complementary Colors
To Make Brighter use: Simultaneous contrast – when 2
compliments are placed next to each other, they increase in visual brilliance, usually with a vibrating edge.
A visual phenomenon: Afterimage effect – when you stare at an
intense color for a minute or so and then look away, you will see the complementary color
Mixing Light: Digital palettes such as those
found in Photoshop are often used in the arts
Colors can be mixed by numeric percentages or picked from an onscreen sample.
Mixing Pigment: Modern pigment additions have
greatly expanded artist’s choices Information on hue, value and
intensity is easily available.
Palettes
Photoshop Palette
Visual Color Mixing
Techniques that suggest light
Visual Color Mixing Techniques:Visual Mixing = Optical Mixing Pigment can not reproduce the
luminous and brilliant quality of light
We create a color by placing 2 pure colors next to each other rather then mixing them on a palette.
At a certain distance the viewer’s eye mixes them together
Chuck Close. April. 1990-1991.Oil on canvas, 8’ 4” x 7’. Courtesy Pace Wildenstein, New York.
Visual Mixing in Other Art Forms
Styles and Techniques that use Visual Mixing
Post-Impressionist Seurat and van Gogh used Visual Mixing
Pointillism – technique using small bits of color next to each other to produce a color.
Pixels on the computer TVs Mosaics Weavings Color Printing – 4 color dot system
Black Watch Plaid for Band Regimental Tartan (#396). House of Tartan, Ltd., Perthshire, Scotland.
Cool/Warm Colors
Color as physical sensation:
Cool Colors –Blue, Green, Violet Cool colors recedes Represents – Sky, Water,
Grass, Plants
Warm Colors – Red, Orange, Yellow
Warm colors come forward Represent – Fire, sun and heat
Cool/Warm Colors
Color as Psychological Effect
Warm colors will suggest a feeling of heat.
Cool colors might induce a chill.
Example: Here the artist plays with both warm/cool in a room installation
James Turrell. Meeting. 1986.
Cool/Warm Colors
Light and Shadow
Warm colors advance and cool colors recede. Depth can be created by increasing the use of cool.
Example: Here the artist uses progressively cooler blues to show the receding landscape.
Neil Welliver. Thawed Ledge. 1988. Oil on canvas, 5' x 5' (152.4 x 152.4 cm).
Color as Emphasis
Color Dominance Areas of emphasis in a work of art create interest.
Carefully planned by the artist, the use color by its very character commands top attention.
Color as Emphasis
Color as attention grabber
– An unusual or strong color can be used to grab attention
– Dark or dull against bright and light can also direct an area of emphasis.
Andy Goldsworthy. Elm. Middleton Woods, Yorkshire. 1980. From Andy Goldsworthy: A
Collaboration with Nature (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1990).
Color and Balance
Achieving balance within asymmetrical composition
Asymmetry – based on concept of using different elements on either side of the center axis
To create visual balance, the elements must have equal weight or attraction
Color is often selected to do this.
Joan Miré. The Birth of the World. Montroig, summer 1925. Oil on canvas, 8’ 2 3/4” x 6’ 6 3/4” (250.8 x 200 cm). The Museum of
Modern Art, New York (acquired through an anonymous fund, the Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Slifka and Armand G. Erpf funds, and by gift of
the artist, 262.1972).
Color and Balance
Dynamics of Balance and Imbalance
Example: Gerome’s painting uses a small amount of red to pull us to the left. What is happening in the drama that the artist has chosen to show us this?
Jean Léone Gérome. The Duel after the Masquerade. 1857–1859. Oil on canvas, 1' 3 3/8" x 1' 10 3/6" (39.1 x 56.3
cm).
Color and Space
Color’s Spatial Properties Color creates depth Intense, warm colors come
forward, cool colors go back.
Atmospheric Perspective
As things go back into the distance they fade to blue-gray.
Asher B. Durand. Kindred Spirits. 1849. Oil on canvas, 3’ 8” x 3’. Courtesy Crystal Bridges
Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Color and Space
Using color to Emphasize Flatness Color can also be used to flatten and
compress space
David Hockney. Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio. 1980. Acrylic on canvas, 7' 2" x 20' 3" (218.44 x 617.22 cm). Los Angeles County Museum of Art (purchased with funds from the F. Patrick Burns Bequest).
Color Schemes
Color harmonies - a simple combination of particular colors based on the color wheel. Also known as color schemes.
EXAMPLES:Monochromatic - The use of just one hue in
an image. Value can be varied or used with black and white.
Analogous – Use of 2-3 colors that are right next to each other on the color wheel.
Mark Tansey. The Bricoleur's Daughter. 1987. Oil on canvas, 5' 8" × 5' 7". Collection Emily Fisher Landau,New York..
Color Schemes - Choices
5 Basic Color Schemes 1. Monochromatic – uses only
one hue plus shades and tints2. Analogous – several hues that
sit next to each other on a color wheel
3. Complementary – Colors opposite on the color wheel
4. Split Compliment – Uses the 2 colors on either side of the complement
5. Triadic – Uses 3 hues equally distant on the color wheel
Stuart Davis. Visa. 1951. Oil on canvas, 3' 4" x 4' 4". The Museum of Modern Art, New York (gift of Mrs.
Gertrud A. Mellon, 9.1953).
Planning Color Schemes
Interiors, posters, and packaging are the most common deliberate use of color schemes….other areas may be more intuitive.
Knowing these harmonies can help all artists and designers consciously plan the visual effects they want a finished work to have.
Jan Vermeer. Girl with a Pearl Earring. c. 1665-1666. Oil on canvas, 1’ 5 1/2” x 1’ 3 3/8” (44.5 x 39 cm). Royal Cabinet of Paintings, Mauritshuis, The
Hague.
Color Discord and Vibrating Colors
Unexpected Combinations Color Discord – the
opposite of color harmony. Can be visually disturbing. They do not balance each
other nor do they have affinity for each other.
Mild discord can be exciting or stimulating.
Wolf Kahn. Color/Tree Symphony. 1994. Oil on canvas, 4’ 3 1/2” x 4’x 8 1/2”. Grace Borgenicht
Gallery, New York
Color Discord and Vibrating Colors
Using Discord to add Interest Mild discord results in exciting, eye-catching
combinations The fashion world exploits this concept so discordant is
commonplace and acceptable Discordant color = visual surprise Rules about what “goes together” seem outdated and
silly. We approach color more freely today, seeking
unexpected and unusual color combinations
Color Discord and Vibrating Colors
Colors in Conflict Certain color paring are almost
difficult to look at. Our eyes experience conflict
trying to look at them They look as though they are
vibrating Vibrating Colors – Colors that
create a flickering effect at their border. This effect is usually dependant on an equal value relationship and strong hue contrast
Annie Mae Young. Quilt. c. 1965. Cotton stiff material: corduroy sheeting, polyester dress and pants material,
wool, 7’ 7” x 6’ 9”. Tinwood Media Atlanta.
Color Uses
Three basic ways in which to use color in painting and other areas of art.
1. Local Color (or Objective)- The color an object seems under ordinary daylight.
2. Optical Color - Depicting an objects color as it might be seen under various or different light.
3. Subjective Color - Is the arbitrary us of color. Here the artist picks colors based on design, aesthetics, or emotional response.
(Heightened color is the use of color that is intensified or exaggerated.)
Scene from Candide by Leonard Bernstein and Richard Wilbur. The Ohio State University
Department of Theatre.
Emotional Color
Emotional Color – Creates a strong emotional response in the viewer
Yellow, red and orange colors = Warm, happy and cheerful reactions
Blue and green colors = Cool, Melancholy and depressing reactions
Value and intensity also influence us
Subject matter plays a part
Pablo Picasso. Crouching Woman. 1902. Oil on canvas, 2’ 11” x 2’ 4” (90 x 71 cm). Staatsgalerie,
Stuttgart.
Emotional Color
Themes and Context Artist often use a color to add
emotional impact to already volatile or emotive work.
Color is often selected by the artist specific to this experience.
Leon Golub. Mercenaries IV. 1980. Acrylic on linen, 10’ x 19’ 2 1/2” (3 x 6 m). Private
collection, courtesy of the artist
Color Symbolism
Conceptual Qualities of Color
He is true-blue.
Caught him red-handed.
She told a white lie.
Color Can represent a concept or idea like sin, greed, cowardice, etc. This is a mental or conceptual idea.
Color Symbolism
Color meaning varies between countries and historical times.
MourningUS-blackIndia-whiteTurkey-VioletEthiopia-BrownBurma-Yellow
Brides US-WhiteHindu India-YellowChina-Red
RoyaltyEuropean & Egyptians-purpleChina-YellowRome-Red
Color Symbolism
Symbolic Color Today Symbolic color is associated with
political, religious and commercial messages
Examples to think about: Green may mean environmental responsibility or black denote sophistication or a premium brand.
Example here: The sky over Switzerland has white light…..meant to evoke a divine illumination.
Der Himmel über der Schweiz ist gross genug.