Color Color is Light! Color is experience, evocative a source for symbols and metaphors. Color is fundamental to human experience.
Color Theory
Local Color- the color we commonly associate with an object as seen under even lighting.
Optical Color- the environmental conditions such as weather, lighting
Arbitrary Color-non naturalistic color
Symbolic Color-color that signifies meaning
Color and Light - color that results from light reflected off a surface is subtractive color, color created from mixtures of light alone is called additive color
Hue- the name of the color
Value- the darkness or lightness or tone of a color
Saturation- the intensity or purity of a color
Saturation Scales
A saturation or tonal scale is shown in 5 gradations from fullest graduations from pure saturation to colorless gray.
Temperature: Warm and Cool Color- Physiological and psychological responses to various colors result in a distinction between warm and cool colors. We tend to associate warm colors, which include those in the red-to-yellow range, with hot or warm things such as fire and sunlight. We tend to associate cool colors, which are those in the blue-to-green range, with cool things such as ice and leafy trees. Psychological tests indicate that in controlled situations of limited duration, warmer colors tend to promote increased levels of activity while cooler colors calm people.
Advancing and Retreating Colors- The human eye focuses on the color red as if it were closer than it actually is. The tendency of the warm colors such as oranges and reds to appear to advance toward the viewer and the cool colors of blue and violet to recede. This is derived from the observable phenomenon that an object seen from afar will seem more blue or gray than it truly is. Advancing and retreating colors are used to portray landscapes.
Color in Context- The perception of a color may change depending on the context in which it is see. Simultaneous contrast refers to a condition in which colors adjacent to one another or where one is surrounded by another appear to shift in terms of hue, value, saturation or temperature. Complimentary hues tend to create strong effects of simultaneous contrast. A gray surrounded by red will appear slightly greenish, whereas a gray surrounded by green appears reddish. For simultaneous contrast to occur, the color areas must be sufficiently large.
Color Theory
Local Color- the color we commonly associate with an object as seen under even lighting.
Optical Color- the environmental conditions such as weather, lighting
Arbitrary Color-non naturalistic color
Symbolic Color-color that signifies meaning
Color and Light - color that results from light reflected off a surface is subtractive color, color created from mixtures of light alone is called additive color
Hue- the name of the color
Value- the darkness or lightness or tone of a color
Saturation- the intensity or purity of a color
Saturation Scales
A saturation or tonal scale is shown in 5 gradations from fullest graduations from pure saturation to colorless gray.
Temperature: Warm and Cool Color- Physiological and psychological responses to various colors result in a distinction between warm and cool colors. We tend to associate warm colors, which include those in the red-to-yellow range, with hot or warm things such as fire and sunlight. We tend to associate cool colors, which are those in the blue-to-green range, with cool things such as ice and leafy trees. Psychological tests indicate that in controlled situations of limited duration, warmer colors tend to promote increased levels of activity while cooler colors calm people.
Advancing and Retreating Colors- The human eye focuses on the color red as if it were closer than it actually is. The tendency of the warm colors such as oranges and reds to appear to advance toward the viewer and the cool colors of blue and violet to recede. This is derived from the observable phenomenon that an object seen from afar will seem more blue or gray than it truly is. Advancing and retreating colors are used to portray landscapes.
Color in Context- The perception of a color may change depending on the context in which it is see. Simultaneous contrast refers to a condition in which colors adjacent to one another or where one is surrounded by another appear to shift in terms of hue, value, saturation or temperature. Complimentary hues tend to create strong effects of simultaneous contrast. A gray surrounded by red will appear slightly greenish, whereas a gray surrounded by green appears reddish. For simultaneous contrast to occur, the color areas must be sufficiently large.
Choosing Colors in a Composition Color Key-A color key organizes the selection of colors based on value or saturation.
Color key by Value: high key--light, low key-dark. Usually it is best to avoid using colors that are only in the middle of the value scale. Such paintings often seem dull.
Color by Saturation: A high saturation key features vivid, unmixed colors.
Color by Tonal Unity: Tonal unity colors are consistent in value depending on whether they are in shadow or in illumination.
Color key by Value: high key--light, low key-dark. Usually it is best to avoid using colors that are only in the middle of the value scale. Such paintings often seem dull.
Color by Saturation: A high saturation key features vivid, unmixed colors.
Color by Tonal Unity: Tonal unity colors are consistent in value depending on whether they are in shadow or in illumination.