1

Color Theory, Paint, and Painting

Part 1 The Phenomenon of color

The three components (causes) of color:

1. light (the spectrum)
2. pigment
1

3. perception
a wordy definition for color
Color is the phenomenon that results from the perception of varying wave lengths of light as these are reflected from the surfaces of objects and this reflection
is dependent upon the pigments present in the surface of the object.

the spectrum
the band of colors that appears when natural light (or white light)
is bent and separated as it is passed through a prism.
Color has 4 Characteristics
1. Hue- the spectral name of a color e.g. a tint of violet rather than lavender
2. Value- the relative lightness or darkness of a color
3. Intensity- the relative brightness or dullness of a color has to do with purity or saturation
4. Temperature- the characterization of a color as either warm or cool
Other color terms to know
TINT: any color mixed with white.
e.g. Pink is really a tint of red
SHADE: any color mixed with black.
e.g. brown can be a shade of orange.
NUETRALS (or non-hues): White, grays and blacks are considered neutrals or non-hues
because they are not found in the spectrum.
Rather these colors are results from the combination or
lack of the colors of the spectrum.

other phenomenon related to color

AFTER IMAGE- a weak image of complementary color created by a viewers brain as a reaction to prolonged looking at a color.
e.g. After staring at something red, the viewer sees an afterimage of green.
SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST- the appearance of a color (your perception) is affected by the colors that surround it.

how artists use color and how we perceive color

OPTICAL COLOR: When artists try to reproduce colors as they see them, including the effects of atmosphere and reflection upon the
colors, this is called the use of optical color.
ARBITRARY COLOR: When artists use color to express feeling, they will sometimes ignore the optical color of objects. They will
choose the colors arbitrarily, which means they make their choices on the basis of personal preference. Or
sometimes artists will choose certain colors because of the symbolic meanings associated with those colors
within their culture or society.
SPACE: The careful placement of warm and cool colors can create illusions of depth (space ). Warm colors advance or seem to come
forward. Cool colors recede or seem to go back.
MOVEMENT: Color can create a sense of movement. When the values in a work jump quickly from very high key to very low key, a
feeling of excitement and movement is created. When all the values are close together, the work seems much calmer.
TONALIY: Sometimes an artist lets one color, such as blue, dominate the work. In such a case the work is said to have a blue tonality.
3

The painting does not have to be monochromatic-there may be more colors present. The overall effect of the work,
however, is an impression of blueness (or whatever the dominant tonality is reddishness, greenishness, etc.).

The Color Wheel

The Color wheel is the spectrum bent into a
wheel for the purpose of understanding color
and relationships between colors.
Color Schemes:
Single colors are like musical instruments. Each instrument has its
own special sound. When you hear an instrument in an orchestra,
the sound you hear is affected by the sounds of the other instruments.
When musicians tune up before a performance you hear confusing
noises. When they play together in an organized way, they can make
beautiful sounds. Unplanned colors can be confusing to your eyes as
unplanned sound is to your ears. Color without organization can look like a visual argument.
A color scheme is a plan for organizing color.
There can be an almost infinite number of color schemes but there are 5 standard color schemes:
1. Complementary color scheme: a color scheme that uses colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. This color scheme produces the
highest contrast and in its purest most intense form is very visually exciting. However, changing the values of the hues
(colors) will soften the effect.
2. Split Complement color scheme: This color plan uses three colors; it selects a particular key color and also uses the two colors, one to the right
and one to the left of the key colors complementary color.
3. Triad color scheme: a color scheme that uses three colors that are spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. ( They form an equilateral
triangle.) The primary triad is composed of red, yellow, and blue. The secondary triad is composed of orange, green, and violet. There
4

Y
e
.n
e
lowYGreel.en
O
rla
g
eY

. Y
Y
e
.n
e
lowYGreel.enare two tertiary colorYOerla.ngetriadsYe
l.e
g
eY
O
rla
low
G
re
e
n

O
r
a
n
g
e
R
e
d

G
re
e
n

Y
e
la
.n
Y
e
l.e
Y
e
l
o
w
O
r
g
e
G
r
e
n
4. Analogous color scheme:
a color scheme that uses colors that sit side by side on the color wheel and have a common hue.
G
r
e
e
n
B
lru
e
G
r
e
e
n
O
r
a
n
g
e
G
r
e
e
n
G
e
e
n
G
r
e
e
n
5. Monochromatic colorB
scheme:
a
color
scheme
that
uses
only
one
hue
(color)
and
the
values,
tints
and
shades
of
that
hue,
white,
grays, and black.
R
e
d
lG
u
e
R
e
d
R
e
d
B
l
u
e
B
l
u
e
O
ra
n
g
e
re
e
n O
O
ra
n
g
e
ra
n
g
e
G
re
e
n
G
re
e
n
B
lio
u
e
R
e
d
V
l
e
t
V
i
o
l
e
t
B
l
u
e
R
e
d
B
lio
u
B
lio
u
V
iole
t
R
e
d
R
e
d
V
io
le
t
V
le
e
t
V
le
e
t
V
io
le
t
V
io
le
t

O
ra
n
g
eG
ra
y

O
ra
n
g
eG
ra
y

R
e
dViolet Blue R
e
dVioletBlue

O
ra
n
g
eG
ra
y

G
ra
y
R
e
dVioletBlue

R
e
dVioletBlue

Color Schemes: A color scheme is a plan for organizing color.

1. Complementary color scheme: a color scheme that uses colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

Yellow

G
ra
y
R
e
dVioletBlue Red

O
range

Green

Gray

Blue
Violet

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

G
ra
y
G
ra
y
G
ra
y
G
ra
y
R
e
dVioletBlue R
e
dVioletBlue R
e
dVioletBlue R
e
dVioletBlue

2. Split Complement color scheme: This color plan uses three colors; it selects a particular key color and also uses
the two colors, one to the right and one to the left of the key color's complementary color (Does not use the
key colors complement.).

O
ra
n
g
eG
r
a
y
lu
eR
R
e
dVioletB
e
d

O
range

O
range

O
range

G
ren
O
ra
n
g
eG
ra
y
R
e
dCKoeloyr Blue R
e
d
Gray

Red

Blue

Violet

e
d
R
e
d R
e
d R
e
d R
e
d
R
e
d R
e
d R
e
d R
e
d R

O
range

Gray

Red

Blue

Red

Violet

O
range

Red

Blue

Blue

Red

Blue

O
range

Gray

Gray

Blue

Violet

Red

Violet

O
range

Gray

Blue

Violet

Red

Violet

O
range

Red

Gray

Gray

Violet

Gray

Blue

Violet

Blue

O
range

O
range

Gray

Violet

Gray

Red

O
range

Gray

Red

Blue

Violet

Red

Blue

Violet

3. Triad color scheme: a color scheme that uses three colors that are spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel.
( They form an equilateral triangle.)

Y
e
.n
e
lo
wYGreel.n
O
rla
g
eY

Y
e
.n
e
lo
wYGreel.n
O
rla
g
eY

Ye
lo
w
ra
n
g
e Gren
G
ren O

O
r
a
n
g
e
O
r
a
n
g
e
G
r
e
n
R
e
ra
y
ra
y ROerdange G
O
rd
a
n
g
e G
B
l
u
e
B
l
u
e
R
e
d
R
e
d
R
e
d
R
e
d
io
le
tBVliuoelet
io
le
tBVliuoelet
V
io
le
tV
V
io
le
tV

G
ra
y
R
e
dVioletBlue

Ye
lo
w
O
ra
n
g
e Gren

G
ra
y
R
e
dVioletBlue

4. Analogous color scheme: a color scheme that uses colors that sit side by side on the color wheel and have a common hue.
Yellow

R
e
d

Orange

Yellow
Green
Green

Gray

Red

R
e
d

Orange

Yellow
Green
Green

Gray

Blue

Violet

Red

Violet

R
e
d

Orange

Yellow
Green
Green

Gray

Blue

Red

Violet

R
e
d

Orange

Yellow
Green
Green

Gray

Blue

Red

Violet

R
e
d

Orange

Green
Green

Gray

Blue

Red

Blue

Violet

5. Monochromatic color scheme: a color scheme that uses only one hue (color) and the values, tints and shades of that hue,
plus white, grays, and black.

Think of 3 piles of paint:

1 hue (color)
2 nuetrals- white & black
any colors that can be mixed
from these would be monochromatic.

10

10