Color Theory

- Kabir Malkani
* This presentation has been compiled from references available from the Internet. This is meant purely for educational purposes and the presenter does not claim to hold any ownership whatsoever; of the content (textual or graphical) included in this presentation. The ownership and copyrights of the following content belong to the respective brands /agencies / artists showcased in this presentation.

Topics Covered
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

The Science of Color The Color Wheel (History) Primary Colors Secondary Colors Tertiary Colors Properties of Color Color Systems Color Schemes Creating a Custom Color Scheme Idiosyncrasies of Color Color Psychology The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors Color Coding Perceptual Disabilities The Gender Connotations of Colors Examples of Good Color Schemes

#1. The Science of Color

O Color doesnt exist! O Color is created only when

our brain tries to make sense from light signals it receives from the outer world. In other words, its all in your head.
O Without that, our world is a

monochromatic place bathing in electromagnetic radiation of varied intensity and wavelengths. Nothing fun about that, unless youre into physics.

Deprived of color, our world would probably look like a scene from Matrix.

#1. The Science of Color

O Color is a property of light. Our eyes see only a small

part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

#1. The Science of Color

O

White light can be divided into it's component parts by passing it through a prism. The light is separated by wavelength and a spectrum is formed.

Sir Isaac Newton was the first to discover this phenomenon in the seventeenth century and he named the colors of the spectrum.

#1. The Science of Color

O If the ends of the spectrum are bent around and joined a

color circle (color wheel) is formed with purple at the meeting place.

The Color Wheel

#2. The Color Wheel

O

The original color wheel is credited to Sir Isaac Newton who joined the red and violet ends of the visual spectrum into a circle.

Do you remember this School Project?

#2. The Color Wheel

O This is what the Modern Day Color Wheel looks like:

#3. Primary Colors

O The primary colors are Red, Yellow and

Blue
These colors cannot be mixed from any other colors. The triangle they form on the color wheel is called the primary triad.

#4. Secondary Colors

O The three secondary colors (Green, Orange and

Purple) are created by mixing two primary colors.

Red + Yellow = Orange Red + Blue = Purple Yellow + Blue = Green

#5. Tertiary Colors

O When a primary color is mixed with a secondary color

tertiary colors are made

Yellow + Green = Lime Green Green + Blue = Turquoise Blue +Purple = Violet Purple + Red = Magenta Red + Orange = Vermillion Orange + Yellow = Light Orange

#6. Properties of Color

O

Color has three distinct properties: Hue, Value and Saturation. To understand color you must understand how these three properties relate to each other.
Hue: When someone is talking about hue they are talking about the actual color of an object. Green is a hue as are red, yellow, blue, purple, etc. Value/Brightness: Is a measure of how light or dark a hue is. Adding white to a hue makes it lighter and increases its value or brightness. Consequently adding black makes it darker and lowers the value or brightness. Saturation: is the degree of purity of a hue. Pure hues are highly saturated. When gray is added the color becomes de-saturated.

#5. Properties of Color

Understanding Hue, Value and Saturation using the Adobe Photoshop Color Picker
Value / Brightness Hue

Saturation

Try this out yourself to understand the difference between Value & Saturation

#6. Properties of Color

O

Shade: The result of adding black to a hue to produce a darker hue

Saturation Value / Brightness Hue

Tint: The result of adding white to a hue to produce a lighter hue

Decreasing the Brightness of the hue results in a different Shade of the hue Increasing the Brightness of the hue results in a different Tint of the hue Increasing or Decreasing the Saturation of the hue results in a different Tone of the hue

Tone: A color tone is the result of adding gray to a hue.

#7. Color Systems

O

There are two types of Color Systems OR Color Models that are commonly used for color creation:
When producing physical colors as in paint a Subtractive System (CMYK) is used and when producing colors digitally as on a computer an Additive System (RGB) is used.

#7. Color Systems

O

Subtractive Colors (CMYK): When we see colors in physical objects were seeing reflective light. When we see red its because all the other wavelengths of light have been absorbed and only the red is reflected. This is a subtractive system, because to produce color were removing all the wavelengths of light whos color we dont want to see. Subtractive systems start with white and continue to add color until the result is black. (White = C0+M0+Y0+K0)

#7. Color Systems

O

Additive Colors (RGB): To create colors on a computer screen we have to add light since the light source comes from within instead of reflecting the light coming from outside the system. When there is no light we see black (Black = R0+G0+B0) and we as we add more color we move toward white. (White = R255+G255+B255)

#7. Color Systems

PMS (PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM) O The Pantone Color Matching System is largely a standardized color reproduction system. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another.
O

There is a special subset of Pantone colors that can be reproduced using CMYK . However, most of the Pantone systems 1,114 spot colors cannot be simulated with CMYK but with 13 base pigments (15 including white and black) mixed in specified amounts. The Pantone system also allows for many special colors to be produced, such as metallics and fluorescents.

#8. Color Schemes

Achromatic Color Scheme O Any color that lacks strong chromatic content is said to be unsaturated, achromatic, or neutral. Pure achromatic colors include black, white and all grays.

Adobe Illustrator Color Window displaying Pure Achromatic Colors

Jesus preaching, known as The hundred Guilder Print Rembrandt van Rijn

#8. Color Schemes

Chromatic Grays O Also known as near neutral colors these are almost like achromatic colors with a hint of color and brightness
Advertising

Interior Design

The Magpie Claude Monet

#8. Color Schemes

Warm & Cool Colors The color circle can be divided into warm and cool colors based on the Color Temperature

Warm Colors O The colors on the red orange yellow side of the wheel are said to be warm because they are associated with warm phenomena. e.g. Sunlight, Fire etc.
O

Cool Colors O The colors on the green - blue purple side of the wheel are said to be cool because they are associated with cool phenomena. e.g. Water, Ice, Sky etc.
O

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

Cool colors give an impression of calm, and are said to recede -they appear farther from the observer

#8. Color Schemes

Warm & Cool Colors O Can you tell apart the compositions using Warm or Cool Color Schemes?

A Girl Asleep at Table Johannes Vermeer

Femme Couche Lisant Pablo Picasso

#8. Color Schemes

Monochromatic Colors
O

Monochromatic color schemes are made up of different tones, shades and tints within a specific hue. These are the simplest color schemes to create, as theyre all taken from the same hue, making it harder to create a jarring or ugly scheme (though both are still possible).

Monochromatic Schemes can be represented by a single spoke of the color wheel

Examples

Interiors following a Monochromatic Color Scheme

#8. Color Schemes

Analogous Colors
O

Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs. Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you have enough contrast when choosing an analogous color scheme.

Examples

Interiors following a Analogous Color Scheme

#8. Color Schemes

Complementary Colors
O O O

Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors. The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This color scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring. Complementary color schemes are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out. Complementary colors are really bad for text.

Examples

Interiors following a Complementary Color Scheme

#8. Color Schemes

Split-Complementary Colors
O O

The split-complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to its complement. This color scheme has the same strong visual contrast as the complementary color scheme, but has less tension. The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good choice for beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.

Examples

Interiors following a Split-Complementary Scheme

Photography

#8. Color Schemes

Triadic Colors
O O

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Triadic color schemes tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues. To use a triadic harmony successfully, the colors should be carefully balanced let one color dominate and use the two others for accent.

Examples

A Triadic Color Scheme can be created by drawing an Equilateral Triangle on the Color Wheel

Interiors following a Triadic Color Scheme

#8. Color Schemes

Double Complementary (Tetradic) Colors
O O O O

The rectangle or tetradic color scheme uses four colors arranged into two complementary pairs. This rich color scheme offers plenty of possibilities for variation. Tetradic color schemes works best if you let one color be dominant. You should also pay attention to the balance between warm and cool colors in your design.

Examples
This painting uses red as the dominate color with blue, yellow and green as accents.

A Double Complementary Color Scheme can be created by drawing a Rectangle on the Color Wheel

#8. Color Schemes

Square
The square color scheme is similar to the Double Complementary, but with all four colors spaced evenly around the color circle. O Square color schemes works best if you let one color be dominant. O You should also pay attention to the balance between warm and cool colors in your design.

Example

A Square Tetrad Color Scheme can be created by drawing a Square on the Color Wheel

Interiors following a Square Color Scheme

#8. Color Schemes

O

Can you Identify the Color Schemes used in the following visuals?

Use the Color Wheel for reference

#9. Creating a Custom Color Scheme

O

Custom color schemes are the hardest to create. Instead of following the predefined color schemes discussed above, a custom scheme isnt based on any formal rules. Keep in mind things like Hue / Chroma, value, and saturation when creating these kinds of color schemes.

The colors here all have similar Hue and saturation levels.

There are several online tools available to create your own custom color schemes:

Using one color with a high Chroma / Hue among other colors with lower chromas is another effective method (the higher Chroma color can act as an accent).

Click on the logos to jump to the respective URLs

#10. Idiosyncrasies of Color

Light colors appear larger than dark colors on the same background.

The same color looks clearer against a dark background than it does against a light background.

Any color appears more dynamic when it is displayed against a background of gray.

#10. Idiosyncrasies of Color

The purple squares, although identical seem to vary in color and size on different colored backgrounds.

A brilliant, vibrant color will not show much change despite different surroundings.

The gray sample appears to be different against different backgrounds

#10. Idiosyncrasies of Color

The same color will appear to change in value, depending upon the surrounding color. Green on white appears to be brighter than the green on black.

The Green Hue appears to be different in both these samples.

#11. Color Psychology

O

"Warm colors" (yellow, orange, red) evoke pleasant, often dynamic, reactions. "Cool colors" (green, blue, purple) evoke a quieter mood, and are considered less outgoing than the warm

#11. Color Psychology

O

Colors can have different effects on people and can even hold different cultural meanings beyond what may be naturally intuitive.

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

O

Understand the Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors. Colors carry a strong emotional weight for most people, due to the social connotations that are often associated with them.

Red

By Geography
Australian Aboriginals: Land, Earth China: Good Luck, Celebration, Summoning Israel: Sacrifice, Sin India: Purity South Africa: Color Of Mourning Russia: Bolsheviks And Communism Eastern: Worn By Brides, Happiness And Prosperity Western: Excitement, Danger, Love, Passion, Stop, Christmas (With Green), Valentines Day

Other Symbolism
Astrology: Gemini Feng Shui: Yang, Fire, Good Luck, Money, Respect, Recognition, Vitality Psychology: Stimulates Brain Wave Activity, Increases Heart Rate, Increases Blood Pressure Roses: Love, Respect Red And Yellow Together Means Gaiety, Joviality.

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Pink
By Geography Korea: Trust Eastern: Marriage Western: Love, Babies, Especially Female Babies, Valentines Day Other Symbolism Feng Shui: Yin, Love Psychology: Used In Diet Therapy As An Appetite Suppressant, Relaxes Muscles, Soothing Roses: Gratitude And Appreciation (Deep Pink) Or Admiration & Sympathy (Light Pink)

Orange

By Geography Ireland: Religious (Protestants) Netherlands: House Of Orange Western: Halloween (With Black), Creativity, Autumn Other Symbolism Astrology: Sagittarius Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, Strengthens Conversation, Purpose, Organization Psychology: Energizes, Stimulates Appetite Roses: Enthusiasm, Desire

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Gold
By Geography Eastern: Wealth, Strength Western: Wealth Other Symbolism Astrology: Leo (Golden Yellow/Orange) Feng Shui: Yang, Metal, God Consciousness

Purple
By Geography Thailand: Mourning, Widows Eastern: Wealth Western: Royalty Other Symbolism Astrology: Gemini, Sagittarius, And Pisces Feng Shui: Yin, Spiritual Awareness, Physical And Mental Healing

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Yellow
By Geography China: Nourishing, Royalty Egypt: Mourning India: Merchants Japan: Courage Eastern: Proof Against Evil, For The Dead, Sacred, Imperial Western: Hope, Hazards, Coward, Weakness, Taxis Other Symbolism Astrology: Taurus Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, Auspicious, Sun Beams, Warmth, Motion Psychology: Energizes, Relieves Depression, Improves Memory, Stimulates Appetite Roses: Sociability, Friendship, Joy, Gladness

Baby Blue

By Geography Western: Babies, Especially Male Babies Other Symbolism Astrology: Virgo

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Green
By Geography China: Green Hats Imply A Mans Wife Is Cheating On Him, Exorcism India: Islam Ireland: Symbol Of The Entire Country, Religious (Catholics) Islam: Perfect Faith Japan: Life Eastern: Eternity, Family, Health, Prosperity, Peace Western: Spring, New Birth, Go, Money, Saint Patricks Day, Christmas (With Red) Other Symbolism Astrology: Cancer (Bright Green) Feng Shui: Yin, Wood, Growing Energy, Nurturing, Balancing, Healing, Health, Calming Psychology: Soothing, Relaxing Mentally And Physically, Helps With Depression, Anxiety And Nervousness

Gray

By Geography Eastern: Helpers, Travel Western: Boring, Dull, Plain, Sad Other Symbolism Feng Shui: Yin, Metal, Dead, Dull, Indefinite

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Blue
By Geography China: Immortality Iran: Color Of Heaven And Spirituality, Mourning Eastern: Wealth, Self-cultivation Western: Depression, Sadness, Conservative, Corporate, "Something Blue" Bridal Tradition

Other Symbolism Astrology: Capricorn And Aquarius (Dark Blue) Feng Shui: Yin, Water, Calm, Love, Healing, Relaxing, Peace, Trust, Adventure, Exploration Psychology: Calming, Lowers Blood Pressure, Decreases Respiration

Brown

By Geography Australian Aboriginals: Color Of The Land Western: Wholesome, Earthy, Dependable, Steadfast, Health Other Symbolism Astrology: Capricorn And Scorpio (Reddish Brown) Feng Shui: Yang, Earth, Industry, Grounded

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

White
By Geography China: Death, Mourning India: Unhappiness, Mourning, Peace Japan: White Carnation Symbolizes Death Eastern: Funerals, Helpful People, Children, Marriage, Mourning, Peace, Travel Western: Brides, Angels, Good Guys, Hospitals, Doctors, Peace (White Dove) Other Symbolism Astrology: Aries And Pisces Feng Shui: Yang, Metal, Death, Mourning, Spirits, Ghosts, Poise, Confidence Roses: Reverence, Humility, Truce

Violet
Other Symbolism Astrology: Virgo And Libra Psychology: Suppresses Appetite, Peaceful Environment, Good For Migraines

#12. The Social & Cultural Symbolism of Colors

Black
By Geography Australian Aboriginals: Color Of The People China: Color For Young Boys Thailand: Bad Luck, Unhappiness, Evil Eastern: Career, Evil, Knowledge, Mourning, Penance Western: Funerals, Death, Halloween (With Orange), Bad Guys, Rebellion Other Symbolism Feng Shui: Yin, Water, Money, Income, Career Success, Emotional Protection, Power, Stability, Bruises, Evil Psychology: Self-confidence, Strength, Power

Silver
Other Symbolism Western: Stylish, Money Feng Shui: Yin, Metal, Trust, Romance

#13. Color Coding

O

Use Color Codes to Denote Relationships & Hierarchy

#14. Perceptual Disabilities

O

Never Rely on Color Alone. Consider Perceptual Disabilities such as color blindness. Males are ten times more likely to be color blind than females. The disability is especially pronounced among male Caucasians: 8% suffer some form of color blindness.
Imagine a color blind person operating these switches without the Start / Stop Labels

Ishihara Test for color vision problems. Someone with a redgreen color deficiency may not see the red number in this example.

#15. The Gender Connotations of Colors

O

Be Aware of the Gender Connotations of Colors

In general, women are more sensitive to color than men. Men are ten times as likely to be color blind Studies also show gender differences in color memories and color preferences. Preferentially, women list shades of red first; men list shades of blue. The social associations of pink and blue may be largely responsible.

#16. Examples of Good Color Schemes

Traditional Art Interior Decor

Analogous, Warm

Analogous, Cool

#16. Examples of Good Color Schemes

Logo Design Fashion Design Jewelry Design

Triadic Split Complementary

Monochromatic

#16. Examples of Good Color Schemes

Monochromatic

Achromatic

#16. Examples of Good Color Schemes

Complementary

Analogous

Assignment
O

Create an artwork following any one of the color schemes discussed in this presentation
O

Choose from projects listed below:

O Poster Design (For a Social Cause) O Magazine Cover Design (Fashion / Business) O Brochure Cover (for an Exclusive Resort) O Portfolio Website (for a Model or Artist)

* Final Date for submitting this assignment is the 31st of March 2013