Color
• A ray of light is the source of all color.
• We get different colors by the light that is broken
into rays of varying wavelengths, which causes
the viewer to see different colors.
– Red is the longest and Violet is the shortest wavelength
– A prism, soap bubble, oil spill, or a rainbow demonstrates
this wavelength division of light into color.
Hue
– The specific name for a pure color is the
HUE.
– Each primary and secondary color on the
color wheel is called a hue.
• If it is not on the color wheel, it is not a hue.
• Red (_________) vs. Pink (___________)
• Black, white, and grey do not have a hue.
THE COLOR WHEEL
• The most commonly
used tool to understand
the basis of all color
relationships.
• It consists of three types
of colors:
– primary
– secondary
– intermediate (tertiary)
Color each type
PRIMARY COLORS
red
• Yellow, Red, & Blue.
• They occur naturally.
• By mixing, lightening,
or darkening the
primary colors, all
other colors can be
made.
• No other colors can be
combined to create
the primary colors.
SECONDARY COLORS
• Orange, Green, and
Violet.
• Are produced by mixing
EQUAL amounts of
two primary colors.
– Red + Yellow = Orange
– Blue + Yellow = Green
– Red + Blue = Violet
green
INTERMEDIATE (TERTIARY)
COLORS
• Made by mixing a
primary color with a
secondary color
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The color wheel song
Yellow-Green,
Blue-Green
Blue-Violet
Red-Violet
Red-Orange
Yellow-Orange
• Note: The primary color is
always listed first.
4. INTENSITY
• The Brightness or Dullness of a hue
• Created by adding its compliment on the color wheel
or gray.
• Colors are brightest in their natural form (hue).
– pure yellow, pure red, pure blue
• Objects and rooms
with bright high
intensity colors seem
larger.
– Bold and intense colors are
best used sparingly or as
accents.
• Objects and rooms
with dull low intensity
colors seem smaller.
• Adding a color’s
compliment or gray
creates a tone of the
original color.
– Red + green, blue + orange,
Adding a color’s compliment or gray creates a
tone of the original color.
Red + green, blue + orange, purple + yellow
5. VALUE
• The lightness or darkness of a hue.
– The value of a hue can be made lighter by adding
white, creating a tint of that hue.
– Pink is a tint of red, Peach is a tint of orange
– Gives the appearance of a greater room size or height.
– The value of a hue can be made darker by adding
black, creating a SHADE of that hue.
– Maroon is shade of red. Rust is shade of orange
• Gives the appearance of a smaller room size or height.
WARM COLORS
Blue
Blue-violet
Blue-green
Violet
Green
Red-violet
Yellow-green
Red
Yellow
Yellow-orange
Red-orange
Orange
WARM COLORS
• Are considered “warm”
because of their association
with warm objects of the same
color, such as the sun and fire.
• Are also called advancing
colors because they make
objects appear larger and
closer than they really are.
• Make a room appear smaller,
and feel active, exciting,
warmer, and cozy.
COOL COLORS
Blue
Blue-violet
Blue-green
Violet
Green
Red-violet
Yellow-green
Red
Yellow
Yellow-orange
Red-orange
Orange
COOL COLORS
• Are associated with colors
in nature like water, grass,
and trees.
• Are called receding colors
because they make objects
appear smaller and
farther away than they
really are.
• They make a room appear
larger and feel restful,
peaceful, and cooler.
NEUTRAL COLORS
NEUTRAL COLORS
• Not considered colors
because they do not
have a hue.
• Brown, tan, and beige
are also considered
neutral colors
– but based on the hues
red, orange, and yellow.
Achromatic
(add this to your notes somewhere!)
• A color scheme
using black, white,
and/or grey
• Not considered
colors because they
do not have a hue.
Accented Achromatic
Color Videos
• http://www.hgtv.co
m/video/name-thatcolorvideo/index.html
• http://www.hgtv.co
m/video/retroguest-roomvideo/index.html
Color Assignments
• Assignment #1 Color experiment paint chip
• Assignment #2 Color coloring page
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1 shell Warm
1 shell cool
1 shell neutral
1 shell primary
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