• Color is the perceptual characteristic of light
described by a color name.
• Specifically, color is light, and light is composed of
many colors—those we see are the colors of the
visual spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo and violet (ROY G BIV).
• Objects absorb certain wavelengths and reflect
others back to the viewer. We perceive these
wavelengths as color.
Tint:
Shade:
A hue produced by
the addition of white.
A hue produced by the
addition of black
THE COLOR
WHEEL
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Tertiary Colors
Complementary colors cancel each
other out when mixed to create
dark neutrals:
Complementary Colors:
Those colors located
opposite each other on a
color wheel
When used together, complementary colors become extremely
vibrant and have heavy contrast. They are useful when you want to
make something stand out.
Analogous Colors:
Those colors located close
together on a color wheel
Analagous colors usually match extremely well, but they also
create almost no contrast. They're good for very serene-feeling
designs and artwork where you want viewers to feel
comfortable.
Warm Colors: Colors such as red, yellow, and orange. These
colors evoke warmth because they remind us of things like the
sun or fire.
Cool Colors: Colors like blue, green, and purple (violet). These
colors evoke a cool feeling because they remind us of things like
water or grass.
Neutral colors: In color theory, a color that is
neither warm nor cool.
Neutral colors result from the combination of two
complementary colors (e.g., red and green, blue and
orange, and yellow and purple).
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