Week Three
Review and Moving From
Achromatic to Monochromatic
Some Pioneers of Color Theory: Sir Isaac Newton
(1642-1727)
Michel Eugene Chevereul (1786-1889)
French Chemist, Colorist,
supervisor of dye production carpet plant.
Book: The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colors 1839
Chevreul was also influential in the world of art. After being
named director of the dye works at the Gobelins Manufactory
in Paris, he received many complaints about the dyes being
used there. In particular, the blacks appeared different when
used next to blues. He determined that the yarn's perceived
color was influenced by other surrounding yarns. This led to a
concept known as simultaneous contrast.
Chevreul's work addressed painting with the aim of
reproducing nature as closely as possible, by separating effects
of light and chiaroscuro, which the artist must repeat, from
those of color contrast, which would apply to the paint's own
color and so be exaggerated. Yet the color principle
subsequently had a great influence on advanced art in Europe,
particularly Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism and Orphism
The Development of the Idea of
Simultaneous Contrast
• Simultaneous Contrast: the way in which
two different colors affect each other, how
one color can change how we perceive the
tone and hue of another when placed side
by side. The colors themselves don't
change, but we see them as altered.
On the left, an example of Orphism: Kathedrala by Frantisek Kupka (1912-3).
On the right,Post-Impressionism: Paul Serusier, The Talisman, 1888
Paul Gauguin
Chevreul is also linked to what is sometimes called Chevreul's illusion, the bright
edges that seem to exist between adjacent strips of identical colors having
different intensities. See Chevreul's The Laws of Contrast of Colour for more
information.[2]
Simultaneous Contrast Principle 1:
LIGHT/DARK VALUE CONTRAST
You should have Simultaneous Contrast
Principle 1 saved in your file (simultneous
value contrast).
Save this on a thumbdrive and print on a
decent printer. It will go in your portfolio.
Today we will make two more
simultaneous contrasts, using
the Color-Aid Papers.
But back to our review,
more pioneers of color: Johannes Itten.
Instituted color theory classes at the Bauhaus and
formulated first student exercises.
http://www.worqx.com/color/itten.htm
Joseph Albers
( w/ Annie Albers )
1888-1976
Josef Albers timeline
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1920’s – 1930 Lead Bauhaus school, Weimar, Germany
1933 Headed Black Mt. College, North Carolina
1950 Chairman of Yale University
1963 Published “Interaction of Color”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpTr_BDVjFI
Vocabulary
• Hue Name of a particular color zone, defined by different
wavelengths of light. Examples of hue: blue, green,
yellow and red. Hue can encompass a range of colors
within the wavelength area.
• Tip: think of hue as a color zone rather than a color. Hue
is bigger than individual color
• In painting, hue is often used in conjunction with terms
such as: tint, shade and tone.
• A tint is created when a color is mixed with white.
• A shade is created when a color is mixed with black.
• A tone is created when a color is mixed with gray.
Hue, Tint, Shade
New
Three
Vocabulary
easily
confused
properties:
Chroma
Value
Saturation
CHROMA – The property of a color that tells us
how pure a hue is. A HIGH CHROMA HUE will
have little or no black, white or grey in the hue.
High chroma Hues are bright and vivid.
Pure Hue = High Chroma
Find the Pure
Hues With
High Chroma,
least amounts
of white or
black.
Low Chroma colors appear
muddy or pastel.
Value
Value is what we know
as the degree of Light or
Dark. Value is present in
black and white but also
in color.
Buttercup yellow has a
lower (whiter) value
than navy blue.
This value scale may
help you with your
achromatic and
monochromatic
reproductions.
Saturation
Saturation is not really a
matter of light and dark, but
rather how pale or strong a
color appears. The saturation
of a color is not constant, but
it varies depending on the
surroundings and what light
the color is seen in.
Great painting exercises. Wait
for a sunny day and paint a
brightly colored ball in the
early morning, noontime and
evening. Or paint the color of
a wall lit by candlelight, lit
with a normal light fixture and
then with the light fixture and
full sun (open the curtains).
Observe different degrees of
saturation.
Anish Kapoor
More Kapoor
Christina West
Yves Klein
Yves Klein
Now for our second Simultaneous Contrast Exercise…
Principle 2:
SUBTRACTION:
A strong or dominant color will subtract itself from a smaller
or less dominant color
For Example:
in the next slide, the small Blue square sitting on the large
Dark Blue ground appears lighter, because the Blue hue
subtracts itself, in other words, becomes absorbed by the
dominant Dark Blue ground. This makes the small Blue
square appear lighter.
Simultaneous Contrast, Principle 2
Subtraction
• Choose one hue from your Color-aid papers
• Cut the pure hue into two 1 inch squares, using a ruler.
• Mount (glue these squares) on two larger squares, 3” x3”, one
the darkest shade and one the lightest tint.
• Then paste the joined squares paper inserts in your portfolio.
Be neat.
• Type labels for this and our and Simultaneous Contrast,
Principle 1 (Value). Labels should read: Simultaneous
Contrast, Principle 1 (Value Shift) and Simultaneous Contrasts,
Principle 2 (Subtraction). Following the title, you should write
a brief explanation of the phenomena observed. Print these
labels (with title and explanation)from your thumbdrive and
place in your portfolio next to the appropriate exercise.
Now we will move on to…
Principle 3:
Assimilation:
The Bezold Effect
A Design in Which the Total Effect of the Perceived Hues are
Altered by the Change of ONE Dominant Hue.
The subordinate hues take on (assimilates) the characteristics of
the dominant hue.
Named after Wilhem von Bezold, a meterologist who discovered
that colors could appear to change based on their relation to a
dominant color.
Simple Bezold Effect
Third Portfolio Assignment
Bezold Effect
Using Color-Aid Papers or Photoshop.
Let’s do it now! Plan your design and draw it out on a
3”x6” piece of Bristol. Then paste in appropriate colors.
Proper labeling:
Title: Simultaneous Contrast Principle 3: Assimilation
(Bezold Effect).
Explanation: In your own words explain the
phenomena.
Monochromatic Compositions
Guy Goodwin’s Tracers—Side Order 1999
Resin, polyurthane, ink on polycarbonate, 51 x 54 x 4”
Materials: dimensions variable, 100 fluorescent lights, filters, clothespins.
This work re-creates the effect of a passing cloud in Emily Dickinson’s back yard in Amherst,
Massachusetts, based on an August afternoon. The bank of three types of fluorescents
generates a simulation of the daylight, and the hanging filters of the “cloud” shift the color and
intensity of the sunlight to replicate the shadow cast by a cloud.
Monochromatic Scale
Adding Tints and Shades to an individual HUE
mono = one
chroma = color
Study For A Groovy Unnamable Color, (YellowishOrange), 1997 22”x30” Spencer Finch
Preparing for Your Monochromatic Collage. (Talk to me
if you REALLY want to do this as a painting).
• 1. You have your masterwork chosen.
• 2. Now, choose a hue from your Color-Aid papers. Choose
one which will create an evocative mood when it is used to
reproduce your masterwork as a monochromatic collage.
Separate the chosen hue and all its tints and shades from
the other papers.
• Decide on the scale of your reproduction and print it in
black and white (Photoshop) at appropriate scale. Choose a
scale that will keep you from running out of paper. If you
run out of a tint, shade, hue, see me or trade with a fellow
student. Decide what shapes will make up the collage. All
squares? Circles? (hole punch), triangles? Different shapes?
Homework!!!
• First, finish achromatic painting
• Second, make monochromatic collage.
• Third, one more “free choice” assignment in
sketchbook.
I recommend either a painted monochromatic
value scale or exploring color saturation by
painting objects in different light, different times
of the day, but if there’s something else that you
would like to do… go ahead!