COLOR
Color
An element of art that is derived
from reflected light
Color Spectrum
When light passes through a
wedge shaped glass, called a
prism, the beam of white light is
bent and separated into bands
of color
Hue
The Name of color in the color
spectrum
HUE
RED
HUE
HUE
YELLOW
BLUE
Primary Colors
YELLOW
BLUE
RED
Cannot be made
Secondary Colors
GREEN
ORANGE
VIOLET
Made from mixing primary
colors
Intermediate Colors
YELLOW-GREEN
BLUE-GREEN
BLUE-VIOLET
YELLOW-ORANGE
RED-ORANGE
RED-VIOLET
Made from mixing a primary color
with a secondary color
Color Wheel
The spectrum bent into a circle
Other Color Systems…
RYB
Pigment
(paint, colored pencils)
Other Color Systems…
RGB
Light
(stars, stage lights, TV screens)
Other Color Systems…
CMYK
Pigment
(graphics, inks)
Value
The art element that describes
the darkness or lightness of a
color
Tints –
A light value
of a hue
Shades –
A dark value
of a hue
Intensity
The brightness or dullness of a
color
High Intensity
vivid
strong
Low Intensity
fair
medium
weak
Complementary
Colors
Colors opposite each other on
the color wheel
blue
orange
red
green
yellow
violet
Complementary Colors
Mixing a hue with its compliment:
• Lowers its intensity
• Is how we get NEUTRAL
COLORS
Color Schemes
Monochrome means one color
Monochromatic color scheme:
A color scheme that uses only one
hue plus the tints and shades of that
hue.
Effect:
Unifying
Analogous Colors
Analogous color scheme
•
Colors that sit side by side on the
color wheel AND have a common hue.
•
Effect: Helps tie in one shape to the
next through a common color so it
unifies with more variety.
Analogous Color Scheme
Edward Hopper - Compartment C, Car 293
Complementary Colors
• Colors that are opposite of each
other on the color wheel.
• Effect: exciting, loud, eye
catching
Complementary Color Scheme
Vincent van Gogh - Noon: Rest From Work
Color Triads
Primary
Secondary
• Composed of three colors spaced
equally apart on the color wheel.
• Effect: The contrast is not as strong
as that between complements
Color Triads
Split Complements
• The combination of one hue plus
the hues on each side of its
compliment.
• Effect: has less contrast, but more
variety than straight complements.
Split Complements
Warm/Cool Colors
• Reds, Oranges, and
yellows
• Usually associated
with Sunshine or
fire.
• Warm colors move
towards the
viewer.
•
•
•
Blues, greens, and violets
Usually associated with
water, ice/snow, or grass.
Cool colors seem to recede
or move away
Warm
&
Cool
Optical Color
• Colors that result when a true
color is affected by unusual
lighting or its surroundings.
• Colors as we see them.
Arbitrary Color
•
•
Color chosen by personal preference.
Artists choose arbitrary colors rather than
optical colors because they want to use
color to express meaning, feelings, and
moods. Also, the create certain effects.