Color has an immediate psychological and physiological effect on humans. Objects appear colored because they absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others. Isaac Newton discovered that white light is made up of the colors of the rainbow, which are not inherent to prisms but embedded in the white light. There are three primary subtractive colors - cyan, magenta, and yellow - which when mixed together can create other colors. Color has properties of hue, lightness, and saturation. The color wheel arranges pure hues in a logical sequence, and complementary colors directly across from each other on the wheel create maximum contrast and stability.

1. BASIC COLOR
THEORY
Marga Garrido
Paul Klee, Monument in fertile countryl, 1929

2. “Toy Atlas Rainbow” 2.500 toy cars.
David T. Waller.
Color has an immediate
effect on us, on the
emotional, intellectual,
psychological even
physiological level.
It evokes associations
and memories; it can
provoke the full gamut of
physical responses such
as anger, excitement,
sadness, peacefulness,
and joy

3. Objects look coloured because
they reflect or absorb the
different colours in white light.
A golf ball looks white because
it reflects all the wavelengths of
light that fall on it.
A lemon absorbs all
wavelengths of light except
yellow, which it reflects into our
eyes.
A black helmet absorbs all
wavelengths of light and reflects
none, and so it looks dark to us.

4. With his theory of colour, Isaac Newton explained how
the colours of a rainbow are formed.
When Newton passed a white light through a glass
prism, he found that it split into rainbow colours and
showed that the colours were embedded in the white
light rather than imprinted in the prism.

5. Substractive primary colors
Mixing colors we
substract light and go
closer to black color.
Primary colors:
yellow, magenta and
cyan.
Secondary colors:
red, green and blue.

6. Color Properties
Hue: defines pure color in terms of "green" or "red"
Lightness: how much light does it have, is it light or dark?
Saturation: how pure a color is

7. The color wheel
Presents a logically
arranged sequence of
pure hues

8. Color Harmony
Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement
of parts.
In visual experiences, harmony is something that is
pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it
creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the
visual experience.
When something is not harmonious, it's either
boring or chaotic.

9. Warm colors are made with orange, red, yellow
and combinations of them all. They tend to make
you think of sunlight and heat.
Cool colors such as blue, green and light purple
have the ability to calm and soothe. Where warm
colors remind us of heat and sunshine, cool colors
remind us of water and sky.

10. Henry Matisse, La ventana Azul,
1911, Óleo sobre lienzo
Complementary
colors are any two
colors which are
directly opposite each
other in the color
wheel, such as red and
green and red-purple
and yellow-green.
These opposing colors
create maximum
contrast and maximum
stability.