The document discusses color as an artistic element and describes how different colors can create different feelings and emotions. It defines color and explains color theory concepts like hue, value, saturation, primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors, and color harmonies including monochromatic, complementary, split complementary, triadic, and analogous color schemes. Color is one of the most powerful artistic elements and understanding uses of color is crucial in effective composition and design.

1. LIFE’S RAINBOW…
Photo by L. E. Denyer

2. ARTISTIC ELEMENTS:
COLOR
2

4. “COLOR in a picture is like enthusiasm
in life”
 --by Pablo Picasso

5. WHAT FEELINGS DO THE
FOLLOWING COLORS CREATE?

6. Jane Anybody 2nd
Course Name
Take out your Whiteboards
 For each of the following color slides,
 Write one or two words that relate to
the emotions created by the following
colors
 Then hold up your whiteboards for the
teacher to see

16. COLOR
 Is the visual perceptual property
 Corresponding in humans
 To the categories called red, yellow, blue
and others

17. COLOR
 Color derives from the spectrum of light
 (distribution of light energy versus
wavelength)
 Interacting in the eye
 with the spectral sensitivities of the
light receptors

18. COLOR
 Color categories and physical
specifications of color are also associated
with
 objects, materials, light sources, etc.
 Based on their physical properties such
as
 light absorption
 Reflection
 or emission spectra

19. COLOR
 Color is one of the most powerful of the
artistic elements
 It has tremendous expressive qualities.
 Understanding the uses of color is
crucial to effective composition in
design
 A knowledge of color terms helps us
to appreciate the different ways that
color may be used in art and design

20. Reminder: The Elements
• LINE
• SPACE
• COLOR
• SHAPE AND MASS
• TEXTURE
• PATTERN

21. Remember this picture?
 An example of lines
 Also an excellent
illustration of vibrant
color
21

22. Color Systems
 Color classification "systems" have been
devised to organize and identify color
relationships
 A most familiar one is the 12 hue "Color
Wheel"
 introduced by Johannes Itten (1888-1967)

23. Light Spectrum

24. Light Spectrum
 The spectrum is the colors of the
rainbow
 arranged in their natural order:
 Red - Orange - Yellow - Green - Blue -
Indigo - Violet.
The mnemonic for this is ROY G BIV
 Or RGB

25. Hues
 A hue is one of the colors of the spectrum
 Hue is the correct word to use to refer to
just the pure spectrum colors
 Any given color can be described in terms
of its value and hue
 In addition, a range of physical
phenomena and psychological effects
combine
 to affect our perceptions of a color

26. Hues on a Color Wheel
 Hues have a circular order as illustrated in
the color wheel
 The color wheel is a useful device to help
us explain the relationships between
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colors

27. Color Wheel (using Hues)

28. Three Main Color Classifications

29. Color Classifications
 Primary colors
 These colors are pure-you can’t create them from other colors and all others are
created from them.
 Red, blue, and yellow
 Secondary colors
 These colors are formed when equal parts of two primary colors are combined.
 Orange, green, and violet
 Intermediate colors-These colors are formed by mixing a primary
color with a secondary color next to it.
 All kinds of other colors….

30. Primary Colors
 On the color wheel
 Places the PRIMARY colors equidistant from each
other.

31. Which ones are the Primary
Colors?

32. Secondary Colors
 In-between the primaries are the
"SECONDARY" colors. In between the
primary and secondary colors are the
INTERMEDIATES
 (also called the TERTIARIES).

33. Creating Secondary Colors
 Secondary colors are made by mixing two
primary colors together:
 red and yellow to get orange
 yellow and blue to get green
 red and blue to get purple
+ =
+ =
+ =

34. Note…
 The secondary color you get depends
on the proportions in which you mix
the two primaries

35. Secondary Colors
 Which are
the
secondary
colors?

36. Tertiary Colors
 If you mix three primary colors
together,
 you get a tertiary color
 Also thought of as a combination of primary
and secondary colors

37. The Six Tertiary colors
 Red-Orange
 Yellow-Orange
 Yellow-Green
 Blue-Green
 Blue-Violet
 Red-Violet
What is another place where you have heard the term Tertiary?

38. Easy way to remember names
 An easy way to remember these names is to
place the primary name before the other color
 So, the tertiary color produced when mixing the
primary color blue with the secondary color
green, is called 'blue-green“
 And so on…

39. Tertiary
 Which
are the
tertiary
colors?

40. COLOR HARMONIES
40

41. Harmonies
 In decoration, harmony refers to a
combination of colors that is
pleasing to the eye

42. The Color Harmonies
 Monochromatic
 Complimentary
 Split Complimentary
 Triadic
 Analogous

43. Monochromatic
 One Color – Different shades
 The monochromatic color scheme uses
variations in lightness and saturation of a single
color
 This scheme looks clean and elegant
 Monochromatic colors go well together
 producing a soothing effect
 The monochromatic scheme is very easy on
the eyes,
 especially with blue or green hues

44. Monochromatic
 You can use it to establish an overall mood
 The primary color can be integrated with
neutral colors such as
 black, white, or gray
 However, it can be difficult, when using this
scheme, to highlight the most important
elements.

45. COMPLIMENTARY
 Colors that are opposite each other on
the color wheel are considered to be
complementary colors
 example: red and green
 The high contrast of complementary
colors creates a vibrant look especially
when used at full saturation
 This color scheme must be managed well
so it is not jarring

46. COMPLIMENTARY
 Complementary colors are tricky to
use in large doses,
 but work well when you want
something to stand out
 Complementary colors are really
bad for text

47. SPLIT COMPLIMENTARY
 The split-complementary color
scheme is a variation of the
complementary color scheme
 In addition to the base color,
 it uses the two colors adjacent to its
complement

48. SPLIT COMPLIMENTARY
 This color scheme has the same
strong visual contrast as the
complementary color scheme
 but has less tension.
 The split-complimentary color scheme
is often a good choice for beginners
 because it is difficult to mess up

49. TRIADIC
 A triadic color scheme uses colors
that are evenly spaced around
the color wheel
 Triadic color harmonies tend to
be quite vibrant, even if you use
pale or unsaturated versions of
your hues

50. TRIADIC
 To use a triadic harmony successfully,
 the colors should be carefully
balanced
 let one color dominate
 and use the two others for accent

51. ANALAGOUS
 Analogous color schemes use
colors that are next to each other
on the color wheel
 They usually match well and
create serene and comfortable
designs

52. ANALAGOUS
 Analogous color schemes are often
found in nature and are harmonious
and pleasing to the eye
 Make sure you have enough contrast
when choosing an analogous color
scheme

53. ANALAGOUS
 Choose one color to dominate
 A second to support
 The third color is used
 along with black, white or gray
 as an accent

54. What were the Color Harmonies
Again?
 Monochromatic
 Complimentary
 Split Complimentary
 Triadic
 Analogous