Chapter 4: Colors; Language of Color

PRIMARY COLORS (84)

-Colors that you cannot mix to make these colors: yellow, red, blue

COLOR SCHEME/ HARMONY

-the selection and arrangement of colors to be pleasing to the eye and to the senses

SECONDARY COLORS (84)

-Orange (red+yellow) -green (yellow+ blue) -violet (blue+red)

TRIADIC COMPLEMENTS (86)

-a combo of three hues that lie equidistant from each other on the color wheel

COLOR THEORY (84)

-a.k.a the "Palette Theory, the Prang Theory, or the David Brewster Color Theory", is based on a conventional color circle or wheel where three primary hues (red, yellow, blue) are placed equidistant. Secondary hues (green, violet, orange) are placed between these primaries and are a result of mixing any two of them. By mixing a primary and a secondary color, a tertiary hue is made (yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange).

SHADE (88)

-adding black to a color -darker value of color -outside the hue of the color wheel

TINT (88)

-adding white to a color -lighter value of color -inside the hue ring of the color wheel

HUE (86)

-another word for color; the true colors of the spectrum -each has a visual "temperature"

COOL COLORS (85)

-blue, green, violet, blue-green, blue-violet -receding colors -appears lighter in weight -restful colors, but can feel cold and sterile -minimize the size of the object/ figure

TONE (89)

-color neutralized with it's complement or contrasting color(s). -have undertones that can be identified with careful examination.

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

-directly opposite from the color wheel -work best with each other

NEUTRAL COLORS (90)

-families of whites and off-whites, grays, and blacks and off-blacks. -browns and beiges

ANALOGOUS (85)

-generally uses three to six colors adjacent on the color wheel -one color predominating, another secondary in importance, and third used as accents

TERTIARY COLORS (85)

-primary+secondary (blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet) -list the primary first

VALUE (87)

-refers to the lightness/ darkness of a color

HOW COLOR AFFECTS TEXTURE AND MATERIAL (91)

-texture and materials catch and absorb or reflect light. Smooth surfaces reflecting light, which makes colors appear lighter and more intense. Grained wood and textures absorb or refract (break up) the light, causing colors to appear darker.

SPECTRUM

-the band of colors produced when light passes through the prism

HOW WE SEE COLOR (82)

-the color in our environments comes from only two sources: spectral colored light and pigment or dye stuffs. These combine with the physics of light and anatomy to allow us to perceive color, the emotional element in interior design.

INTENSITY/ CHROMA (87)

-the degree of purity or saturation of color -brightness of the pure color -increase this by adding the pure color -reduce this by adding white, black or color's compliment -so strong and stimulating that they're usually used only for emphasis

MONOCHROMATIC (85)

-use of one color and its tints and shades; base on one color utilizing light, medium, dark values, varieties of that color in intensity and dullness, and the addition of other hues such as a compliment to neutralize or to vary the hue slightly

SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY (86)

-uses a base hue and two colors on each side of its direct complement

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME (86)

-uses colors opposite of each other on the color wheel (red-green, yellow-violet, blue-orange)

ACHROMATIC COLOR SCHEME

-uses only neutral colors and its tints and shades

PRIMARY COLOR SCHEME

-uses only the primary colors -elementary, juvenile

WARM COLORS (85)

-yellow, orange, red, brown, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green -advancing colors because they seem nearer than they actually appear -objects appear larger or closer