Formal Analysis: Color

Intensity

Describes the purity or strength of a color. Bright colors are undiluted and are often associated with positive energy and heightened emotions. Dull colors have been diluted by mixing with other colors and create a sedate or serious mood.

Monochromatic

Done in variations of a single color,; white, black and gray can be used to change the value of the color.

Tonality

Arrangement of colors in a painting so that one color dominates the work of art.

Spectrum

The band of individual colors that results when a beam of light is broken into its component wavelengths of hues.

Color Wheel

A conventional way to show the relationships of paint colors to one another by arranging them in a circle, or wheel. A tool for organizing colors that shows the spectrum bent into a circle.

Color Triad

A group of three colors spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. The twelve-color wheel has a primary triad, a secondary triad, and two intermediate triads.

Cool Colors

The family of related colors ranging from greens through blues and violets.

Warm Colors

The family of related colors ranging from the reds through the oranges and yellows

Analogous Colors

Those colors that are closely related in hue (name). They are usually adjacent (beside) to each other on the color wheel.

Complementary Colors

Two colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Mixing complements can dull or lower the intensity of a color.

Hue

Used to designate the common name of a color and to indicate its position in the spectrum or on the color wheel.

Low-Key

A painting using many shades or dark values.

High-Key

A painting using many tints or light colors

Arbitrary Color

Color chosen by an artist to express his feelings. Artists make choices on the basis of personal preference.

Optical Color

Color perceived by the viewer due to the effect of atmosphere or unusual light on the actual color.

Color

Light reflected off objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue (red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is). Colors can be described as warm (red, yellow) or cool (blue, gray), depending on which end of the color spectrum they fall.

Secondary Colors

Orange, green, and violet. These colors are produced by mixing two primary colors.

Color Scheme

Plans for organizing colors. Types of color schemes include monochromatic, analogous, complementary, triad, warm and cool, etc.

Primary Colors

Red, yellow, and blue. These colors cannot be produced by combining other colors.

Intermediate Colors

Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green etc. As each name indicates, an intermediate color is produced by combining a primary and a secondary color. Intermediate colors are located between primary and secondary colors on the color wheel. Two primary colors can produce an intermediate color also.

Value

describes the brightness of color. Artists use color value to create different moods. Dark colors in a composition suggest a lack of light, as in a night or interior scene. Dark colors can often convey a sense of mystery or foreboding. Light colors often describe a light source or light reflected within the composition. In this painting, the dark colors suggest a night or interior scene. The artist used light colors to describe the light created by the candle flame.