Art Terminology 5 - Color & Value

*color wheel* Practice: Draw and label colors on a 12 point color wheel.

"Artists use a ___ ___ to help determine the specific colors of a color scheme."

*saturated color*

A color of high *intensity* or *purity*.

*desaturated color*

A color of lowered intensity or purity because it has been *muted, tinted, shaded* or *toned.*

chromatic grey

A color of lowered intensity or purity, usually because it has been mixed with its complement and *desaturated*. Also called *muted color.*

*analogous* color scheme

A color scheme that only uses colors *adjacent* or next to each other on a 12-step color wheel (for example, red, red-orange, and red), including desaturated values (tints, shades and tonal colors) but no other colors. Called a ____ color scheme. (Word means "similar to.")

*analogous split complementary* color scheme Example: A "blue analogous split complementary color scheme" has what colors?

A color scheme that uses analogous colors as the main palette and uses the colors on both sides of the middle complement as the accent colors. Example: BG + BBG + B + BBV + BV and RO + YO

*split complementary* color scheme Example: A "split complementary color scheme" that includes YG and BG includes what other color?

A color scheme that uses one color (e.g. R) and the analogous colors that fall on either side of its complement on the opposite side of the color wheel (e.g. BG and YG).

*monochromatic* color scheme

A color scheme that uses only *one color* from the color wheel in desaturated values (tints, shades, and tonal colors)." Called a ____ color scheme. (Word means "one color.")

*triadic* color scheme Example: A triadic color scheme that includes violet would also include what other colors?

A color scheme that uses three colors equally separated on the color wheel. Example: (V +) O + G

*double-analogous* color scheme Example: A "double-analogous color scheme" that includes blue, blue-green and green would also include what other colors?

A color scheme that uses two analogous colors and the complements of those two analogous colors. Example: B + BG + G and R + RO + O

*complementary* color scheme Give examples using primary and secondary colors.

A color scheme that uses two colors opposite each other on the color wheel (such as blue and orange). May also include muted variations of the two colors. Examples: B + O, R + G and Y + V.

accent color

A color that stands out from its surrounding and attracts attention to specific parts of a design or pattern. The highlight, also called an ___ color.

*contrast*

A principle of design which refers to the arrangement of opposite elements. Light vs. dark values, warm vs. cool colors, large vs. small shapes, organic vs. geometric shapes, rough vs. smooth textures, isolated vs. grouped objects, etc.

*gradation*

A subtle change from one shade, tone, or color to another.

color scheme

An arrangement or pattern of colors or used to create color harmony in a design. Also called *color palette*.

*warm colors*

Colors that are on one side of the color wheel that elicit a feeling of warmth, associated with the sun and fire in nature, active, advancing, for example, red, orange and yellow.

*cool colors*

Colors that elicit a feeling of coolness, associated with the sky, air, water or grass in nature, calm, receding, for example, blue, green, purple.

*analogous colors*

Colors which are located next to each other on the color wheel A color scheme which utilizes colors next to each other on the color wheel is called a ___ color scheme. A color scheme that uses yellow-orange, orange, red orange would be an example of this color scheme.

*complementary colors*

Colors which are located opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors *complete* each other. A color scheme which utilizes colors opposite each other on the color wheel is called a ___ color scheme. A color scheme that uses primary red and primary green would be an example of this color scheme.

*low key*

Of an image that uses mostly darker values on the lower end of the value scale.

*high key*

Of an image that uses mostly lighter values on the higher end of the value scale.

*value*

Relative lightness or darkness of a color as measured on a scale from black to white.

*saturation*

The *purity* or *intensity* of a color.

*value pattern*

The arrangement, variation and contrast of light and dark values in an image.

*color temperature*

The characteristic of a color which makes it appear either warm or cool in feeling. Red, orange, and yellow are usually considered warm, while colors containing blue are regarded as being cool. Called color ___.

key color

The color (or range of colors) that are used most in a design or pattern, called the dominant color or the ___ color.

*hue*

The dimension of color related to the specific light wavelength of the color. Another word for color. "The sky has a red ____."

*color harmony*

The use of a cohesive and pleasing combination of colors in a design or image.

a shade

color + black

a tone

color + gray

a mute

color + that color's complement

a tint

color + white

*secondary colors* List all.

orange, green, violet

*primary colors* List all.

red, yellow, blue

*tertiary colors* List all.

yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green