Color Theory: Midterm

Prismatic Colors

pure hues that represent the colors of the color spectrum at their highest saturation level

Light source and color medium

Different light sources produce different colors, e.g. Daylight is even, Incandescent light high in red, yellow, and orange, fluorescent light high in green and red, thus, where you display your work is important.

Tone

Any color that is not prismatic (Black, white, and achromatic grays cannot be tones).

overtone

Any color that leans away from its purest color

color key

Saying a group of colors are "keyed" means that they are tightly unified in one or more of their structural parts (hue, value, saturation), making a color visually cohesive.

Tonal Progression

Succession of color mixtures based on value, saturation or hue. We see it commonly represented with a grayscale, or the tonal progression of value.

Retinal Painting

The accurate rendition of the colored shapes that comprise a visual field and mimics the way that the retina of the eye receives information, responding to color first and foremost

Color Temperature

The characteristic of a color which makes it appear either warm or cool in feeling, caused by the circular arrangement of the hue continuum. Red, orange, and yellow are usually considered warm, while colors containing blue are regarded as being cool.

additive color

The colors seen from light (additive primaries: red, green, and blue - form white light when combined)

Color interaction

A color's quality is dependent upon its context because other colors interact with each other where they meet.

Afterimage

A common optical effect in which an additional color seems to appear at the edge of an observed color. When a color is placed against an achromatic background, its afterimage will be the colors of its compliment.

Hue Continuum

A graphic representation of the full color spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet

Saturation Continuum

A graphic representation of the infinite levels of saturation that exist between any two complementary colors.

Grayscale

A graphic representation of the value continuum broken down into a finite number of steps, usually consisting of 10 distinct and evenly progressing achromatic greys.

Value continuum

A graphic representation that suggests the infinite grays that exist between black and white.

Color Range

The distribution of color in relation to its full potential for contrast.

simultaneous contrast

The effect created by two complementary colors seen in juxtaposition, their afterimages interacting along a shared border. Each color seems more intense in this context.

color spectrum

The full range of all existing, visible hues

Value

The lightness or darkness of a color

Primary Triad

The three primary colors on the color wheel (red, yellow, and blue).

Secondary Triad

The three secondary colors on the color wheel (orange, green, and violet), can be mixed by combining two primary colors (red, green and blue).

Separating color with line

To somewhat limit the effects of colour interaction, artists can separate color with line. Using a black or white line will help interrupt the effects of colour interactions and simultaneous contrast.

Interspersing Color Progression

Two distinct color transitions can be interspersed by alternating their selections to create a very compelling visual effect, revealing the effects of color interaction.

monochromatic color scheme

Use of different tints, shades, & intensities of ONE color

triadic color scheme

Uses 3 equally spaced colors on the color wheel (triangle)

analogous color scheme

Uses adjacent colors on the color wheel

neutral color scheme

Uses colors that have been grayed down with little saturation.

Tetrad color scheme

Uses two hues that are separated by one color on the wheel, plus the complement of each hue (red, green, orange, and blue)

low-key

When a picture has overall dark values, keyed according to value.

high key

When a picture has predominately light tones.

Interaction and Tonal Progression

When simultaneous contrast and color progression are combined, the effects can be striking and sometimes confusing. The blue green stripes in the progression below appears to change as it from left

Complementary Color Schemes

emphasize two hues directly opposite each other on the color wheel

Saturated and neutral color scheme

A mix of only saturated and neutral colors. The saturated colors will pop against the neutral colors.

Mixing Chromatic Gray

1) add white 2) add black 3) add its complement 4) add chromatic gray 5) add achromatic gray

color wheel

A circle with different colored sectors used to show the relationship between colors, representing the hue continuum and comprised of 12 major hues (primary, co-primary, secondary and tertiary colors).

Earth Tone Primary Triad

A primary triad of chromatic greys, Burnt sienna, Yellow ochre, and Payne's grey, or any triad of earth toned colors.

Dark Transparency

An Illusion of transparency where the color of the overlapping area is darker in value than both colors that appear to overlap. The hue in a dark transparency blends the hues of the two parent colors equally.

Median Transparency

An illusion of transparency where the value of the color at the overlap is halfway between that of the two parent colors. The hue of the overlapping area blends the hues of the two overlying colors equally.

Informal Tonal Progression

Color or tonal progression can occur in a less formal manner and still manifest the special qualities of movement and luminosity.

chromatic gray

Color with the lowest level of saturation but a discernible hue and temperature. These are the colors that make up the majority of colors we see, as they are mixed from multiple colors.

subtractive color

Colors produced from pigments when wavelengths of light are reflected back to viewer after all others are absorbed

Commercial Color Names

Encompass totality of a color through analogy (e.g. Clover Green), but usually not useful to an artist (but more-so to a hardware store).

Co-primary triad

Expands primary triad of red, blue and yellow into pairs that include warm and cool versions of each primary color.

Achromatic Grays

Grays that are created by mixing black and white. Black and White are also achromatic.

naming colors

How we describe color tells us a lot about hue, value and saturation - normally, priority is given to hue first, value second, and if needed, saturation as a descriptor.

Color proportion

Hue, Value, and Saturation

Complimentary Hues

Hues that lie directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

optical mixing

In this process, the viewer's eye blends the dots of color in a painting.

Saturated Color Scheme

Incorporates the brightest colors possible with very few neutrals or grays.

Abstraction

Integrating drawing and color to make a painting non-hierarchical

Analogous Complementary Color Schemes

Made up of three side-by-side hues plus the complement of the center color (red and blue-green, green and yellow-green)

Hue

Name given to a color based on its location in the hue continuum

Color and the Illusion of Spatial Depth

Overlapping shapes, relative size, relative edge definition, simple linear convergence, and linear perspective

Saturation

Purity of hue present in a color

Shade

any color mixed with black

Tint

any color mixed with white

Split-complementary color scheme

color scheme consisting of one color combined with the two colors located on either side of its opposite (complementary) color

muted colors

rich but softened colors that reside on the color wheel roughly midway between prismatic colors and chromatic grays

Inherent Light

visual quality that depends upon relative saturation and context of the colors present.

tertiary colors

yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green (Any color not in its purest state)