Color Theory

Complementary Colors

Colors which appear opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors complete each other on the color spectrum.

Process Colors

Colors you create (and eventually print) by mixing varying percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks.

Color Absorption

The absorption of all color wavelengths by a surface except the one you see.

Primary Colors

The basic pigment colors (red, yellow, blue) that cannot be created by combining other colors and from which all other colors can be made.

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.

Muted Color

A color of lowered intensity or purity, usually because it has been mixed with its complement. eg. Red mixed with green.

Split-Complementary Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses a key color with the two colors that lie on either side of its complement. Example: red with yellow-green and blue-green.

Analogous Split-Complementary Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses a predominantly analogous palette, but includes accents using the two colors that lie on either side of the complement of the key color. Example: blue analogous palette with red-orange and yellow-orange accents.

Complementary Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Example: yellow and violet.

Analogous Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses hues next to each other on the color wheel. Example: red, red-violet and red-orange.

Monochromatic Color Scheme

A color scheme that uses only one color with tints, shades and tones of that color.

CMYK or Subtractive Color System

A color system or model used for printing, that creates colors by blending different levels of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Key Color

The dominant color in a color scheme. (In Van Gogh's Starry Night, blue.)

Saturation

The purity or intensity of a color.

Color Theory

The surface of the any thing that reflects the visible light wavelengths, we see that color wavelength as color of that thing and and that surface absorbs all other color wavelength. An object appears 'white' when it reflects all visible light wavelengths We see anything 'black' when it absorbs all light visible wavelengths.

Shade

When a hue is mixed with black, the color in result is darker and called Shade.

Tone of color

When a hue is mixed with gray, the color in result is neutral and called Tone of that color.

Tint

When a hue is mixed with white, the color in result is lighter and called Tint.

Color Hue

determined by the length of the wave

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.

Desaturated Color

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

Contrast Color

A principle of art, contrast 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.)

Highlight

An area of lightest value in a design, in an image or on an object. (2)

Mid Tone

An area of medium brightness, between the shadow value and the highlight highlight. (3)

Tertiary Colors

Colors located between primary and secondary colors on the color wheel, created by mixing any adjacent primary and secondary color. Examples: red-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet.

Secondary Colors

Colors made by mixing equal parts of two primary colors together.(orange, green, violet).

Analogous Colors

Colors that are adjacent on the color wheel. These colors will have a similar temperature and hue.

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.

Spot Colors

Non-process inks that are manufactured by companies; special pre-mixed inks that are printed separately from process inks.

Color Value

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

Pantone

a color-matching system that is used to standardize colors used in digital and printed images.

Visible Color Spectrum

array of colors visible to the naked eye

Neutral colors

beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray, and white

RGB or Additive Color System

the RGB color model uses varying intensities of (R)ed, (G)reen, and (B)lue light are added together in to reproduce a broad array or visible spectrum of colors.

Color Spectrum

the order of colors as they appear when white light is passed through a prism.

Color Reflection

the phenomenon of color bouncing off of one surface onto another at the speed of light