Color Theory
How should you balance complimentary colors?
pick a primary color as your main color, and then accent it with its complement color for more of a 7:3 ratio. This provides a beautiful color pairing, but also lets your eyes break on the opposite color.
What is CMYK used for?
printing
What is RGB?
red, green, blue
PRIMARY COLORS
red, yellow, blue (printing inks) magenta, cyan, yellow, black.
What does Itten say about students discovery of subjective forms and colors?
"To help a student discover his subjective forms and colors is to help him discover himself"
What are complimentary colors?
"opposite" colors They are geographically and color-wise the opposite, and provide a kind of visual tension because they are so opposed to each other.
how many hues does the Itten color wheel have?
12 hues
ANALOGOUS COLORS
Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel. They are "related", a kind of family of colors that creates pleasing and relaxed visuals. They aren't jarring, opposite, or clashing. They also don't stand out from one another. Analogous colors can create subtle and beautiful content, but you may need to add a complementary color to get any particular item to stand out.
Do computers use CMYK or RGB color modules?
Both. However, many web programs will only give you the RGB values or a HEX code (the code assigned to color for CSS and HTML). So, if you're designing digital images, RGB is probably your best bet for choosing colors.
What is the scale of CMYK?
CMYK works on a scale of 0 to 100. If C=100, M=100, Y=100, and K=100, you end up with a black color. But, if all four colors equal 0, you end up with true white.
WHAT IS COLOR THEORY?
Color theory is a term used to describe the collection of rules and guidelines regarding the use of color in art and design, as developed since their early days. Color theory informs the design of color schemes, aiming at aesthetic appeal and the effective communication of a design message on both the visual level and the psychological level.
The history of color theory
Color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti -- a true definition of a Renaissance Man. Also...Catholic. (You're welcome everyone—your reply to everyone). Who was Leone? Born in 1404 and died in 1472 - a Florentine ecclesiastic and artist and eventual monk acting as Abbot of San Sovino. He was a scholar, painter, sculptor and architect and is known for his architecture. Color theory principles next appeared in the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. Also...Catholic. (Noticing a theme here people?) Leonardo Quotes: "We, by our arts may be called the grandsons of God." "If the Lord—who is the light of all things—vouchsafe to enlighten me, I will treat of Light; wherefore I will divide the present work into 3 Parts . . . Linear Perspective, The Perspective of Colour, The Perspective of Disappearance." Color theory during this time revolves around the idea that there are three primary colors - red, blue, and yellow - and that these three colors, when mixed together in specific ways create all other colors. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first color wheel when he expanded the theory in his 1704 work, Opticks. Here Newton says that the source of color was light and that white light, when passed through a prism, created a spectrum of colors ranging from red to violet. He viewed color as a closed system or wheel that contained the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Modern color theory is heavily based on Isaac Newton's color wheel, which displays three categories of colors: primary colors (red, blue, yellow), secondary colors (created by mixing two primary colors), and intermediate or tertiary ones (created by mixing primary and secondary colors). Colors can be combined to form one of five main color schemes that allow designers to achieve harmony in their designs.
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black).
What is the RGB scale?
For computers, RGB is created using scales from 0 to 255. So, black would be R=0, G=0, and B=0. White would be R=255, G=255, and B=255.
How did Johann Wolfgang Goethe divide the colors in his color wheel?
He had two groups: the plus side (red - yellow) and the minus side (green - blue) Plus = excitement and cheerfulness Minus = weakness and unsettled feelings.
Why is color an essential tool of psychology?
It has an impact on how we think and behave. Color directs our eye where to look, what to do, and how to interpret something. It puts content into context. It helps us decide what's important and what's not. That's precisely why, as a creative marketer, you need to understand what colors mean to people.
What does the color red mean psychologically?
It is a very powerful, dynamic color that reflects our physical needs whether to show affection and love, or to portray terror, fear, and survival. It is also a very energizing color that can portray friendliness and strength, but can also be demanding and show aggression depending on its context.
What makes up Itten's color wheel?
It is based on red, yellow, and blue as the primary triad and includes 12 hues.
Why is RGB called additive color?
It is based on the additive color model of light waves. This means, the more color you add, the closer you get towards white.
Why is CMYK called a subtractive color model?
It's called that because you have to subtract colors to get to white. That means the opposite is true -- the more colors you add, the closer you get to black.
Who studied the psychological effect of colors?
Johann Wolfgang Goethe. He noticed that blue = cool and yellow has a warming effect. He created the psychological color wheel.
Who developed color chords?
Johannes Itten
Who developed the current form of color theory?
Johannes Itten
Who was considered one of the greatest teachers of the art of color of modern times?
Johannes Itten
does a difference in color create contrast?
No! You might have two colors that are completely different but have no contrast at all because their tone is the same.
are there spaces between analogous colors?
No.
Do people like complexity?
Not usually. Lean towards simplicity. People like simplicity; it makes your content easier to understand if they don't have to interpret it through many colors. And remember, color has meaning so each color adds or takes away from your message.
ORANGE: Meaning
Orange has a very interesting psychological meaning as it combines red's power and energy with yellow's friendliness and fun. The mix makes orange a good representation of physical comfort in our warmth, food, and shelter. (It even stimulates our appetite so watch out if you're hungry!) Orange is also known to be a color of motivation, lends a positive attitude, and general enthusiasm for life. Overall, orange is great for bringing comfort in tough times, and creating a sense of fun or freedom in your visuals.
ORANGE: USAGE
Orange is a very vibrant and energetic color. In its muted forms it can be associated with the earth and with autumn. Because of its association with the changing seasons, orange can represent change and movement in general. Orange is also strongly associated with creativity. Because orange is associated with the fruit of the same name, it can be associated with health and vitality. In designs, orange commands attention without being asoverpowering as red. It's often considered more friendlyand inviting, and less in-your-face.
what is the color of the 2020 year?
Pantone's Color of the Year 2020 is Classic Blue.
Pure Color
Primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, without the addition of white, black, or a third color, are pure (or saturated) colors. They are intense, bright, cheery, and untainted colors.These are the colors of children's toys, daycare decor, and summer clothes.
Who associated each color with a note of the musical scale?
Sir Isaac Newton
Who invented the first Color Wheel?
Sir Isaac Newton. He observed the prism as it captured white and created red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue beams.
What country is Johannes Itten from?
Switzerland, but he was teaching in Germany, at Bauhaus.
Tertiary Color
Tertiary colors take secondary colors one step further. They are the "two-name" colors, suchas red-purple, red-orange, yellow-green, etc. They are created by adding more of one primary color than the other creating not a true secondary color. It ends up being closer to the primary color.
Shades
When black is added to a pure color, you create a shade. These darken and dull the brightness of pure colors, and range from slightly darker to almost black.
Tones
When gray (black + white) is added to a pure color, you create a tone. You often hear people saying that a color needs to be "toned down", meaning it's too intense and they want to drop the level of intensity.Adding black and white in different amounts to a color subdues the intensity quickly.
CONTRAST
When it comes to color techniques, the use of contrast is particularly important, and it's probably the one that will lead you to butt heads with fellow designers or your boss the most. Contrast is how one color stands apart from another. It's what makes text or objects distinguishable from the background. High contrast is when colors easily stand apart from each other. Low contrast is when they don't.
Tints
When white is added to a pure color, you get a tint. Some people refer to these as pastel colors. They are lighter and paler than a pure color, and not as intense. Tints range from slightly whiter to almost-white.
YELLOW: USAGE
Yellow is associated with hope, as can be seen in some countries when yellow ribbons are displayed by families who have loved ones at war. Yellow is also associated with danger, though not as strongly as red. In some countries, yellow has very different connotations. In Egypt, for example, yellow is for mourning. In Japan, itrepresents courage and in India it's a color for merchants. In your designs, bright yellow can lend a sense of happiness and cheerfulness. Softer yellows are commonly used as a gender-neutral color for babies (rather than blue or pink) and young children. Light yellows also give a more calm feeling of happiness than bright yellows. Dark yellows and gold-hued yellows can sometimes look antique and be used in designs where a sense of permanence is desired.
YELLOW: Meaning
Yellow is the epitome of joy, happiness, cheerfulness, optimism—you name it. Anything happy is almost always yellow. The wavelength of yellow is particularly long, making it have one of the most powerful psychological meanings, while also being the easiest color to visibly see. (Did you know yellow is the first color infants respond to?) Whenever you need to lift someone's spirits, increase their confidence, or provide inspiration, use yellow. However, avoid using yellow too much because it's also knownto make us more critical causing self esteem issues, fear, or anxiety. Find the right balance of yellow to motivate rather than bring others down.
how can you use similar colors, while getting the contrast you desire?
create a color scheme with both complementary and analogous colors.
If you're talking color theory in regards to light, your primary colors would be:
cyan, magenta, and yellow.
COLOR WHEEL:
divided or sectioned circle with colors in a spectrum effect.
What kind of cue is color?
emotional
COLOR:
general term for the qualities of hue, intensity, and value observed in pigment or light.
is it possible to create content without color?
no, all content has color
what happens if everything is high contrast?
nothing stands out and it's tiring on the eye after a while. (e.g. Think of black computer screens with bright green text.)
SECONDARY COLORS:
orange, green and purple, made from mixing the primaries
What are primary colors used to create?
secondary colors
HUE:
the name of a color, such as red, blue, green....
how can you help with color blindness when using complementary colors?
there must be high contrast. Try to never use a color solely as the information source. Include text in graphs and infographics whenever possible as well.
your hues affect...
usability and whether content is readable or not.
list the gradation of colors, in order
yellow>orange>red>violet>blue>green>yellow
