Colour Theory

WHAT IS COLOUR THEORY/COLOUR THEORY’S SIGNIFICANCE

According to Kris Decker, “Color Theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match or contrast with each other. Color Theory also involves the message colors communicate; and the methods used to replicate color.” In my opinion, Colour Theory is the collection of rules/guidelines which artists use to communicate with viewers through appealing colour schemes, mixing, and effects. It gives individuals the opportunity to utilise colours in order to set the tone of an art piece. Despite Colour Theory being an important aspect of Visual Arts, as a whole, its significance revolves around helping human-beings understand how to make use of colours in a way that emotes different emotions.

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THE COLOUR WHEEL

The Colour Wheel or Colour Circle is a basic tool used to combine colours. It consists of the colours Red, Red-Orange, Orange, Yellow-Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green, Green, Blue-Green, Blue, Blue-Violet, Violet, and Red-Violet. The 1st Circular Colour Diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton, in 1666. According to Interaction Design Foundation, “Newton understood colors as human perceptions - not absolute qualities - of wavelengths of light. By systematically categorizing colors, he defined three groups.” I will go into greater detail about the three groups later on in the Blog! In addition to Colour Wheels, they are also used to identify relationships between colours and help choose colour schemes.

CONNECTION BETWEEN COLOUR V.S. SCIENCE

A colour is a component of light which rebounds when it is reflected off of an object. Depending upon the characteristic and the amount of light hitting an object, determines whether light gets absorbed whereas, in some cases, it could rebound.

Example (green leaf) : When we observe a green leaf, the only light that was not absorbed by the object was green. This light that was not absorbed is what we see and allows us to identify the leaf as the colour green.

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TERMS

Let’s dive deeper into the Colour Theory Lesson by looking at a few terms!

Hue - Hue is another word for Colour.

Primary Colour - Red, Blue, and Yellow are Primary Colours because they can be mixed to establish Secondary Colours and Tertiary Colours. Primary Colours are well-known as base colours because they cannot be made by the mixing of other colours. In simpler terms, Primary Colours are what individuals mix to establish every other hue.

• Red

• Blue

• Yellow

Secondary Colour - A Secondary Colour is a set of two Primary Colours that have been mixed together. Orange, Green, and Purple are Secondary Colours because they are made by the mixing of Primary Colours. In order to create a Secondary Colour, an individual must mix equal portions (50% of EACH) of two Primary Colours.

• Orange = Red (50%) + Yellow (50%)

• Green = Yellow (50%) + Blue (50%)

• Purple = Blue (50%) + Red (50%)

Tertiary Colour - A Tertiary Colour is a Primary Colour that has been mixed with a Secondary Colour. Red-Orange, Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Blue-Purple, Red-Purple are all examples of Tertiary Colours. In order to create a Tertiary Colour, an individual must mix equal portions of a Primary and Secondary Colour.

- Red – Orange

- Yellow – Orange

- Yellow – Green

- Blue – Green

- Blue – Purple

- Red – Purple

Value - According to Dan Scott, “Value in art is essentially how light or dark something is on a scale of white to black (with white being the highest value and black being the lowest value). It is widely considered to be one of the most important variables to the success of painting, even more so that your selection of colour (hue). Value in art should be simple to understand, however the inclusion of color can make it a challenging concept to grasp.”

Tint - When one adds white to a Hue, it will establish a “Tint.” This is true when using the majority of media, but may vary when using watercolours. When using watercolours, an individual can add more water to dilute the paint (helps the colours become lighter).

Shade - A Shade is almost the opposite of a Tint. When one adds black to a Hue, it will establish a shade. When using watercolour, an individual can choose to add black watercolour onto the original Hue, to create a shade.

Saturation - Saturation is the “purity” or “intensity” of a colour.

High-Saturation V.S. Low-Saturation - Colours that have High Saturation appear to be rich, powerful, and full. Colours that have Low Saturation appear to be dull and greyish. When desaturating a colour, it will gradually become black or white, to a certain extent.

Written by Bhakti Patel

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Work Cited

Decker, Kris. “The Bold, Bright Truth about Color Theory.” 99designs, 99designs, 7 July 2020, 99designs.ca/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/ '.

gcflearnfree. YouTube, YouTube, 5 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LLXnUdUIc.

Scott, Dan, et al. “What Is Value In Art And Why Is It So Important?” Draw Paint Academy, 22 Dec. 2020, drawpaintacademy.com/what-is-value-in-art/#:~:text=Value in art is essentially,selection of color (hue).

“Visual Elements Of Art: The Three Components of Color You Need To Understand; Hue, Value, and Saturation.” Virtual Art Academy, 20 May 2021, www.virtualartacademy.com/three-components-of-color/.

“What Is Color Theory?” The Interaction Design Foundation, www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/color-theory.

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NOTE … Hi! My name is Bhakti Patel! … The researcher/writer of AHH (Art Helps Hearts). For extra support, here is a Video about Colour Theory (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LLXnUdUIc)!