TRADE OF PAINTING &

DECORATING

PHASE 2

Module 3

Imitative and Decorative Arts

UNIT: 1

Colour
 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1
Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................. 2

1.0 Pigmental, primary, secondary & tertiary colours...................................... 3

1.1 The colour circle ......................................................................................... 3

1.2 Primary, secondary and tertiary colours .................................................. 5

2.0 Monochromatic, Analogous & Complementary Colour Harmony ............... 6

2.1 Monochromatic, analogous and complementary colour harmony ...... 6

2.2 Colour in decoration................................................................................... 7

3.0 Produce Secondary and Tertiary Colours By Colour Mixing .......................... 8

3.1 Mixing primary colours to produce secondary ....................................... 8

3.2 Mixing secondary colours to produce tertiary colours .......................... 8

4.0 Tints and Shades ............................................................................................. 9

4.1 Define the terms tints and shades ............................................................ 9

42 Mixing tints and shades of various colours ............................................. 9
4.3 Colour terminology...................................................................................10
4.4 Effects of colour .......................................................................................11
4.5 Safe working practice ...............................................................................16
Summary ..................................................................................................................17
Suggested exercises .................................................................................................18
Self test .....................................................................................................................18
Recommended additional resources ....................................................................19

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Introduction
What have fashion, food, art, cars, advertising, paint etc. in common?
Answer :- COLOUR

Why is colour important? Why do we like some colours and dislike others?
Why do we provoke different responses in us? How can we learn about them
and how can we use this knowledge creatively? Colour has a big influence in
our lives and in many ways it can dominate the way we perceive things. When
we enter a building, purchase a new car, look at a picture, colours can dominate
our first impression. We can instantly like or dislike what we see depending on
the impression the colours make on us.

Where does colour come from?

White light or sunlight is made up of different wavelengths. When these rays

pass through the Earth’s atmosphere, the droplets of moisture contained in the
atmosphere act as innumerable prisms, which break up the white rays into
different wavelengths of light, those that we see in the familiar rainbow. Colour
is the effect produced on the eye by exposure to these different wavelengths of
light.

Absence of light produces an absence of colour. The colour of anything is

determined by its chemical composition and its ability to reflect or absorb light.
A white surface is one, which reflects all the wavelengths of light, while a black
surface absorbs them all. A blue surface therefore, reflects the blue wavelengths
of light and absorbs all the others, similarly a yellow surface is one, which
reflects the yellow wavelengths of light and absorbs all the others.

When Light primaries Red, Blue and Green are mixed together they produce
white. When Pigmented primaries Red, Yellow and Blue are mixed together
they produce a very dark grey. Pigmented primaries are not as pure as light
primaries because all pigments contain traces of more than one colour.

Light Primaries Pigmented primaries

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 1 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Module 3
Surface
Preparation

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5

Colour Industrial and
Clear Broken Brush Special
Coatings Colour Graining Coatings

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit each apprentice will be able to:

 Identify pigmental, primary, secondary and tertiary colours

 To distinguish between monochromatic, analogous and complementary
colour harmony
 Produce secondary and tertiary colours through mixing
 Produce and understand ”tints” and “shades”

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 2 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

1.0 Pigmental, primary, secondary & tertiary colours

Key Learning Points

 The colour circle

 Pigmental, primary, secondary and tertiary colours

1.1 The colour circle

Newton’s experiment:

When light is passed through a glass prism and projected onto a white screen, it
is broken up into the spectrum of colours similar to the rainbow - red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

White sunlight passing through rain drops producing the rainbow is natures
way of showing exactly the same thing.

The colour spectrum:

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 3 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

The colour circle:

The colour circle is based on the colour spectrum and many different types
have evolved over the years but they all display the logically arranged sequence
of hues. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in
1666.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 4 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

1.2 Primary, secondary and tertiary colours

Primary colours (red, yellow and blue) are the basis of all colours when mixing
pigmented primaries. They cannot be made by mixing any other colours.

red yellow blue

Secondary colours (orange, violet and green) are made by mixing equal
amounts of two primary colours

red + yellow red + blue blue + yellow

(Orange) (Violet) (Green)

Tertiary colours (olive, slate and russet) are defined as a colour made by
either:

(i) mixing equal amounts of two secondary colours (three colours) or

(ii) mixing a primary and a secondary colour (six colours)

green + orange green + purple purple + orange

(olive) (slate) (russet)

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 5 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

2.0 Monochromatic, Analogous & Complementary

Colour Harmony
Key learning points

 Monochromatic, analogous and complementary colour harmony

2.1 Monochromatic, analogous and complementary colour

harmony
“A pleasant arrangement of three or more colours in a scheme.” The most commonly
used combinations are:

 MONOCHROMATIC HARMONY
 ANALOGOUS HARMONY
 COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY

MONOCHROMATIC HARMONY:

A scheme based on tints and shades of a single hue or colour.

ANALOGOUS HARMONY:

A scheme where colours close to one another on the colour circle are used
colours used from a quarter of the colour circle, e.g. yellow, orange. or yellow
to green.

COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY:

A scheme where colours opposite each other on the colour circle are used.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 6 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

2.2 Colour in decoration

The function of a building is the first consideration when choosing a colour
scheme. Schools, workshops, factories, churches, cinemas, houses etc, all
present different problems. A colour scheme that works well in one may not
work at all in another.

Consideration must first be given to existing furniture and permanent fittings.

Some colours because of their association with nature suggest warmth or
coolness. Red, orange and yellow the warm colours which create a cosy friendly
atmosphere. to a room They give a sense of warmth in rooms that face north
and see no sun. Pinks peaches some beiges and rust colours would be part of
this family.

Green and blue are the cool colours. They can provide a calm, cool restful
atmosphere to a room. Cool colours should not be used in a room, which lacks
sunlight (a room facing north). Cool colours can be used in a room facing
south or southwest.

The effect of purple depends on the intensity of the colour. should not be
used. Another feature of colours is that light colours, tints and pastel colours
seem to recede while strong hues seem to advance. Tints and light pastel
colours because of their reflective qualities cam make a room appear larger than
it is. The opposite effect can be achieved with strong hues and dark shades.
When choosing a colour scheme remember to view have imagine it in natural
and artificial light. As colour is light the scheme will be altered by a change in
the type of light.

Colour schemes in rooms opening onto each other should not clash.
Connecting areas such as corridors, staircases should be designed so as to link
areas together.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 7 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

3.0 Produce Secondary and Tertiary Colours By

Colour Mixing
Key learning points

 Mixing primary colours to produce secondary colours

 Mixing secondary colours to produce tertiary colours

3.1 Mixing primary colours to produce secondary

Mixing secondary colours using acrylic tube colours.

The colours that best represent primaries must be used. For example a blue
that contains red e.g. Ultramarine, or a blue that has a greenish hue e.g.
Prussian blue cannot be used as they will distort the final colour. This follows
for red and yellow. This is why it is very difficult to match pigmented colours
to the spectrum colours.

 Draw circle and divide into six sections.

 Select and paint in the primary colours
 Mix and apply the secondary colours

It is important to remember the following points when mixing colours.:

 A colour when dry is darker than when wet.

 Try to have wet sample of the colour you are trying to mix.
 Do not poison a colour by using too much stainer.

3.2 Mixing secondary colours to produce tertiary colours

Mixing tertiary colours using acrylic tube colours.

When equal parts of two secondary colours are mixed together they produce a
tertiary colour.

 orange and green to produce olive

 purple and green to produce slate
 purple and orange to produce russet.

Draw a series of squares on water colour paper and using a palette of primary
and secondary colours intermix them e,g. a primary blue with a secondary
orange and so on until all the squares are filled. This gives a very good insight
into colour observation

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 8 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

4.0 Tints and Shades

Key learning points

 Define the terms tints and shades

 Mixing tints and shades of various colours
 Colour terminology
 Safe working practice
 Study the effects of colour

4.1 Define the terms tints and shades

Tint Any colour with white added

Shade Any colour with black added

42 Mixing tints and shades of various colours

Tints:

Shades:

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 9 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

4.3 Colour terminology

Hue: Is another name for colour. Generally refers to colours at full intensity.

Tone: Refers to the degree of brightness or darkness in a colour.

Purity: Refers to the strength of colour. The colours of the rainbow are of
maximum purity. Often referred to as saturation or intensity.

Achromatic colours; (uncolourfull)

Colours without hue; greys ranging from black to white

Pastels:

Are colours with black and white (Light grey) added. Usually refers to light
colours with a predominance of white added.

Advancing colours:

Warm colours:

Colours from the red yellow/orange section of the colour circle. They make a
surface appear nearer to the observer than it really is.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 10 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Retiring colours:

Cool colours:

Colours from the blue/green section of the colour circle. They make a surface
appear more distant to the observer than it really is.

4.4 Effects of colour

Colour psychology

Well documented experiments have proven that the colours that surround us
play in our well being and colour psychology has been used by architects and
designers to determine suitable colour schemes for buildings, advertisements,
packaging and a whole range of products. For instance, bright reds have been a
popular choice for sports cars and lively vibrant colours are natural choices for
fast food outlets. These colours excite. Calmer colours such as blue would be a
natural choice for when a colour is needed to produce a feeling of relaxation.
Each colour is associated with certain reactions, sensations or moods e.g.

White:

White contains all the colours in the spectrum; therefore it can be used with all
other colours successfully. It is associated with cleanliness, purity, peace,
neutrality and innocence. It is the essence of colour, the source of all others.

Yellow:

Happy, bright, creative, cheerful, optimistic and warm, yellow is the colour of
the sun and is associated with life and warmth. Yellow in its strongest hues can
be overpowering and dominant other colours and needs to be used carefully.

Orange:

Hot, passionate, exciting, similar rules apply to orange as to yellow. Again, it

needs to be used with discretion and gives rich contrasts with deep, cool blues
and greens

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 11 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Red:

This is the colour that has the most intense effect on the eye. It is the dominant
colour in most cases. The colour of danger, red brings to mind heat, passion
and anger. Red creates tension and quickens the pulse. Used in any
appreciable quantities, red is challenging, stimulating and aggressive.

Purple:

The colour of kings. Promotes a wealthy, refined look. Not used as much as
other colours. A rich, dark purple can be an effective background colour.

Blue:

The most popular of all the colours. Gives an air of authority, respectability,
logic and reliability. Has calming effect. A very good background colour. Works
well in most situations and mid to medium deep blues are a good choice for
text. Often associated with a feeling of coldness.

Green

Nature’s colour. Restful. Has a calming effect. Green is in the middle of the
colour spectrum and therefore is particularly balancing. Overused it can be
boring and tiring.

Brown:

A dull sad colour. The colour of the earth. Rich effects can be achieved when
used with other earth colours such as russets and deep orange.

Grey:

A neutral colour. Made by mixing black and white, it is particularly useful in

that it can be used with any other colour.

Black:

Very powerful, it can be an elegant, dignified, authorities colour when correctly

used. Incorrectly used, it can be overpowering and too dominant. Like white,
black is devoid of any colour itself, and like white and grey, it can be used with
any colours or combination of colours. It can also be used in a scheme to
quieten the overall effect.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 12 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

The NCS System:

In order to accurately communicate the colours we see, we need a reference or

notation system with the ability to pinpoint precise colour.

Six Elementary Colours are the basis for the Natural Colour System. These are
White, Black, Yellow, Red, Blue and Green.

The colours are shown below on the three dimensional model called the NCS
Colour Solid. Every colour in the Natural Colour System is contained within
the NCS Colour Solid, and can be described in terms of the six Elementary
Colours.

NCS Colour Solid:

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 13 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

NCS Colour Circle:

In order to more easily pinpoint colours within the NCS Colour Solid, the NCS
Colour Circle and NCS Colour Triangle are used.
The NCS Colour Circle is a horizontal slice through the NCS Colour Solid, and
shows a progression from Yellow to Red to Blue to Green and back round to
Yellow in 10% steps.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 14 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

NCS Colour Triangle:

All the colours in the NCS System have a percentage of Whiteness or

Blackness, and this is best illustrated using the NCS Colour Triangle. The NCS
Colour Triangle is a vertical slice through the NCS Colour Solid. C stands for
maximum colour intensity or Chromaticness, W stands for White and S for
Black. The scales for Chromaticness, Whiteness and Blackness are each divided
into one hundred parts which can be interpreted as percentages.

The NCS Colour Triangle and the NCS Colour Circle are used to pinpoint
colours within the NCS System. The diagram below pinpoints a colour with
20% Blackness and 30% Chromaticness, with a location on the NCS Colour
Circle of Y90R. The complete NCS Colour Notation is S 2030-Y90R.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 15 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Using the NCS Colour Notation it is easy to define the appearance of a colour.
In the notation below 2030 indicates the Nuance of the colour. The Nuance
describes the relationship of the colour to Black (S) and to maximum colour
intensity or Chromaticness (C). The Whiteness is determined as 50%, as the
sum of the values of the three attributes (Chromaticness, Whiteness and
Blackness) must always be 100%. The Hue, Y90R, describes the relationship of
the colour to the Chromatic Elementary Colours, in this case Y and R. Y90R
means Yellow with 90% Redness. The letter S preceding the NCS notation
means that the colour is from NCS Edition 2.

Nuance Hue

Achromatic colours (Black, White and Grey) lack Hue and are only given
Nuance notations, followed by -N for neutral. S 0500-N is White and is
followed by S 1000-N, S 1500-N, S 2000-N and so on to S 9000-N, which is
Black.

4.5 Safe working practice

When working with paint, thinners and cloths it must always be conscious of
accidental fire due to spontaneous combustion. Cloths used in thinners must be
soaked in water before placing in bins. No matter how small the job is tidiness
must be a priority at all times. Storing of materials at the end of the day must be
carried out efficiently according to safety and health regulations, e.g. thinners
and oil paints to be stored in metal fireproof cabinets.

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 16 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Summary
Colour is an extremely important part of the painters work. It is a very wide
field and study of it should be the goal of every apprentice. When dealing with
customers the ability to offer good advice on colour adds to the status of the
craftsperson. While it is not an easy subject to understand a great knowledge of
colour can be developed by studying the NCS system where lessons from basic
to advance can be procured.

As we mature the subtleties of our colour perception develop with practice

application and learning. Knowledge of colour can open up to the craftsperson
a new confidence and ability to encourage others to enhance their homes, work
places and environment

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 17 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Suggested exercises
(i) Draw a colour wheel and divide it into six equal parts. Paint in the
primary and secondary colours in the correct order
(ii) Draw a series of eight squares an paint in graduating tints
(iii) Draw a series of eight squares an paint in graduating shades

Self test
Q.1 What are primary colours

Q.2 How are secondary colours made

Q.3 Explain the following.

(i) Tint
(ii) Shade
(iii) Hue
(iv) Warm colours
(v) Cool colours

Q.4 Explain the following colour harmonies

(i) Monochromatic
(ii) Analogous
(iii) Complementary

Q.5 What is a pastel colour?

Q.6 What is an achromatic colour

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 18 Revision 2.0 December 2013

 Module 3 – Unit 1 Colour

Recommended additional resources

The Art of Colour Author: Johannes Itten

ISBN 0-471-28928-0

Colour Harmony Author: Hideaki Chijiiwa

ISBN0935603-06-9

Choosing A Colour Scheme

ISBN0-7063-7654-4

www.ncscolour.co.uk

www.colouracademy .co.uk

Painting and Decorating Phase 2 19 Revision 2.0 December 2013

27-33 Upper Baggot Street
Dublin 4