COLOR THEORY

LESSON 1:INTRODUCTION TO COLOR

WHAT IS

COLOR?
The property possessed by an object of
producing different sensations on the eye
because of the way the object reflects or
emits light.
WHAT IS
COLOR?
Color is perception. Our eyes see something (the
sky, for example), and data sent from our eyes to
our brains tells us it’s a certain color (blue).
Objects reflect light in different combinations of
wavelengths. Our brains pick up on those
wavelength combinations and translate them
into the phenomenon we call color.
WHAT IS

COLOR?
For art, Color is the element of art that
is produced when light, striking an
object, is reflected back to the eye:
that's the objective definition. But in art
design, color has a slew of attributes
which are primarily subjective.
COLOR in ART
For art, Color is the element of art that is
produced when light, striking an object,
is reflected back to the eye: that's the
objective definition. But in art design,
color has a slew of attributes which are
primarily subjective.
UNDERSTANDING THE USE OF
COLOR
When light bounces off of something and is
reflected back into a human’s eyes, we
perceive color. For millennia, color has been
one of the elements of art that artists use
to render the world as they see it.
Color theory can help designers
determine which colors look
good together. Color theory
goes beyond just “eyeing” color
combinations, though, which is
where the science part comes
in.
At the heart of color
theory is the color wheel,
which was created in
the late 17th century by
Sir Isaac Newton. Best
known for his physics
breakthroughs, Newton
mapped the color
spectrum into a circle.
Today, the color wheel
can help artists and
designers find
harmonious color
combinations based on
the geometric
relationships
represented on the
color wheel.
As an example, a triadic color
scheme involves three evenly-
spaced colors on the color
wheel and that will yield a
bold combination. Meanwhile,
a tetradic color scheme
involves four colors evenly
spaced out on the color wheel,
and can work if you want to
use a dominant color with
supporting accent colors.
MODERN COLOR THEORY
Digital designers may be more
familiar with an RGB color model
with red, green and blue to mix
light. Cyan Magenta Yellow
Black, or CMYK, are the four
basic colors for print images,
and, as subtractive colors, get
darker when blended.
MODERN COLOR THEORY
RGB & CMYK
The additive color
mixing model. it allows
you to create colors by
mixing red, green and
blue light sources
of various intensities.
MODERN COLOR THEORY
RGB & CMYK
the subtractive color
mixing model. Any color
you see on a physical
surface (paper, signage,
packaging, etc.) uses
the subtractive color
mixing model.
 COLOR WHEEL
The first color wheel was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 so
it absolutely predates your introduction to it in kindergarten. Artists and
designers still use it to develop color harmonies, mixing and palettes.
 COLOR WHEEL
The color wheel is a visual representation of colors, with hues arranged
according to wavelength. Color wheels allow color relationships to be
represented geometrically, and show the relationship between primary
colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors.
 COLOR WHEEL
Draw a line through the center of the wheel, and you’ll separate the warm
colors (reds, oranges, yellows) from cool colors (blues, greens, purples).
Warm colors are generally
associated with energy, brightness,
and action, whereas cool colors are
often identified with calm, peace,
and serenity.

When you recognize that color has

a temperature, you can understand
how choosing all warm or all cool
colors in a logo or on your website
can impact your message.
Hue | Shade | Tint | Tone
Hue
Simply put, tints,
tones and shades
are variations
of hues, or colors,
on the color wheel.
 Shade

A shade is a hue to
which black has
been added. For
example, red +
black = burgundy.
 Tint

A tint is a hue to
which white has
been added. For
example, red +
white = pink.
 Tone
Finally, a tone is a color
to which black and
white (or grey) have
been added. This
darkens the original
hue while making the
color appear more
subtle and less intense.
 COLOR SCHEME
Color schemes are a systematic way of using the
color wheel to put colors together.
Complementary
colors
Because there’s a sharp contrast
between the two colors, they can really
make imagery pop, but overusing them
can get tiresome. Think any shopping
mall in December. That being said,
using a complementary color scheme in
your business marketing offers sharp
contrast and clear differentiation
between images.
Analogous colors
Analogous colors sit next to one another on the color wheel—red, orange and
yellow, for example. When creating an analogous color scheme, one color will
dominate, one will support and another will accent. In business, analogous
color schemes are not only pleasing to the eye, but can effectively instruct the
consumer where and how to take action.
Triadic colors
Triadic colors are evenly spaced
around the color wheel and tend
to be very bright and dynamic.

Using a triadic color scheme in

your marketing creates visual
contrast and harmony
simultaneously, making each
item stand out while making the
overall image pop.
Monochromatic Color
“Mono” means
one, “chroma”
means “color”.
Monochromatic
color schemes
have only one
color and its
values.
Split-complementary Color
Split-complementary contains the actual
color (hue) and the two colors on either side
of its complement.
Achromatic Color
Designating color
perceived to have
zero saturation and
therefore no hue,
such as neutral
grays, white, or
black.
 Color Nature
• To Attract - Sometimes it’s better to be seen than to be hidden.
Many animals use eye-catching colors to attract mates. Some use
colors to attract prey.
• To communicate - Some animals’ colorful exteriors let other
animals know that they’re poisonous. But sometimes they’re
pretending — their bright colors fool predators into thinking
they’re poisonous, even if they’re not.
• To hide - Animals use camouflage to hide by blending in with the
background or resembling something they’re not, to keep them
from getting eaten.
 Purpose of Color
Color can sway thinking, change actions, and cause reactions.
It can irritate or soothe your eyes, raise your blood pressure or
suppress your appetite. When used in the right ways, color
can even save on energy consumption. As a powerful form of
communication, color is irreplaceable.
Color holds power. It can impact our moods, emotions, and
behaviors. It can also be a source of information. While an
individual's response to color can stem from personal
experience, the science of color along with color psychology
supports the idea there's far more to it.
 Purpose of Color
Countless studies have been conducted on the relationship between color,
particularly in the areas of marketing and branding.

Here are some of the findings:

• Color influences 85% of shoppers' purchase decisions.
• About 62‐90% of the product assessment is based on colors alone.
• Colors increase brand awareness by 80%.

At a basic level, colors influence how consumers view the ‘personality’ of the brand in
question, so it’s important you get it right. In the following article, we’ll show you
how to use the power of color in your branding by breaking down color meaning so
you can choose the colors that are right for your product or business.
 DOES NATURE USES COLOR
TO COMMUNICATE?
Generally, this refers to our perceptions and how we interact with nature.
Certain things are wired in our brains before factors and influences like
traditions come in due to interactions.
For instance, when we think of nature, we often see green. This color is
prominent in nature, as we can perceive it in the grass, trees, and fields.
This instantly makes it easy to associate this color with renewal, growth,
and the natural environment.
Similarly, the color brown often represents grounding, healing,
wholesomeness, and stability. Brown is the color of the soil, so it’s easy to
see why this meaning follows.
 DOES NATURE USES COLOR TO COMMUNICATE?
Personal Experience
Our personal day-to-day experiences can also shape how we view
certain colors over time. For instance, some people instantly think
of sophistication and authority when the color black comes up.
This could be because of their relation to the fashion industry,
especially in luxury fashion.
On the other hand, another person might instantly think of death
because they associate the color with funerals where people wear
black to mourn. Naturally, these experiences play a role in shaping
how we experience colors.
 DOES NATURE USES COLOR TO COMMUNICATE?
Context and Time
The situation in which we experience color can also affect the meaning we
associate with it. For this reason, designers and businesses need to pay
attention to how they use certain colors.

Depending on the situation, red might indicate passion, and it might also mean
danger. In this same way, a brand might use a white background in its design to
communicate sophistication. If another brand in another industry uses it, it
might translate as dull or plain.

Time also plays a role in color meanings and symbolism. At a point in time,
people viewed blue as a dainty color and therefore considered it feminine.
Over time, this changed, and people started viewing it as a masculine color.
Color Vocabulary
Color Vocabulary
Color Vocabulary