COLOUR
COLOUR THEORY
Colour
Colour surrounds us everywhere . Everything in the world has color.
Our eyes see grass as green, an apple as red. We take these colors for
granted , but we cannot prove that they exist . To learn about colour ,
scientists have explored the nature of light . They know that white
light , such as sunlight , can be broken up into the colours of the
rainbow.
Colour depends on the reflection and absorption of light on a surface.
It varies in degree depending upon on the dullness , brightness and
darkness of light .
Colour are perhaps the most emotive of the elements . It plays an
important role in human life . Colour is known to man ever since he
became conscious of it and began to express emotion or feeling and
to make the surrounding more joyful and pleasant. It is a sensation
produced on the eyes by decomposed light. Light is the source of
colours
Colour wheel
Classification of colours
• Primary colours
• Secondary colours
• Tertiary colours
• Neutral colours
Primary colours
Yellow , Blue and Red are primary colours. They are
called primary for a couple of reasons. First, no two colors
can be mixed to create a primary color. In other words,
primary colors can only be created through the use of
natural pigments. Secondly, all other colors found on the
color wheel can be created by mixing primary colors
together.
Primary colours
Secondary colours
Green , Orange and Purple are called secondary
colours . They are obtained by mixing two primary colours.
Yellow +Blue = Green
Yellow +Red =Orange
Blue + Red = Purple
Secondary colours
Tertiary colours
By mixing one primary and one secondary we get
tertiary colors. They are also known as intermediate
colours because they are in between the primary and
secondary.
There are six tertiary colors- red-purple, red-
orange, blue-green, yellow-green, blue-
purple, and yelloworange.
Tertiar
y
colour
s
Neutral colours
White black and grey are called neutral colours
because they have no colours.
Colour harmony
Colour Harmony is the use of combinations of
colours to produce a pleasing effect. A woman may use
colour harmony when she selects the colour of a hat to
wear with a new dress. Interior decorators plan colour
schemes for the rooms of a home according to the
principle of colour harmony. Many persons use a colour
triangle or a colour wheel to find attractive combinations
of colours.
Monocromatic colours
Monochromatic colours are all the colors (Tints ,
Tones and shades ) of a single hue. Monochromatic
colours scheme are derived from a single base hue and
extended using its shades , tones and tints.
Analogous colours
Analogous colour schemes use colours that
are next to each other on the colour wheel.
They usually match well and create serene
and comfortable designs.Analogous colours
schemes are often found in nature and are
harmonious and pleasing to the eyes.
Complementary colours
The Colours that are opposite to each other on the colours
wheel are considered to be complementary colours.
Red x Green ,
Blue x Orange ,
Yellow x Violet
The high contrast of complementary colours creates a vibrant
look especially when used at full saturation. This colour scheme
must be managed well so it is not jarring.
Complementary colour schemes are tricky to use in large
doses, but work well when you want something to stand out.
Split
complementary
The split complementary colour scheme is a
variation of the complementary colour
scheme. In addition to the base colour, it uses
the two colours adjacent to its complement.
This colour scheme has the same strong visual
contrast as the complementary colour
scheme,but has less tension.
Triadic colour
A Triadic colour scheme uses colours that are evenly
spaced around the colour wheel . Any three equally
spaced colours are called triads.
This scheme is popular among artists because it offers
strong visual contrasts while retaining balance and
colour richness. The triadic scheme is not as
contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks
more balanced and harmonious.
Tetradic colours
( Double complementary)
The tetradic ( Double complementary ) scheme is the
richest of all the schemes because it uses four colours
arranged into two complementary colour. This
scheme is hard to harmonize ,if all four colors are
used in equal amounts , the scheme may look
unbalanced , so you should choose a colour to be
dominant or subdue the colours.
C o lo u rtia n g le
Two important point colours black and white , do not appear anywhere
on the colour wheel . We can see how black and white fit into the world
of colours by using a colour triangle.
A colour triangle has a colour at one angle, black at another and white at
the third. If a color from the colour wheel, such as red , is mixed with
white , the result is a tint - in this case , pink . If we mix red with black ,
the result is a shade , in this case Red + Black-Maroon , And if we mix red
with both black and white , the result is a tone - in this case rose.
In a colour triangle, the colours in any straight line form pleasing
combinations. A pure colour harmonizes with tints and white with shade
and black or with tones and grey. A tint and a tone blend with black, and
a shade and a tone go well with white.
Groups of tints, shades or tones also harmonize well psychologically
every different colour create a certain effect on us emotionally. Such an
effect of the colour is either pleasing or irritating, relaxing or exciting ,
warm or cool , bright or dull.
Emotional characters of colours
1.Red - Excitement , danger , hatred , passion , strong emotion
2.Yellow - Cheerfulness , gaiety , light , gold , wisdom , brilliance .
3.Blue - Cool , refreshing , quality , truth , slight metal depression
4.Green - Relaxation , safety , cool , progress , growth , abundance , spring.
5.Orange - Stimulation , knowledge , warmth
6.Pink - Healthy , Happiness , Delicacy , Feminine
7.Purple - Royalty , Dignity
8.Black - Sorrow , Evil , Death , Darkness
9.White - Peace , Dignity , Purity , Cleanliness , Light
10.Grey- Retirement , Quietness, Sadness , Humble , Soberness
Properties of colours
The Properties of colour are Hue , value and intensity
Hue: Hue is the name of the Colour (Eg) Yellow
Value: Value is the lightness or darkness of the colour. (Eg) Light yellow or dark yellow
Intensity: Intensity is the brightness or dullness of the colour (Eg) Bright yellow or dull yellow.
Colours have a lot of influence on us. So the scientists and artists have spent a lot of time on it. Some
of the findings are given below.
Stimulation: Red , Yellow and Orange are the most distinct
Green is fairly natural
Grey is sober and depressing.
Attention Value: Red , Yellow , Orange and Green attracted more attention when seen against a white
backgroud.
Colour Preference: Red and Blue are the most popular colours . Yellow and Orange are the least
On the whole men prefer lighter shades and women prefer darker shades.
Red and Yellow quite naturally have emotions of warmth . So they are warm colours . Blue , Green
are cool colours . Generally warm colours seem to advance and cool colurs seem to recede.
Thank you
