COLOUR

W E A L L L I V E I N A W O R L D W H E R E AT S O M E P O I N T , C O LO U R W I L L B E A PA RT
O F , A N D E F F E C T U S I N O U R E V E RY DAY L I V E S .
C O LO U R I N E V E RY DAY L I F E I S V E RY D I V E R S E , F R O M K N O W I N G T H AT A F R U I T
I S R I P E T O E AT , T O U N D E R S TA N D I N G H O W C O LO U R C A N A F F E C T O U R M O O D S .
What is colour?

Colour is simply light of different wavelengths and frequencies and light is just one form of
energy that we can actually see that is made up from photons.
We are all surrounded by electromagnetic waves of energy of which colour is just a small part.
Where does colour come
from?

Colour simply comes from light. Sunlight of course is the main source that that we are all
familiar with.
Using a prism, we can 'extract' the colours from white light - ie. sunlight.
Colour Properties - the colour spectrum

Each colour has its own properties and unique wavelength and frequency.
The visible spectrum of colour as we see it, consists of seven main colours:
Color is made up of different
Wavelengths and Frequencies

Each colour has its own particular wavelength and frequency. Each colour can be measured in
units of cycles or waves per second.
The wavelength and frequency of light we see, also influences the colour we see. The seven
colours of the spectrum all have varying wavelengths and frequencies. Red is at the lower end of
the spectrum and has a higher wavelength but lower frequency to that of Violet at the top end
of the spectrum which has a lower wavelength and higher frequency.
The retinas in our eyes though have three
types of colour receptors in the form of
cones. We can actually only detect three of
these visible colours - red - blue and green.
These colours are called additive primaries. It
is these three colours that are mixed in our
brain to create all of the other colours we
see... how clever we are!
The human eye can see 7,000,000 colors. Some of these are eyesores. Certain colors and color
relationships can be eye irritants, cause headaches, and wreak havoc with human vision. Other
colors and color combinations are soothing. Consequently, the appropriate use of color can
maximize productivity, minimize visual fatigue, and relax the whole body.
The Color Wheel
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art.
Sir Isaac Newton developed the theory that all colors are mixtures of Red, Green, and Blue light.
This resulted in the first known color circle in 1666.
Primary Colors
It's also important to understand the concept of "primary" colors. The fundamental rule is that there are
three colors that cannot be made by mixing other colors together. These three, red, blue, and yellow, are
known as the primary colors.
Secondary Colors
Green, orange and purple
These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors.
 Tertiary Colors

Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple,

blue-green & yellow-green
These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and
a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word
name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-
orange.
Primary and secondary colors instantly brighten any space
COLOR THEORY
Hue, tint ,tone and shade

In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance

to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination.
Hue refers to the origin of the color we see. Think of the Hue
as one of the six Primary and secondary colors
Color value/ chromatic value refers to the lightness or
darkness of the hue
Tint is sometimes also called a Pastel. But to be precise, Color
Theory defines a True Tint as any Hue or mixture of pure colors
with only White added.
Tone as any Hue or mixture of pure colors with only Gray added
Shade​ as any pure Hue or mixture of pure colors with only
Black added.
Intensity
Intensity, also called
chroma or saturation, refers
to the brightness of a color.
A color is at full intensity
when not mixed with black
or white - a pure hue. You
can change the intensity of a
color, making it duller or
more neutral by adding gray
to the color.
Temperature

Reds, oranges, and yellows usually create a sharp

focus.
Cool colors (blues, most greens, most grays) recede in
space

Leonardo da Vinci used this illusion to create the effect

of atmospheric perspective in his famous Mona Lisa. In
this painting, the woman’s figure is composed
primarily of warm hues, while the landscape in the
background is composed primarily of cooler blues and
greens. This distinction in color temperature serves to
place the figure in advance of the background.
 Warm colors
Color Temperature Yellow –green to red violet
Sunlight and fire
Active & cheery
Advancing
Cool colors informal
Red-violet to yellow green
Restful
Soothing
Receding
formal

Warm / Cool Colors

 Color Harmony

Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be

music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae.
In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It
engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the
visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or
chaotic.
Color schemes
Color scheme is a plan of using colors in an artwork
Planning a color scheme in advance helps an artist to create an effect he / she wants to achieve.
Types-
1. Monochromatic
2. Complementary
3. Analogous
4. Neutral
Monochromatic colour
scheme

Uses values of a single hue

Creates sense of wholeness or unity
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
Complementary colour
scheme

When placed next to each other,

complementary colors tend to look balanced
and are colors opposite to each other on the
colour wheel
 Vincent Van Gogh Georges Seurat, Le Chahut, 1889-90
The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night 1888
Analogous color scheme
Analogous colors are any three colors
which are side by side on a 12-part
color wheel, such as yellow-green,
yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one
of the three colors predominates.
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Title: The Iris
Year: 1889
Neutral colour scheme

Includes black, white and values of grey

Neutral Colours
White, black and gray
are considered to be
neutral colours (along
with browns and beige)
Create tints and shades by adding neutrals to base color
 Color Schemes: Warm
• Warm Colors: Right half of the color
wheel contains colors associated
with fire, heat

Artist: Jan Vermeer

Title: Girl Asleep at a Table
Year: 1657
 Henri Matisse
Paul Cezanne
The Dessert, Harmony in Red, 1908
The Basket of Apples, 1894

Warm Colors
 Color Schemes: Cool

Artist: Pablo Picasso

Title: Femme Allongée Lisant Cool: associated with ice, water
Year: 1939
 Pablo Picasso
The Old Guitarist, 1903
Color Schemes: Triadic
The rectangle or tetradic colour scheme
uses four colours arranged into two complementary pairs.
The square colour scheme
is similar to the rectangle, but with all four colours spaced evenly around
the colour circle.
Clash Colours Scheme
Combines a color with the hue to the right or left of its complement on the
color wheel.
Achromatic Scheme
Without color. Uses only black, white and grey
Split Complementary Colours Scheme
Consists of hue and the two hues on either side of its complement
Color Context
How color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes is a complex area of color theory.
Compare the contrast effects of different color backgrounds for the same red square.
Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the white
background.
In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless;
in contrast with blue-green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square appears larger on
black than on other background colors.
Color Theory
Colour Theories
1. Subtractive Theory
• The subtractive, or pigment theory
deals with how white light is absorbed
and reflected off of colored surfaces.
2. Additive Theory
• The Additive, or light theory deals with
radiated and filtered light.
Subtractive Theory
Black absorbs most light
White reflects most light
Coloured Pigments absorb light and reflect
only the frequency of the pigment colour.
All colours other than the pigment colours are
absorbed so this is called subtractive colour
theory.
The primary colours in Subtractive Theory are:
◦ Cyan (C)
◦ Magenta (M)
◦ Yellow ( Y )
◦ Black ( K )

Subtractive or Pigment Theory is used in

printing and painting.
ADDITIVE COLOR THEORY.
1. Black is the absence of color (and is therefore not a color)
Explanation:
When there is no light, everything is black. Test this out by going into a photographic dark room.
There are no photons of light. In other words, there are no photons of colors.
2. White is the blending of all colors and is a color.
Explanation:
Light appears colorless or white. Sunlight is white light that is composed of all the colors of the
spectrum. A rainbow is proof. You can't see the colors of sunlight except when atmospheric
conditions bend the light rays and create a rainbow. You can also use a prism to demonstrate
this.
Fact: The sum of all the colors of light add up to white
Additive Theory
Black radiates no light
White (sun) radiates all light
The primary colours in Additive Theory are:
◦ Red (R)
◦ Green (G)
◦ Blue (B)

The primary colours add together to make

white
Light Theory is also called Additive Theory.
Light Theory is used in Television, theater lighting,
computer monitors, and video production.
What is Color-Blindness

Color-blindness is the inability to distinguish the differences between certain colors.

This condition results from an absence of color-sensitive pigment in the cone cells of
the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye.
 The colors of the rainbow The colors of the rainbow
Normal color vision Deuteranope (simulation)

The colors of the rainbow

Protanope (simulation) The colors of the rainbow
Tritanope (simulation)
Historical Color
The colors of buildings and monuments provide unique insights into the culture and the
materials available at that time in history. For example: the striking reds of the Heian Shinto
shrine in Japan, the golden stones of the pyramids of Egypt, and the green and blue tiled domes
of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Uzbekistan.
PINK CITY - JAIPUR
BLUE CITY - JODHPUR
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