Color Notes
Feb 24, 2016
Color Notes
History of Color Colors are often
symbolic.
Let’s talk about what role color has played in different times in history.
In China… Yellow has
religious significance and is still the Imperial color today!
In Greece and Rome… Red was believed
to have protective powers.
Purple was restricted to use by nobility.
The Egyptians… Adorned walls of
tombs and temples with brilliant colors of blue, tangerine, and green.
In the Italian Renaissance… Colors were
vibrant reds, greens, golds and blues.
In the Rococo period… Tastes
became very feminine and pastel-colors became less vibrant.
In 18th Century England… Colors were rich
and elegant, showing a strong Chinese influence in the use of red and gold.
During the Victorian Era… There was
great Eclecticism: abundance of “things”.
Colors were mostly dull reds, greens, browns, and mauves.
In the Early 20th Century… Colors were
Monochromatic. There were sleek surfaces and strong contrasts with black, gray, silver, brown, beige and white.
In the 1920’s… All-white interiors
became popular which gave way to delicate pastels with bright accents.
In the 1950’s.. Light colors
were preferred.
However, American interest turned to Mexico and a shift to bright colors with bright contrasts.
And in the 1990’s… Regal gold, blue,
and red were used. Southwestern remained popular and Victorian was being revived.
Ivy league also became popular with forest greens and cranberry reds.
Where does color come from? A ray of light is
the source of all color.
Without light, color does not exist.
Color is light broken into electromagnetic vibrations of varying wavelengths, which cause the viewer to see different colors.
The longest wavelength is perceived as red.
The shortest wavelength is perceived as violet.
Color Color can alter the
appearance of form and space.
Color can affect our performance abilities and change our moods.
Color is perceived in the brain through a response of the eyes to different wavelengths of light.
Important Terms Hue: Another word for the name of a
color.
Value: Refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue.
Tints: values lighter than normal (created by adding white to a hue)
Shades: values darker than normal (created by adding black to a hue)
Intensity: refers to the purity and strength of a hue. (Can be bright or dull.)
Pigments Pigments are substances
that can be ground into fine powder and used for adding color to dyes and paints.
Before they could be made through chemistry, pigments were originally derived from animal, mineral, and vegetable sources.
Examples:› Purple from shellfish› Red dye from the dried
bodies of insects To create our own color
wheel, we will be mixing different pigments together to create all the colors in the color wheel.
The Color Wheel
There are 12 hues in the spectrum of color.
They are divided into three categories…
Red-viole t
V io le t
B lue-vio le tB lue
B lue-green
G reen
Yellow -green
Yellow
Yellow -orange O range
Red-orange
Red
The color wheel is a basic tool we use when working with colors.
The Primary Colors Red, Yellow, and
Blue
These colors cannot be combined from mixing any colors together.
Red-vio let
V io let
B lue-vio letB lue
B lue-green
G reen
Yellow -green
Yellow
Yellow -orange Orange
Red-orange
Red
The Secondary Colors Green, violet and
orange
Made by combining the Primary colors together.
Blue & Yellow = Green Red & Yellow = Orange Red & Blue = Violet
Red-vio let
V io let
B lue-vio letB lue
B lue-green
Green
Yellow -green
Yellow
Yellow -orange O range
Red-orange
Red
The Tertiary Colors Yellow-orange,
yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet & red-orange.
Made by combining a primary and a secondary hue.
Named by the Primary color FIRST.
Red-vio le t
V io le t
B lue-vio le tB lue
B lue-green
G reen
Yellow -green
Yellow
Yellow -orange O range
Red-orange
Red
Color Schemes
Color Scheme: A combination of colors selected for a room design in order to create a mood or set a tone.
It provides guidelines for designing successfully with color.
Color schemes look best when one color dominates.
Types of Color Schemes
1. Neutral2. Monochromatic3. Analogous4. Complementary5. Split-Complementary6. Triad
1. Neutral• This color scheme utilizes blacks,
whites, grays, beiges and creams.
2. Monochromatic Tints and
shades of one color on the color wheel
3. Analogous•Three to five hues next to each other on the color wheel
4. Complementary Two colors
that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.
5. Split-Complementary One color
combined with the two colors on each side of its complement.
6. Triad•Three colors that are of equal distance apart on the color wheel.