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Chapter 1.4 Color PART 1 FUNDAMENTALS Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
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Chapter 1.4

Color

PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

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Introduction• Color attracts our attention and excites our emotions• Our perceptions of color are personal and subjective• Ancient Greek philosophers speculated that color was

not a state of matter but a state of mind• Color is determined by the wavelengths of light it reflects• The colors we see are those portions of the light spectrum

that a surface fails to absorb, and reflects instead• Reflected light excites nerve cells that line the back of our

eyes• Their nerve signals are reprocessed and interpreted as color

in our brain

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.71 White light can be separated into the visible spectrum using a prism

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Light and Color• The primary colors cannot be mixed from any other

two colors• Secondary colors are colors that can be mixed from two

primary colors– In the color wheel the secondary colors are located between the

primary colors because they naturally fall between them in the visible spectrum

• Colors of light and colors of pigment behave differently• There are two ways of working with color mixtures, known as

subtractive and additive– Mixed subtractive colors make a darker and duller color– Mixed additive colors make colors even lighter

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.72 Traditional color wheel (red, yellow, blue primaries)

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

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Dimensions of Color: Hue

• Hues are the basic colors of the spectrum• Primaries: red, yellow, blue• Secondaries: orange, violet, green• Tertiaries ( Intermediates): red-violet, red-

orange, blue-violet. Blue-green, yellow–orange, yellow-green

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1.73 Kane Kwei, Coffin in the Shape of a Cocoa Pod, c. 1970. Polychrome wood, 2’10” x 8’6” x 2’5”. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

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Kane Kwei,Coffin in the Shape of a Cocoa Pod

• Painted with a brilliant middle-orange hue, the colorof a half-ripened cocoa pod

• The brightness of the color is exaggerated

– In Ghana funerals are celebratory, loud affairs wherebright color adds to the festive mood

– Ghanaians believe that having lots of happy people ata funeral gives solace to the family of the deceased

• Kwei’s career started when his dying uncle asked him tobuild him a boat-shaped coffin

• This coffin was commissioned by a cocoa farmer who wanted to tell everybody about his lifelong passion

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Dimensions of Color: Value

• Each hue has a value, meaning its relative lightness or darkness compared to another hue

• Different colors of the same hue vary in terms of their value– There are light reds and dark reds– Tints are colors that are lighter than their basic hue – Shades are colors that are darker

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.74 Color–value relationships

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1.75 Mark Tansey, Picasso and Braque, 1992. Oil on canvas, 5’4” x 7’

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Mark Tansey, Picasso and Braque

• A work that uses only one hue is called monochromatic

• An artist can give variety to such a work by using a range of values

• In Picasso and Braque, Tansey depicts two figures, whom he refers to as “Orville and Wilbur” (Wright)

• He is referring to Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque’s habit of referring to each other as Orville and Wilbur– The monochromatic palette is

reminiscent of the black-and-white photos of the Wright Brothers’ experiments with flight

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Dimensions of Color: Saturation

• Color in its purest state is its highest level of saturation

• A red at the height of saturation is closest to its pure state in the spectrum– A pastel tone and a dark tone would each have a

low saturation of color, but a grayed middle value of red would also have a low saturation of color

– Saturation is not related to value

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.76 High and low saturation in a red hue

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1.77 Barnett Newman, Vir Heroicus Sublimis, 1950–1. Oil on canvas, 7’11⅜” x 17’8¼”. MOMA, New York

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Barnett Newman, Vir Heroicus Sublimis

• Relies on value and saturation of color for its visual impact

• Alternating colors of the narrow vertical lines break up a broad red plane– Newman calls these vertical

lines “zips”• Subtle variations in the

saturation of the red tones create the sensation that parts of the painting are separately lit

• Newman wants viewers to stand close to the canvas, engulfed by color

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1.78 André Derain, The Turning Road, L’Estaque, 1906. Oil on canvas, 4’3” x 6’4¾”. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

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André Derain, The Turning Road, L’Estaque

• Strong bright color makes the entire scene glow with energy and vitality

• Derain was a member of the Fauves– Fauves is French for “wild

beasts”– They used colors in their purest

and strongest states as an act of defiance against the Academy, a state-sponsored school of art that set rigid rules for acceptable standards for art

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Color Schemes

• The color wheel displays important color relationships

• Complementary colors contrast strongly with each other

• Analogous colors do not contrast strongly with each other

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Complementary Color• When two complementary colors are painted side by

side, these “opposite” colors create visual anomalies– They intensify one another– Each seems more saturated– As they have vastly different wavelengths, an illusion (in

the photoreceptors of the eye) is created of vibrating movement along adjacent edges of the two complementary colors

– When complements are set next to each other we tend to see color more intensely than when we see the colors separately

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.79 Color combinations, color complements, and vibrating boundaries

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1.80 Henri Matisse, Icarus, from Jazz, 1943–7. Page size 16⅞ x 12⅞”. MOMA, New York

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Gateway to Art:

Chapter 1.5 Time and Motion

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Matisse, IcarusThe Artist’s Fascination with Color

• Matisse was interested in using vibrant colors to evoke an emotional response

• As a Fauve he used colors so bright that some viewers considered them violent

• Matisse began to excel in creating artworks by using scissors to cut out pieces of brightly painted paper

– “Paper cutouts allow me to draw in color”

– “At this moment we are so free, shouldn’t we make young people who have finished their studies take a grand trip by plane”

• Matisse encouraged young people to fly like Icarus

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1.81 Frederic Edwin Church, Twilight in the Wilderness,1860. Oil on canvas, 40 x 64”. Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio

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Frederic Edwin Church, Twilight in the Wilderness

• Used complementary colors for dramatic effect

• The intense red-orange clouds complement swathesof the blue-green evening sky

• The powerful color of the sky and its reflection in the water below reveal Church’s awe and respect for the American landscape

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Analogous Color

• Analogous colors are similar in wavelength

• Painters use analogous color to create color unityand harmonies

• By keeping the color within a similar range, artists avoid jarring, contrasting combinations of colors and moods

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1.82 Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party, 1893–4. Oil on canvas, 35⅜ x 46⅛”. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

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Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party

• Color palette creates a harmonious effect

• Yellows, greens, and blues predominate

• These colors have relatively similar wavelengths and do not intensify each other when placed in close proximity

• Cassatt’s color seems relaxed, reinforcing her theme– Cassatt was one of the few female

(and only American) members of the Impressionists

– The Impressionists were a group of artists who shared an interest in the effects of light and color

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1.83 Howard Hodgkin, Interior with Figures, 1977–84. Oil on wood, 54 x 60”. Private collection

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Howard Hodgkin, Interior with Figures

• Pinkish verticals on each side of the scene make a frame of analogous colors for the saturated reds in the space between

• Deep crimsons, fleshy pinks, and countless dabs of scarlet fill this scene with heat

• Red is dominant here and heightens our response to an enigmatically erotic encounter

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Our Perceptions of Color

• Our experiences of color are sometimes evocativeor physical

• Some colors are associated with emotional states• Blue is also associated with cold, and red with hot:

an association known as color temperature• Because of color saturation, our eyes cannot fully

comprehend all the colors we see, so our braintranslates (or distorts) the incoming information

• This is the basis of an illusion known as optical color

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Color Temperature

• We associate color with temperature because of our previous experiences

• Artists use such associations to communicate physical and emotional states

• Color temperature is relative to the other colors nearby

• Our perception of the temperature of a color can bealtered if it is placed next to an analogous color

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1.84 Mosque lamp from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, 1549. Iznik pottery, 15” high. British Museum, London, England

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Mosque lamp from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

• The blue, green, and white reflect the kind of color influence valued in the meditative atmosphere of aholy place

• The choice of colors is cool and peaceful

• The color green has positive associations in Islamicart and supports the peacefulness of prayer

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Optical Color

• Optical colors are colors our minds create based on the information we can perceive

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.85 Two squares, one filled with red and blue dots and the other with red and yellow dots to create optical color mixing effect

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1.86 Georges Seurat,The Circus, 1890–91.Oil on canvas, 6’⅞” x 4’11⅞”. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France

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1.87 Detail of Georges Seurat, The Circus

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Georges Seurat, The Circus

• Uses small dots of color • Pointillism—devised by Seurat—

is the use of such small dots of color to produce optical color mixtures

• Because these dots are so close together, the colors we see are different from the actual colors of the dots

• Optical mixing makes the colors more intense because they have retained their individual saturation

• The jewel-like diffusion of light and vibration of color make the painting visually exciting

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Color in Design

• Artists who design images for commercial printing or to display on video screens take a different approach to color

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Color in Print

• Most printed color images rely on four separate colors to create the range of colors that we see

• Commercial printers use the primary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow, together with black

• An image is scanned and separated into the four colors

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.88 Color wheel for commercial printing inks

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.89 Subtractive color mixtures using CMY primaries, CMYK color separation, and image with exaggerated print screen

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.5 Time and Motion

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

CMYK Printing

• The color wheel for printing is referred to as CMYK

– C cyan, M magenta, Y yellow, K black• An image is scanned and separated into the four colors• The image is re-created when the separated colors are printed in

sequence, overlapping each other• The four colored inks are printed on paper as dots in a regular

pattern (“screen”)

– The smaller the dot, the less of each color is printed• Because the pictures are divided into tiny dots of color, optical

color mixing also plays a role in the control and perception of CMYK color

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Color in Electronic Displays• A digital display is illuminated by three different colored light

cells, called phosphors• Uses primary colors of red, green, and blue (additive)• The electronic monitor turns a combination of phosphors on or

off to produce the colors the designer wants– If the red and blue phosphors are on, the color on the display will be

magenta– If all three of the primaries are on, the combination will result in

white light– Complex combinations of these color lighting cells will result in

millions of color possibilities

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.90 Color wheel for light using red, green, and blue primaries

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PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Chapter 1.4 Color

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

1.91 Additive color mixtures using RGB primaries

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1.92 Charles Csuri, Wondrous Spring, 1992. Computer image, 4’ x 5’5”

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Charles Csuri, Wondrous Spring

• The digital artist Charles Csuri has been creating imagery on computers since 1963

• In Wondrous Spring, the RGB primaries create a dazzling illuminated array of colors, reminiscent of a modern-day stained-glass window

• Csuri has explored and helped develop the digital realm as a viable art medium

• Digital works have a glow and rich color that bring new dimensions of color to art and design

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Color and the Brain

• Color affects how we think and feel• Studies by psychologists show that color

can affect human behavior• Advertisers can reach their audience better

by knowing how people respond to color• Colors also have traditional symbolic values

– Green has positive associations for Muslims– Confucius and Buddha wore yellow or gold– Jews and Christians associate the color blue with

God

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The Psychology of Color

• Color affects us physiologically because it alters our psyche

• Artists understand that color affects the way we think and react to the world

• There do appear to be some universal psychological associations to particular colors—for example, red may provoke feelings of passion or anger

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1.93 Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café, 1888. Oil on canvas, 28½ x 36¼”. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut

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Vincent van Gogh, The Night Café

• Van Gogh was greatly affected by color, and studied its psychological effects

• The colors in the painting The Night Café were carefully chosen to elicit emotional responses from viewers– “I have tried to express with red

and green the terrible passions of human nature.” (Van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo)

• The color intensifies the psychological implications of the scene in a seedy nightspot in Arles, France

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Expressive Aspects of Color

• Artists sometimes want a viewer of a work to “feel” an artwork, rather than merely to understand it

• Color can express a wide range of emotions

• Artists can use color to engage the viewer

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1.94 Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ, 1889. Oil on canvas, 36¼ x 27⅞”. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York

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Paul Gauguin, The Yellow Christ

• Gauguin used yellow for its uplifting associations

• Although Gauguin is known to have been inspired bya woodcarving in a local chapel, his choice of color is primarily symbolic

• Yellows and browns correspond to the colors of the surrounding autumnal countryside, harvested fields,and turning leaves

• By using bright color, Gauguin creates a simple and direct emotional connection with the viewer

• While depicting death, Gauguin chose colors that express the optimism of rebirth

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Conclusion

• “Artists’ color” is the name for the basic theory about color based on the three primary colors (red, yellow, blue)

• Using color to express feelings, artists have been exploring the human response to it for thousands of years

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• 1. Reflected light excites __________ that line the back of our eyes, and their signals are reprocessed and interpreted as color in our brains.

• a. pupils• b. irises• c. nerve cells• d. eyebrows• e. eyelids

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• 1. Reflected light excites __________ that line the back of our eyes, and their signals are reprocessed and interpreted as color in our brains.

• a. pupils• b. irises• c. nerve cells• d. eyebrows• e. eyelids

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• 2. Secondary colors can be created from a mixture of __________.

• a. three primary colors• b. a primary and a tertiary color• c. two tertiary colors• d. two primary colors• e. none of these

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• 2. Secondary colors can be created from a mixture of __________.

• a. three primary colors• b. a primary and a tertiary color• c. two tertiary colors• d. two primary colors• e. none of these

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• 3. A color that is lighter than its basic hue is called a __________ .

• a. tint• b. shade• c. monochrome• d. neutral• e. hue

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• 3. A color that is lighter than its basic hue is called a __________ .

• a. tint• b. shade• c. monochrome• d. neutral• e. hue

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• 4. A color that is almost gray has a low __________ .

• a. saturation• b. value• c. aura• d. pigment• e. hue

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• 4. A color that is almost gray has a low __________ .

• a. saturation• b. value• c. aura• d. pigment• e. hue

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• 5. This is a kind of color "map" that allows an artist to assess quickly the attributes of colors as they relate to each other.

• a. Color scheme• b. Complementary color• c. Analogous color• d. Color wheel• e. Grayscale

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• 5. This is a kind of color "map" that allows an artist to assess quickly the attributes of colors as they relate to each other.

• a. Color scheme• b. Complementary color• c. Analogous color• d. Color wheel• e. Grayscale

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• 6. Matisse was interested in using vibrant colors to __________ .

• a. evoke an emotional response

• b. affect the viewer’s perception

• c. create an optical illusion• d. imply objectivity to the

scene• e. attract the attention of

children

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• 6. Matisse was interested in using vibrant colors to __________ .

• a. evoke an emotional response

• b. affect the viewer’s perception

• c. create an optical illusion• d. imply objectivity to the

scene• e. attract the attention of

children

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• 7. By using this kind of color combination, artists avoid jarring, contrasting color and mood.

• a. Complementary• b. Analogous• c. Atmospheric• d. Tints• e. Shades

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• 7. By using this kind of color combination, artists avoid jarring, contrasting color and mood.

• a. Complementary• b. Analogous• c. Atmospheric• d. Tints• e. Shades

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• 8. This color with a cool temperature is often used to describe a depressed psychological state of mind.

• a. Blue• b. Orange• c. Purple• d. Red• e. Plaid

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• 8. This color with a cool temperature is often used to describe a depressed psychological state of mind.

• a. Blue• b. Orange• c. Purple• d. Red• e. Plaid

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• 9. Color mixtures using light, like those in digital displays, are called __________ color mixtures.

• a. subtractive• b. monochromatic• c. optical• d. isometric• e. additive

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• 9. Color mixtures using light, like those in digital displays, are called __________ color mixtures.

• a. subtractive• b. monochromatic• c. optical• d. isometric• e. additive

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• 10. When Paul Gauguin chose yellow for his work Yellow Christ, he chose the color for its __________ qualities.

• a. design• b. technical• c. neutral• d. heroic• e. expressive

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• 10. When Paul Gauguin chose yellow for his work Yellow Christ, he chose the color for its __________ qualities.

• a. design• b. technical• c. neutral• d. heroic• e. expressive