COLOR THEORY 101

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COLOR THEORY 101
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COLOR THEORY 101
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Light the Visible Spectrum
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The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a way to visualize and
organize the entire color spectrum of light. The
ends of the spectrum are bent around a circle to
form a color wheel
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Types of Color Theories

• Additive Color (RBG)
• The additive (light) theory deals with radiated
  and filtered light.

• Subtractive Color (CMYK)The subtractive
  (pigment) theory deals with how white light is
  absorbed and reflected off of colored surfaces.

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Additive Theory

• White (sunlight) radiates ALL light
• Black radiates no light
• Light-emitting media use the process of capturing
  and radiating light, therefore they use Additive
  (Light) Theory
• Primary colors in Additive Theory
• Red ( R )
• Green ( G )
• Blue ( B )
• All the primaries mixed together to make WHITE
• Additive (Light) Theory is used in computer
  monitors, television, theater lighting, and video
  production.

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Subtractive Theory

• Black absorbs most light
• White reflects most light
• Colored Pigments absorb light and reflect only
  the frequency of the pigment color.
• All colors other than the pigment colors are
  absorbed, so this is called subtractive color
  theory.
• Primary colors in Subtractive Theory
• Cyan ( C )
• Magenta ( M )
• Yellow ( Y )
• Black ( K )
• Subtractive or Pigment Theory is used in desktop
  and commercial printing.

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Subtractive Color RYB Color Model

• Traditional Painters Color Wheel
• Primary Colors (RYB) are pure pigments that
  cannot be mixed
• Red
• Yellow
• Blue
• RYB is used primarily with traditional
  pigment-based art media (like painting)

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The Color Wheel

• Colors on the wheel can be described using three
  elements
• Hue pure color
• Saturation brightness or dullness
• Value lightness or darkness

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Color Theory 101
Hue

• The technical name for color
• Describes the position of a color on a classic
  color wheel
• Used to name the color (Yellow, Orange, Red, etc.)

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Color Theory 101
Saturation

• Saturation refers to how vivid and intense a
  color is

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Tone Shade Tint
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Color Theory 101

• Painters Color Wheel

Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
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Color Theory 101

• Color Temperature

Warm / Cool Colors
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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
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Paul Cezanne
Color Schemes Warm

• The Basket of Apples, 1894

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Henri Matisse
Color Schemes Warm

• The Dessert, Harmony in Red, 1908

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Color Schemes Cool
Artist Pablo Picasso Title Femme Allongée
Lisant Year 1939

• Cool Left half of the wheel has cooler colors
  associated with ice, water

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Pablo Picasso

• The Old Guitarist, 1903

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Color Theory 101
Color Schemes Monochromatic

• Monochromatic uses different values of the same
  hue, including tints and shades

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Color Schemes Monochromatic

• Monochromatic uses different values of the same
  hue, including tints and shades

Artist Georges Braque Title Le Portugais Year
1911
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Color Schemes Monochromatic
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937
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Color Schemes Monochromatic

• Monochromatic color palettes in interior design

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Color Schemes Monochromatic
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Color Theory 101

• Color Schemes Analagous

• Analogous A selection of colors that are
  adjacent on the color wheel

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Color Schemes Analogous

• Analogous A selection of colors that are
  adjacent on the color wheel

Artist Vincent van Gogh Title The Iris Year
1889
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Color Schemes Analogous
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Color Schemes Analogous
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Color Schemes Analogous
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Color Schemes Analogous
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Color Theory 101

• Color Schemes Complementary

• Complementary Colors that are opposite on the
  wheel. High Contrast

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Color Schemes Complementary

• Complementary Colors that are opposite on the
  wheel. High Contrast

Vincent Van Gogh The Café Terrace on the Place du
Forum, Arles, at Night 1888
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Complementary Colors in Art

• Georges Seurat, Le Chahut, 1889-90

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Complementary Colors in Art

• Eugène Delacroix, Women of Algiers, 1834

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Complementary Colors in Graphic Design
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Complementary Colors in Fashion
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Color Theory 101

• Color Schemes Triadic

Triadic
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Triadic Color Schemes in Design
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Triadic Color Schemes in Design
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Triadic Color Schemes in Art

• Andy Warhol

• Piet Mondrian

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HINT Choosing ONE common color can help tie
random color schemes together