Color
Basics
Color
is
the
perceptual
characteris/c
of
light
described
by
a
color
name.
Specifically,
color
is
light,
and
light
is
composed
of
many
colors—those
we
see
are
the
colors
of
the
visual
spectrum:
red,
orange,
yellow,
green,
blue,
and
violet.
Objects
absorb
certain
wavelengths
and
reflect
others
back
to
the
viewer.
We
perceive
these
wavelengths
as
color.
A
color
is
described
in
three
ways:
by
its
name,
how
pure
or
desaturated
it
is,
and
its
value
or
lightness.
Although
pink,
crimson,
and
brick
are
all
varia/ons
of
the
color
red,
each
hue
is
dis/nct
and
differen/ated
by
its
chroma,
satura/on,
intensity,
and
value.
Chroma,
intensity,
satura3on
and
luminance/value
are
inter-‐related
terms
and
have
to
do
with
the
descrip/on
of
a
color.
(The
chroma
or
satura/on
of
a
color
is
a
measure
of
how
intense
it
is.
Think
of
it
as
“pure,
bright
color”,
compared
to
a
color
diluted
with
white,
darkened
by
black
or
grey,
or
thinned
by
being
a
glaze.
Varia/ons
in
chroma
can
be
achieved
by
adding
different
amounts
of
a
neutral
gray
of
the
same
value
as
the
color
you're
wan/ng
to
alter.)
Chroma:
How
pure
a
hue
is
in
rela/on
to
gray
Satura3on:
The
degree
of
purity
of
a
hue.
Intensity:
The
brightness
or
dullness
of
a
hue.
One
may
lower
the
intensity
by
adding
white
or
black.
Luminance
/
Value:
A
measure
of
the
amount
of
light
reflected
from
a
hue.
Those
hues
with
a
high
content
of
white
have
a
higher
luminance
or
value.
Shade
and
3nt
are
terms
that
refer
to
a
varia/on
of
a
hue.
Shade:
A
hue
produced
by
the
addi/on
of
black.
Tint:
A
hue
produced
by
the
addi/on
of
white.
COLOUR/VALUE
Value
and
Colour
are
closely
related.
Value
is
simply
the
ar/s/c
term
for
light
and
dark.
an
area’s
value
is
its
rela/ve
lightness
or
darkness
in
a
given
context
Only
through
changes
of
light
and
dark
can
we
perceive
anything.
Light
reveals
Form
several
values
of
mid
tones
are
termed
as
achroma/c(greys)
as
they
are
blends
of
white
and
black
but
no
chromas
the
term
Value
Contrast
refers
to
the
rela/onship
between
the
areas
of
dark
and
light.
Because
the
scale
is
arranged
in
sequen/al
order,
the
contrast
between
any
two
adjoining
areas
is
rather
slight
and
termed
Low
Value
Contrast
(a
value
scale
of
gray.
The
center
gray
circles
are
iden/cal
in
value)
the
centre
grey
circles,
which
are
a
contrast
middle
value,
show
higher
value
contrast
at
the
top
and
boVom
of
the
scale
than
towards
the
middle
Colour,
based
on
the
wave
lengths
of
light,
offers
a
much
broader
field
of
visual
differences
and
contrasts.
But
chroma/c
greys
can
also
be
produced
by
mixing
certain
colours,
which
result
in
different
tones
than
those
in
the
previous
case.
A
further
rela/onship
of
value
and
colour
is
that
every
colour
is,
in
itself
also
simultaneously
a
certain
value.
(Victor
Vasarely,
Un/tled,
Plate
2
from
porZolio
Planetary
folklore,
1964)
Pure
Yellow
is
a
light
(high
value)
colour
corresponding
to
a
very
light
grey
in
terms
of
light
reflec/on.
Purple
is
basically
a
dark,
low
value
colour
that
would
match
a
very
dark
grey.
A`er
Images
Color
is
light
and
colored
objects
absorb
and
reflect
different
wavelengths.
Light
&
color
are
seen
by
the
human
eye
because
of
the
two
types
of
photo-‐receptor
cells
-‐
rods
and
cones
-‐
located
in
the
re/na
of
the
eye.
Rods
are
sensi/ve
to
light
and
dark;
cones
are
sensi/ve
to
red,
green
&
blue
light
and
responsible
for
color
vision.
These
photoreceptors
convey
the
color
of
light
to
our
brain.
When
our
eyes
are
exposed
to
a
hue
for
a
prolonged
period,
the
rods
&
cones
become
fa/gued.
You
might
no/ce
this
if
you
are
reading
something
on
colored
paper,
and
then
look
away—you
o`en
see
the
inverse,
or
complement,
of
the
image.
This
occurrence
can
be
advantageous
if
you
are
seeking
the
opposite,
or
contrast,
of
a
colour.
This
may
be
dismaying
to
a
viewer
if
presented
with
prolonged
exposure
to
coloured
screens
or
reading
materials.
Every
color
has
an
opposite,
and
although
individual's
percep/ons
do
vary,
the
range
of
a`er
images
seen
is
consistent.
Color
Combina/ons
Color
combina/ons
may
pass
unno/ced
when
pleasing,
yet
offend
drama/cally
when
composi/ons
seem
to
clash.
One
outcome
we
seek
in
the
final
form
or
composi/on,
is
a
successful
use
of
color.
We
determine
whether
or
not
we
are
successful
by
cri/cally
assessing
the
visual
balance
and
harmony
of
the
final
composi/on—balance
and
harmony
are
achieved
by
the
visual
contrast
that
exists
between
color
combina/ons.
Planning
a
successful
color
combina/on
begins
with
the
inves/ga/on,
and
understanding,
of
color
rela/onships.
Using
a
color
wheel
and
a
template,
the
rela/onships
between
colors
are
easy
to
iden/fy.
Monochroma/c
Rela/onship
Colors
that
are
shade
or
/nt
varia/ons
of
the
same
hue.
Complementary
Rela/onship
Those
colors
across
from
each
other
on
a
color
wheel.
Split-‐Complementary
Rela/onship
One
hue
plus
two
others
equally
spaced
from
its
complement.
Double-‐Complementary
Rela/onship
Two
complementary
color
sets;
the
distance
between
selected
complementary
pairs
will
effect
the
overall
contrast
of
the
final
composi/on.
Analogous
Rela/onship
Those
colors
located
adjacent
to
each
other
on
a
color
wheel.
Triad
Rela/onship
Three
hues
equally
posi/oned
on
a
color
wheel.
Colour
Unity
is
defined
by
another
term.
We
o`en
speak
of
tonality
of
a
design
or
pain/ng.
Tonality
refers
to
the
dominance
of
a
single
colour
or
the
visual
importance
of
a
hue
that
seems
to
pervade
the
whole
colour
structure
despite
the
presence
of
other
colours.
Monochroma/c
paVerns
(as
value
studies
in
one
colour)
give
a
uniform
tonality,
since
only
one
hue
is
present.
Analogous
colour
schemes
can
also
produce
a
dominant
tonality.
When
colours
are
chosen
from
one
part
of
the
colour
wheel,
they
will
share
one
hue
in
common.
Yellow-‐
green,
blue-‐green,
blue
and
blue-‐purple
all
derive
from
the
primary
blue,
so
they
yield
a
blue
tonality.
COLOUR
DISCORD
Colour
discord
is
the
opposite
of
colour
harmony.
A
combina/on
of
discordant
colours
is
visually
disturbing
for
the
colours
have
no
basic
affinity
for
each
other.
They
seem
to
clash
to
pull
away
in
opposing
direc/ons
rather
than
to
relate
harmoniously
to
one
another.
The
term
“discord”
conveys
an
immediate
nega/ve
impression.
Mild
discord
results
in
exci/ng
eye-‐catching
colour
combina/ons
The
world
of
fashion
has
exploited
the
idea
to
the
point
that
mildly
discordant
combina/ons
are
almost
commonplace.
A
combina/on
of
Pink
and
Orange
is
unexpected,
but
can
be
experimented.
Colours
widely
separated
on
he
colour
wheel
(but
not
complements)
are
generally
seen
as
discordant
combina/ons.
Examples
–
primary
and
a
ter/ary
beyond
an
adjacent
secondary:
red
and
blue
purple
Secondary
and
ter/ary
beyond
an
adjacent
primary:
orange
and
yellow
green
Two
ter/ary’s
on
either
side
of
a
primary:
blue
green
and
blue
purple
(Note:
The
three
primary
colours
are
Red,
Yellow
and
Blue.
The
three
secondary
colours
are
mixtures
of
the
two
primaries;
Orange,
green
and
purple.
The
six
ter/ary
colours
are
mixtures
of
a
primary
and
a
neighbouring
secondary;
blue
and
green
make
blue-‐
green,
red
and
purple
make
red-‐purple
and
so
on)
