Color Theory main keypoints ● an object has color because of the

physical-chemical makeup or
(di kasama dito ung color in various context
illumination that constitutes it
from handout 2 kasi super dami lol)
● color is a photochemical event in the
Handout 1 retina, a neural brain-excitation
process, or a psychical event.
Color Theory 1987 book of George Agoston ● basically our perception of color is an
color as property of materials and property of interaction.
light ● Physical light rays: The actual light that
hits our eyes.
property of materials ● The visual system of the living
● object has its color because it has the organism: Our eyes and brain
property of being that specific color.
● , a red bag is red because it has the
property of being red. Kuehni (1983) Color: An Introduction to
Practice and Principle)
property of light
● "Color ... is an experience, poetically
● when light strikes an object which speaking a flower of our brain
produces the same color on it activity"
● a red flashlight turns the white wall into
● color is the result of the activity of
red wall
our five senses, vision
● the essence of the results of the
sensory activities, emotions, or
Newton’s statement in his book Opticks feelings has not yet been
(1704)
successfully defined.
● Color is a perception, not a property ● example is the dress illusion that
● “indeed, rays, properly expressed, went viral a few years ago. Some
are not coloured. people saw the dress as blue and
● our eyes and brain interpret different black.Others saw it as white and
wavelengths of light. gold
● a "red" ray of light isn't actually red on ● perception created in the mind of
its own. It's a specific wavelength that the viewer.
our brain interprets as the color red.)
● when a particular hue changes its color
when it is placed in different Agoston (1983) lastly discussed the meaning of
background with different colors. color with the practical answer in technology
● color may be perceived with the eyes
closed or in dreams are obvious ● psychophysical approach and
situations quantitative means color scientists and
technologists “define color to be a
characteristic of light, the stimulus”
● Color is the characteristic of materials
Color Vision book of L.M. Hurvich
that results in their changing the
characteristic of the illuminating light
 ● the red color of a traffic light is a can identifies
characteristic of the light; the green
● Records and files of daily life are
color of a leaf is characteristic of the
usually color-coded to make
leaf that produces a change in the distinction
characteristic of, say, the daylight in
which it is found
● defined by spectral power distribution Light and Color
(for light
● spectral reflectance distribution (for Bleicher (2012) discusses that light as a
materials).) visible energy makes color visible to the
eye. Without light, no color will be seen. as
● explained that the concept of color in the amount and quality of light changes, the
science and technology implies that it is saturation and value of a hue also change
“a set of data” or “given by numerical
data or curves representing the data.”

Uses of Color

can be used as pure function, to increase or

reduce available light in living spaces
● Light colors reflect light while dark
colors absorb it. Rooms or walls with
light colors reflect more light and
illuminate than a room which walls
are painted with dark hues
can modify the perception of space, creating
impressions of size, nearness, separation,
or distance
● You have a small bedroom. If you
paint the walls a light, cool color like
a pale blue or mint green, the room
will appear larger and more open
than it actually is White light is separated through a prism into
the visible spectrum, which is a small part of the
can be a visual expression of mood or electromagnetic spectrum
emotion
●
● Saturation and values which show A
different intensities and contrasts
visually communicate and express
various feelings and moods.
can be a nonverbal language
● You don't need to read a sign; the
diagram illustrating the electromagnetic
color tells you everything you need
to know. spectrum. We can only see a small
 portion of the entire spectrum. Some
animals and insects can see infrared
color wavelengths.
● different wavelengths or the length of light
waves measured in nanometers
● The white light or visible spectrum reflect
different hues with violet and blue having
the shorter wavelength
● while yellow, orange, and red having the
longer wavelengths.
● Newton used a prism to demonstrate that
white light is composed of seven (7) visible
hues: red, orange, yellow, green, violet,
indigo, and blue
● when white light enters a prism, it is
refracted or bent as it comes out the other
● Different light sources reflect different
side, and the visible spectrum of colors is
hues and affect how people perceive
displayed”
colors. It also changes the color
temperature.
● Color temperature is the “varying blend
of spectrum components in different
white light sources and is described in
Kelvin”
● Tungsten light produces warm color
while daylight produces cool color,
which has a higher blue component
● Bleicher also states that the two (2) ● the object hit by a light source can
parts that make up a reflection or the either absorb or reflect the visible hues
bouncing of light waves from a given depending on the properties
surface ● black objects absorb most or all light
● incident beam from the light source and while white objects reflect all light.
the reflected beam which bounces off
the object and shows its hue.
Color Perception
 ● light that enters the eye produces
signals and response through sensation
Chromatic – Pure color
which makes one aware of color
● Light enters the pupil and hits the retina Monochromatic – One hue with a range of
at the back of the eyeball, which values
contains the rods and cones
● photoreceptors translate light into Achromatic or Neutral – Without hue like black,
electrical impulses. white, gray.
● This information is transmitted to the
brain via the optic nerve.
● rods and cones that are the actual
photoreceptors in the retina SPECIAL PROPERTIES OF COLOR
● The rods cannot perceive color, but
they can function in low light. Their
purpose is to read light and darks, or
PASTEL – Hues both light and bright
value
● It’s the reason why color can be hardly FLUORESCENT – Ultra bright
seen at night
IRIDESCENT – Single surface with various hues
relative to the angle of the illumination like
soap bubbles

METALLIC – Shiny due to actual or simulated

Handout 2
metal articles
COLOR PROPERTIES
TRANSLUCENT – Semi-transparent
Hue

● The pure color (proper name) without

COLOR TEMPERATURE
tint, shade, tone
● Color temperature refers to a purely
Hue + White = Tint visual sensation that does not relate to
Hue + Black = Shade applied heat
Hue + Gray = Tone ● Color temperature is not fixed
Saturation or Intensity

● level of clarity, depth, or richness of Handout 3

color
Introduction to Color Theory

Color Models

Value, Luminance, or Brightness ● structured system for creating a full

range of colors from a small set of
● level of lightness (tint) and darkness defined primary colors
(shade) of a hue
 Red + Blue = Magenta

Green + Red = Yellow

three (3) fundamental models of color theory: Blue + Green = Cyan

● Red, Green, Blue (RGB) color model of Red + Green + Blue = White
lights and display originally explored by
Isaac Newton in 1666;
● Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key Black SUBTRACTIVE COLOR MODEL
(CMYK) model for printing in color
originally patented by Jacob Christoph CMYK Model
Le Blon in 1719
● Red, Yellow, Blue painters’ model fully
summarized by Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe in 1810

ADDITIVE COLOR MODEL

The RGB Model

● subtracts for printing

● designed for color printing using inks
● called subtractive because it starts with
a white surface (white paper)
● eventually reduce the reflection and the
● Red, Green, and Blue are the primary color inks subtract from the white
lights, not pigmen surface
● called additive because it starts with ● When equal and high amounts of
black and produces white light when CMY are combined, it creates black
equal and highest amounts of RGB are color.
combined Cyan + Yellow = Green
● used to display color images in Yellow + Magenta = Red
electronic systems and technologies
● Newton did not define RGB as the Cyan + Magenta = Blue
primary colors.”
Cyan + Magenta + Yellow = Black
● showed that combining color lights can
produce a broad range of additional RYB Model
colors.
 ● proposed a set of six (6) colors—black,
blue, green, red, yellow, and white—
which were directly associated to the
natural world. color palette was based
on his religious beliefs.

Isaac Newton

● subtracts to mix paints

● has the primary colors of the traditional
color wheel taught in basic education ● pioneered the study of color through a
● also a subtractive color model, usually scientific method
used in the arts such as painting, for ● the first one to give information behind
mixing color pigments. the nature and science of it
Color Theorists ● He experimented the dispersion of
white light, coming through a hole, into
seven (7) hues—Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Violet, Indigo, and Blue—using a
prism
● first one to develop a color wheel
Aristotle placing the hues in a circular
arrangement
● Aristotle believed that colors are ● “Newton’s color circle or wheel is based
created through the different on light and not pigment so that the
combination of the elements center is white and indicates the
● black or darker hues were results of the combination or mixing of all the colors
lack of one or more of such element

Jacob Christoph Le Blon

Leonardo da Vinci
 ● developed the theory of primary color
system in 1703
● Yellow, Red, and Blue are the primary
or basic hues because they can no
longer be broken down
● this study into a new concept which
became the first four-color printing or
subtractive process with Cyan,
Magenta, Yellow, and Black as the
primary hues

Moses Harris ● In 1810, Goethe published Zur

Farbenlehre (Theory of Colours)
● became the foundation for color theory
in regard to the RYB color mode
● book focused on the physiological and
psychological effects on color
● opposed and attacked Newton’s
concept on the science of color and
challenged his writings
● Goethe’s color wheel is composed of
● In 1766, Harris published his book complementary colors or hues that
Natural System of Colours oppose each other
● created from combinations of the three ● He also noted that when two opposing
(3) primary colors, RYB. From Newton colors are placed next to each other,
and Le Blon concepts humans perceive the highest or
● develop a full-color circle or the first strongest contrast for these two
diagram of the RYB color wheel particular colors
● created a prismatic or primary color
wheel and a compound or secondary
color wheel with a total of 18 hues Michael Eugene Chevreul
● The color wheels are divided into arc
● described three (3) elements or
segments to show the pure hues and
attributes to color: purity (saturation),
each of its shades, tints, and tones
value (luminosity), and hue
● The primaries or primitives are at the
● main contribution of Chevreul is in color
center of the color wheel. The shades of
harmonies wherein “he wrote that two
each hue are placed in the inner part of
(2) or more hues next to each other will
the circle while tints move off from the
blend and work with each other and
pure hue to the outer part of the circle.
that strongly contrasting hues were
● diagram also shows that when the
placed opposite each other on the color
primary hues are combined, it will
wheel.
create the color black

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

● center circle shows the represented hue
of green. ● Chevreul diagramed a color
● vertical axis represents purity or saturation wheel with 12 main color units
with the most saturated version of the hue of Red, Reddish Orange,
at the top and the most desaturated at the Orange, Orange Yellow, Yellow,
bottom Yellowish Green, Green,
● The horizontal axis represents value with Greenish Blue, Blue, Violet Blue,
left side showing a tint of the middle color
Violet, and Violet Red, with six
and the far right expressing a shade of the
(6) zones in each color unit
same hue
● resulted in a total of 72
segments for his color wheel

● Notice that the Cyan (light Blue)

square on the Orange background Ewald Hering
appears larger than the Orange
square on the Cyan background
● These two colors also appear to
amplify or intensify each other
when the colors are viewed
together
● The viewer perceives these colors
as altered; however, the hues have
not actually changed.
 ● challenged Young and Hemholtz’ ● use linseed and other natural oils as
trichromatic color vision and opposed vehicles. The thin application of oils to
the RGB color model. Hering’s color have a richly hued quality is also known
theory is called the opponent color as glazing
theory ● Both turpentine and turpinoid are
● proposed that “color vision occurred in flammable and should be used in a well-
three (3) channels where opposite ventilated space
colors are in competition
Acrylic paints
● The channels are as follows: (1) a Red
Green channel, (2) a Yellow Blue ● use acrylic polymer resin as their vehicle
channel, and (3) a Black White channel. and can be thinned with water or
The Black White channel, or achromatic mediums.
system, addresses brightness contrast. ● Acrylic creates hard permanent and
Together, the Red Green channel and durable surface as it dries, which allows
Yellow Blue channel create a chromatic one to reapply a color over without
system for color contrast making it interact or bleed into the next
● postulated that there were four primary application
colors with Red and Green opposing
each other and Yellow and Blue There are also two (2) types of water-based
opposing each other paints: gouache and watercolors.

Watercolor

Coloring Tools are transparent and come in tube or cake form.

They can be thinned more than any other paint
Paints
Gouache
● Paint has two (2) basic parts
pigment and vehicle opaque and gives solid and dense areas of color.
● Pigments are the “powdered It also contains chalk or calcium carbonate,
agents or elements that make up which gives a matte finish
the colored part or hue of the paint
● can be made from natural materials
such as plants and minerals or Pastels
synthetic colorants There are two (2) kinds of pastels: oil-based and
● vehicle “is a liquid or gel that chalk pastels
combines with the pigment and
suspends it in solution for Chalk pastels
application
● can be soft or hard, depending on the
● Vehicle can range from water, oil,
amount of binder and filler used.
plastic polymer, gum arabic, etc.
● The harder the pastel, the more binder
The three (3) major types of paints are oils, and filler were used to produce it.
acrylics, and watercolors
Oil pastels
Oil paints
● are also known as dust-free or non-
dusting pastels
 ● They are not the same thing as oil A color space can be an arbitrary color system
sticks, which are oil paints combined or structured mathematically
with a very tiny amount of binder, or
CIE or International Commission in
just enough to hold the media together Illumination
in a stick form
● founded in 1913 “to serve as an
Crayons autonomous international board for the
● first crayons were a mixture of charcoal exchange of information and to set
and oil standards on items related to lighting
● charcoal was later replaced by ● responsible for standards in
powdered pigments while wax measurements of light and color
substituted oil because it makes the ● Their goal is to define the standards for
crayon sticks sturdier and easier to color measurement and communication
handle CIE established standards to describe three
● Crayons are also usually inexpensive, (3) things—illuminants or light sources,
and a medium used for children. measurement geometry, and the
average human observer’s color
vision
● CIE Standard Illuminants or light
Handout 4 sources include: D50, D55, D65, A,
and F1 through F12. D50, D55, and
D65 are daylight 5000, 5500 and
Color Measurement and Reproduction 6500 Kelvin illuminants,
respectively
Color Gamut ● Measurement geometry is the
● used to describe the range of colors a angle at which the incident light
device can reproduce falls on the measured object and is
● set or range of colors that can be seen reflected to the viewer.
or produced by a particular device or ● the average human observer’s
process responses to different wavelengths
● different color imaging devices such as of light viewed under a certain light
monitors, cameras, phones, and source and at a certain angle—by
printers vary testing fewer than 20 men.
● devices reproduce colors in different 1931 CIE-xy Chromaticity Diagram
ways which affect the color display of
images
● device with RGB display such as the
computer monitor can produce a
greater range of colors than the color
gamut range of a CMYK printer

Color Spaces and Systems

RGB Color Model + Color Gamut =

Color Space
 ● established a color system using
and organizing of what he describes
as the attributes of color: hue,
chroma (saturation), and value
● represented by a three-dimensional
color tree model

● Horseshoe-shaped area contains all

possible visible colors.
● Wavelengths (from 380-720 nm) loop
● Munsell system’s hues forming a
around the outside of the shape and
circle around the neutral value
connected by the purple boundary
center or core
● The three-dimensional form of this ● The primary hues: red, yellow,
diagram is called CIE xyY color green, blue, and purple; the
space and is also derived from the CIE intermediate hues: yellow-red,
XYZ color space tristimulus values green-yellow, blue-green, purple
blue, and red-purple

CIE-LAB Color Space

● another three-dimensional color

model adopted in 1976 by the CIE

L- lightness ( O = black and 100 = white)

A - Red-green component (positive ‘a’

is red, negative ‘a’ is green)

B - Yellow-blue component (positive ‘b’

is yellow, negative ‘b’ is blue)
Neutrals – Center with ‘a’ and ‘b’ values of zero

Munsell Color Order System

● Albert H. Munsell, another color ● The originality of the system lies

theorist within its three- dimensional spatial
tree
● Color hues (red, yellow, green, the further they are from the
blue, and purple) are rendered into neutral center.
a dimensional circle positioned on
the horizontal axis
● Saturation, or chroma values, of
Mixing Theories
each color hue are displayed from
the center of the vertical axis along
the horizontal axis outward beyond Additive Color Mixing Theory
each hue
● Value, positioned on the vertical
axis, displays gradation values from
black to white

● RGB color model is composed of the

color of light.
● this mixing theory works because of
the tristimulus visual system or the
three cones in the eyes that detect
color

● According to James Clerk Maxwell,

for as long as people stimulate all
three cones (short-wavelength,
middle-wavelength, and long-
wavelength), white light will be
perceived
● The lower values (darker colors
closer to black) are at the bottom of
the configuration, while higher Maxwell’s Triangle
values (lighter and closer to white)
are at the top
● All the colors on any row have the
same value or brightness.
● The neutral value core of the
Munsell Color Space— which goes
from black, through gray, and up to
white— runs down the left-hand
side of the Munsell Chart.
● The colors then radiate out to the
right, gaining chroma or saturation
 ● Mixing them in full strength
produces black, and the absence of
the three will leave the white of
paper

● The combination of two (2)

primary colors and the absence of
one (1) will produce its
complementary color while the
varied combination of the three (3)
can produce many different colors.

● explains the three (3) additive

primaries which are at the corners
of the triangle: red, green, blue and
its complements at the triangle
edges: cyan, magenta, and yellow
● Mixing the colors in varied
proportions produce other colors
that can be seen within the triangle.
It also explains how cyan and red
become complementary colors
● red and cyan are complementary
because they complete each other,
and together they can reproduce
white light.

Subtractive Color Mixing Theory

● the subtractive color model is

composed of three (3) subtractive
primaries: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow.