COLOR

Color (simplified definition): Spectrum of light as seen by the eye .

Color comes from light. If it weren’t for light we would have no color. Light rays move in a straight path from a light source. Within this light rays are all the rays of colors in the spectrum or rainbow. Shining a light into a prism will create a rainbow of colors because it separates the color of the spectrum. When the light rays hits an object our eyes respond to the light that is bounced back and we see that color. For example a red ball reflects all the red light rays. As artists we use pigments to create color

Color consists of hue, intensity and value:

Hue- is the name of the color or the pure state of the color; the root color. (for example; red, blue, orange, purple are the hues (names) of those particular colors)
Intensity- is the brightness of a color. Intensity, is also called chroma or saturation. A color is at full intensity when not mixed with black or white - a pure hue. You can change the intensity of a color, making it duller or more neutral by adding gray to the color.
Color values- the lightness or darkness of colors

COLOR THEORY

color theory- is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination.

The Color Wheel

The color wheel- a circle with different colored sectors used to show the relationship between colors.

The color wheel fits together like a puzzle - each color in a specific place
Being familiar with the color wheel not only helps you mix colors when painting, but in adding color to all your art creations.
There are 12 basic colors in the color wheel
Although there are an infinite number of colors, all colors are variations of these 12 basic colors of the color wheel

A blank color wheel before the colors are added.

Student should become familiar with creating their own color wheels in order to be able to create and mix colors. Start by creating a triangle. Once the triangle is made create an upside down triangle over the first triangle. After both triangles are complete, create a circle over the image.

Primary Colors

Primary Colors - are the 3 colors that generate all other colors. They exist on their own and cannot be created.

The three primary colors are

RED
YELLOW
BLUE

The three primary colors are the first colors you use to fill in the color wheel. Place these colors into the large triangle you created in the beginning with red on top, yellow and blue on the sides. (see the picture)

SECONDARY COLORS

Secondary Colors- By mixing two primary colors, a secondary color is created

primary color + primary color = secondary color

The secondary colors are:

Orange (Red + Yellow = Orange)
Green (Yellow + Blue = Green)
Purple (Blue + Red = Purple) (FYI purple is sometimes called violet. The word violet sometimes appears in some graphics instead of purple. Just note that it is the same color just going by a different name)

Secondary colors are fitted between the primary colors that created them. The orange is between the red and yellow that create the orange hue. Green is between the yellow and the blue that created it. Purple is between the blue and red that created it.

TERTIARY COLORS

Tertiary colors- also called intermediate colors, are colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color.

primary color + secondary color = tertiary colors

Tertiary colors are:

red-orange
yellow-orange
yellow-green
blue-green
blue-purple
red- purple

Tertiary colors have very basic names. The first name describes the primary color that created it and the second part of the name comes from the secondary color that created it.

(please note that the world violet is used instead of purple; different word same color)

The tertiary colors fit in the space between the primary colors and the secondary colors
Tertiary colors in the color wheel allows the artist to see the transitions of colors easier.
After filling in the tertiary colors, the color wheel is complete with all 12 basic colors.

The completed color wheel

NEUTRAL COLORS

The principles of color mixing let us describe a variety of colors, but there are still many colors to explore. The neutral colors contain equal parts of each of the three primary colors. Black, white, gray and sometimes brown are considered "neutral”.

Neutral colors are not found on the color wheel but are mixed by other colors in the color wheel
Mixing two complementary colors can create a neutral color

Color Values

Color values are the lights and darks of a color you create by using black and white (‘neutrals”) with a color. This makes hundreds of more colors from the basic 12 colors of the wheel

When working with color values, keep tints, tones and shades in mind
white + color = tint
color + black = shade
Color + grey = tone

Tints

Tints are lightened colors. Always begin with white and add a bit of color to the white until the desired tint is obtained

Keep in mind the order of when you are mixing colors. Always begin with white and add your colors when creating tints. The reason this is important is because by starting with white paint (acrylic, oil, tempera) you will create brighter colors and you will save a great deal of time and money trying to reach the desired color

Pictured here are tints of the color blue

Shades

Shades are darkened colors. Always begin with the color and add just a bit of black at a time to get the desired shade of a color.

When creating a shade of a color using paint (acrylic, oil, tempera, watercolor), always start off with the color and add just small dots of black. This will allow you to slowly reach the proper shade of the color you are looking for.
NEVER start with black first. Black is such a strong and overpowering pigment and it will take a great deal of time to get to the shade that you want. Starting with black first could cause the artist to waste expensive paint and waste time and energy.

Pictured are shades of blue

TONES

Tones are produced either by the mixture of a color with gray, or by both tinting and shading.

tints increase the lightness of a color
tones neutralize colors
shades darken colors

COLOR SCHEMES

Color Schemes are a systematic way of using the color wheel to put colors together… in your art work, putting together the clothes you wear, deciding what colors to paint your room…..

Monochromatic

Monochromatic color schemes are color schemes which use only tints, shades and tones of 1 color.

“Mono” means “one”, “chroma” means “color”… monochromatic color schemes have only one color and its values

The Old Beggar is a monochromatic painting by Picasso.

This was painted during Picasso's infamous "blue period"
He used tints, tones and shades of blue

Polychromatic color schemes on the other hand, are color schemes with multiple colors and values. "Poly" means "many" and "chroma" means "color" so polychromatic color schemes are multicolored.

Analogous Color Schemes

Analogous colors are neighboring colors. They are 3 colors that are directly next to each other on the color wheel.

By using analogous colors, no matter which 3 you choose they will always share a common undertone.
This technique creates a harmonious color combination
This combination of colors create very little contrast
These are colors that feel like they go together.
Choose a color, for example red, the 2 colors on either side of red (red-purple, and purple on one side and red-orange and orange on the other side) are its analogous colors
Green, blue-green, and blue is another example of an analogous color scheme

In this example, red-orange, orange, and yellow-orange are analogous colors

The painting "Water Lillies and Japanese Bridge" by Claude Monet is an example of an analogous color scheme.

The colors used are yellow-green, greens, and blue-green with some blue

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are colors that are opposite each other in the color wheel.

When placed next to each other, there is an extremely strong contrasting and vibrant effect.
If overused, your painting may become jarring and uncomfortable to look at.
You should select a dominant color and use the other color as an accent
Complimentary colors fight for attention
If you mix two complimentary colors together they create a neutral color (tends to look ugly though)

Complimentary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, the compliment of purple is yellow, the compliment of red is green, and the compliment of blue is orange.

The painting "The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent Van Gogh showcases orange leaves as the dominant color with blue sky as the accent color. Orange and blue are complimentary colors.

WARM COLORS

Warm colors are colors that remind us of heat. Warm colors make objects look closer in a painting or drawing.

Warm colors are reds, oranges and yellows
Colors of fire and the sun
They contrast cool colors

Some warm colors can be both warm and cool. Red-purple and yellow-green can be both cool and warm.

warm color painting by Erin Hanson (https://mymodernmet.com/erin-hanson-the-orange-show/ )

COOL COLORS

Cool colors are colors that remind us of coolness or coldness. They are the colors found in snow and ice and tend to recede in a composition.

Cool colors are basically any color that contain the color blue.
Cool colors contrast warm colors

Red-Purple and Yellow-green can be both a cool color and a warm color.

"The Starry Night" by Van Gogh is an example of a painting that uses cool colors to showcase a night scene. The blue sky and blue-green houses remind us of the coldness of the night while the yellow stars (yellow is a warm color) are used to portray the brightness of the moon and celestial bodies. The yellow moon and stars provide a good contrast to the otherwise blue painting.

Here is a fun review on colors

ELEMENTS OF ART

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