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What is COLOUR?
Colour is the way our eyes see different wavelengths of light reflected by an object.
Types of COLOURS
Colour Wheel
A colour wheel shows the relationship between colours. It's used to understand the way colours work together and help artists and designers choose effective colour combinations.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colours:
A colour wheel typically consists of three sets of colours.
3 Primary Colours (Red, Blue, Yellow)
3 Secondary Colours (Orange, Green, Violet) - created by mixing 2 Primary Colours.
6 Tertiary Colours (Blue-Green, Blue-Violet, Red-Orange, Red-Violet, Yellow-Green, Yellow-Orange) - created by mixing 1 Primary Colour with 1 Secondary Colour.
Warm and Cool Colours:
A colour wheel can also be split into warm and cool colours, which evoke different ideas and emotions.
Warm Colours - excitement and energy
(E.g. Red, Yellow, Orange)
Cool Colours - sense of depth and distance, emptiness, absence, peace, loneliness, sadness, fear
(E.g. Blue, Green, Violet)
Colour scheme
A colour scheme is a selection/combination of colours chosen by artists to achieve certain effects. Below are a list of common colour schemes used.
Analogous Colours:
Colours next to each other on the colour wheel.
E.g. Blue - Blue green - Green, Red - Red Orange - Orange
Effect: Harmonious, calm, cohesive, often found in nature, good for tranquil or unified designs, good for tranquil or unified designs
Complementary Colours:
Colours directly opposite on the colour wheel
E.g. Red and Green, Orange and Blue, Yellow and Violet
Effect: High contrast, vibrant, attention-grabbing, creates dynamic tension and visual interest
Triadic Colours:
Three colours evenly spaced on the colour wheel
E.g. red - yellow - blue, orange - green - violet
Effect: Balanced but bold, offers contrast while maintaining harmony, good for vibrant and energetic compositions
Tetradic Colours:
Two complementary colour pairs
E.g. Red and Green + Blue and Orange
Effect: Rich, complex, high contrast, can be overwhelming if not balanced carefully
Monochromatic Colours:
Variations of a single hue
Light/dark, saturated/desaturated
Effect: Unified, subtle, sophisticated, good for mood or atmosphere
Neutral Colours:
Colours that do not appear on the colour wheel
E.g. White, Black, Grey, Brown, Beige, Cream
Effect: Calm, soothing
Colour Meaning
Over time, people all over the world have associated different colours with certain ideas and emotions. At the same time, the same colour can have different meanings to different cultures.
Red - passion, danger, love, urgency, energy, anger
Note: Prosperity and good luck in Eastern traditions
Yellow - joy, optimism, attention, energy
Blue - calm, trust, sadness, stability, peace
Green - nature, growth, harmony, freshness, calm
Purple - royalty, mystery, creativity, spirituality, luxury, introspective
Orange - warmth, enthusiasm, excitement, energy, movement
White - purity, simplicity, peace, cleanliness, space
Note: Mourning in Eastern traditions
Black - power, elegance, mourning, mystery, drama
Grey - neutrality, balance, formality, dullness
Brown - earthiness, stability, comfort, groundedness, nature
Beige and Cream - Calmness, soothing
Qualities of COLOUR
Below are some important terms used when talking about colours. They help us understand more about colours.
Hue
Name of a colour
E.g. Red, Blue, Yellow
Saturation
Dominance of hue in a colour. Also known as chroma and intensity.
High saturation = vivid
Low saturation = dull, grayed, muted
Value
How bright or dark a colour appears. Also known as brightness.
Tint
A colour + white
(E.g. Light grey is a tint of grey)
Shade
A colour + black
(E.g. Dark grey is a shade of grey)
Other words used when talking about COLOUR
Vivid, Bright, Brilliant, Rich - describe colours that are intense and saturated
Muted, Dull, Flat - describe colours that are less intense or bright, often appearing softer or more subdued
Harmonious - colours that blend well together
Contrasting - colours that are opposite or very different, creating a striking visual effect
Earthy - colours that resemble natural tones found in the earth
Sepia - a reddish-brown colour, often associated with vintage photographs
Luminous - colours that appear to give off light, often associated with glowing or radiant colours
Dappled - colours that appear spotted or unevenly distributed
Iridescent - colours that shift and change in appearance depending on the angle of light
Examples of COLOUR in Art and around us
COLOUR in Artworks
Irises, 1889, Oil on Canvas, Vincent Van Gogh
In this painting, the artist used analogous colours (blues and greens) for the plants and flowers. At the same time, the blue of the flowers and the orange-brown of the soil are complementary colours.
Guernica, 1937, Oil on Canvas, Pablo Picasso
The painting was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Spanish town. Picasso used a black, white, and grey colour scheme to evoke the devastation and suffering caused by the bombing.
White Center (Yellow, Pink and Lavender on Rose), 1950, Oil on Canvas, Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko is well known for using only colours - without depicting anything from real life - to evoke certain emotions.
Road Construction Worker, 1955, Oil on Canvas, Chua Mia Tee
The artist used earthly, neutral colours throughout the painting.
The Old Guitarist, 1903 - 1904, Oil on Panel, Pablo Picasso
This painting was done during what was known as Picasso's blue period, where his paintings were painted predominantly with blue and blue-green, which were reflective of his struggle with depression.
COLOUR in Real Life
Traffic Light
As we have learnt, colours have different associated meanings. Why do you think red is used for 'stop'?
Phases of Fruit Ripening
How might the changing colours of fruit suggest different stages of ripeness and readiness to eat?
Heat Map (Thermograms)
Which colours represent higher values (e.g., hotter areas) and which represent lower values (cooler areas)?
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