Color

Introduction | Perception | Color Schemes Home

Introduction

In this section certain visual preferences have been observed through analysis of various studies as well as observation of established theories and rules used for the creation of visual art. It is difficult to determine reasons for all of the preferences. The various areas of design in which visual preference was found include color, composition, balance, and shape or form. Several compositions are rooted in aesthetic preference.

Designers are very aware of the high level of symbolism applied to certain colors. Socially, people have assigned specific meaning to various colors for different purposes. The following symbolic associations are simply examples of what a typical person from the United States might have. Blue for instance stands for water. It can also imply coldness, or calmness. In Renaissance painting a bright, brilliant blue was used to signify the Virgin Mary. Green can provide a nature symbol or money. Also, it has been found to be calming and there is the old saying "green with envy". Yellow implies the sun or happiness and brightness. It has also been called the color of insanity. Orange is another sun and fire related color. It should also be noted that orange is used on road construction signs, so at some level it signifies danger. Red is associated with anger, passion, love, and blood. Purple has been used for a long time to identify royalty. It also carries a calming feel similar to blue. One other important thing to keep in mind is the sex of the observer. Socially it has been determined that certain colors are masculine while other colors are considered to be feminine.

Colors have the various social symbols attached to them as well as individual significance. Vision is associated with memory; so thinking of a certain color can evoke strong mental images, based on people’s remembrances of experiencing the various colors. One can see the important role color plays in creating a design. Every time a designer creates a composition the social as well as personal significance of color must be taken into account.

Perception

Our sensations of color are within us and color cannot exist unless there is an observer to perceive them. Color does not exist even in the chain of events between the retinal receptors and the visual cortex, but only when the information is finally interpreted in the consciousness of the observers (Wright, 1963).

We see color from objects around us because they absorb most of the wavelengths from the sun, called white light, and reflect only a particular wavelength into our eyes. For example, a red apple absorbs all but the red wavelength; therefore, we see it as red in color. Objects that are white in color are objects that do not absorb any viewable wavelengths; while objects in black absorb almost all viewable wavelengths. We know that the white light from the sun consists of many different wavelengths because of Newton's prism (shown below). Because of the refraction, the white light is split into rays of different color of light. They all have different wavelengths. The same phenomenon happens in nature, we see as rainbows.

The Dimensions of Color

Even though wavelength explains difference in color we see around us, color is something more than that. There are three psychological dimensions of color: Hue, Brightness and Saturation. Hue is what we usually refer to as color, therefore, most people use the two words hue and color interchangeably. We recognize a change in hue as color change. The physical dimension of hue is wavelength.

Brightness is another psychological dimension that refers to intensity of the stimuli. The more intense the light, the brighter that object appears. For example, the same object is brighter in the room with more light bulbs. Saturation is related to the physical dimension of spectral purity. It tells us the amount of a hue that we see on an object. In other word, it refers to how complex the light wave is. If the light is simple, it is a pure wavelength and therefore appears to be very saturated. This pure color generated by a single wavelength is called monochromatic color. Examples of effects of hue, brightness, and saturation are shown below.

The Mixture of Color

Monochromatic color rarely happens in general. Objects we see around us consist of more than one hue. Their colors are mixtures of wavelengths of light. There are two kinds of color mixtures: additive and subtractive. Additive color mixture is referred to the mixing of three primary lights, namely red, blue, and green. Under this adding principle, when all three colors of light are present, we see the white light (the same as the one from the sun). Subtractive color mixtures, on the other hand, are colors that are results from the mixing of pigments, paint, or dye. The primary colors that absorb light to create color for subtractive mixtures are magenta, yellow and cyan.

Additive Color - (computer monitor, television, theater lighting) direct light

A computer monitor uses three phosphors that appear as red, green, and blue when activated. Other colors are made by combining different intensities of these three colors.

Primary additive colors - red green and blue (RGB) are the primary colors. They can not be created by any combination of other colors.

Secondary additive colors - The secondary colors are cyan, magenta and yellow.

Printing is based on CMYK color - the secondary colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (K)

Subtractive Color Theory explains how cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments or inks on paper subtracts white light components. Since white light is made up of red, green and blue light, the inks subtract out that particular portion or color of light. Whatever light that is left is recognized by the eye as a particular hue.

Derivatives of color are RGB from light. Millions of colors are available with light. However, when printing the colors to use limited.

In the color separation process the Black Printer is used to cover up impurities of the CMY inks. Theoretically when Yellow, Magenta & Cyan are added together they create Black. These colors of printed ink are supposed to subtract out all the white light on the paper and leave only black.

Close examination of CMY printing inks, shows Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are impure or contaminated with other colors. This ink contamination makes it impossible to print a good black with these 3 ink colors.

The main purpose of black ink is to cover up the impurities of these three inks. The black plate adds back contrast to the color reproduction.

These two theories (Additive and Subtractive) are the fundamental principles that explain how color imaging and the color separation process works.

Both theories illustrate the connection of white light (the additive process) and how it is sub-tracted by printing inks (CMYK) to express color (the subtractive process) on the printed sheet.

Color theory and its practical application

Original photographs or color images like transparencies or reflection art are comprised of continuous tones. To reproduce these continuous tone images they must be broken into tiny dots of different sizes by means of a halftone screen. The halftone screening system is a scheme that produces black and white positive or negative films with dots ranging between 0 to 100 percent. The purpose of the different CMYK halftone dots is to subtract white light and reproduce the neutral gray tones and hues of the original image. (See Example on Page 43 of Textbook, “How to get it printed”)

In printing, knowing what size to make halftone dots in order to achieve the tones and hues of the original image is the main skill of reproducing a color image. When the color separation process is properly achieved, that is, the dots are placed correctly in the reproduction, it causes the eye to perceive what the original looks like. (See Example on Pages 50-51 of Textbook, “How to get it printed”)

In four-color process printing, rather than specifying specific colors, you create separations — a different copy of your artwork for each of the four colors. Each copy is printed one on top of the other to create the optical effect of full-color.

Color Spaces

Color is a perception, but scientific terms and mathematical models allow color to be defined and represented using terms like color spaces and color gamuts. Color spaces are represented in many ways, usually with combinations of three variables, such as:

• Red, Green, Blue - RGB

• Cyan, Magenta, Yellow - CMY

• Hue, Lightness, Saturation - HLS

• Hue, Saturation and Brightness - HSB

The exception is Cyan, Magenta,Yellow, Black - CMYK.

Memory color

Even though there is a strong relation between what we perceive as color and physical characteristics of light stimuli, our perception of color can also be influenced by other factors. Examples of these factors are familiarity and past experience. For example, Duncker (1938) found that a green paper cut in a leaf shape is perceived to be greener than the same green paper cut in a donkey shape. This is because leaves are typically green but donkeys are not. Therefore, we can conclude that sometimes previous color and form associations have a strong effect on perceived color.

Another theory that has been used to explain how we perceive color is the opponent process theory, proposed by Ewald Hering in 1920. He made some very interesting observations that could not be explained by the trichromatic receptor theory. For example, he noticed that there are certain pairs of colors one never sees together at the same place and at the same time. For example, we do not see reddish greens or yellowish blues. But we do see yellowish greens, bluish reds, yellowish reds etc. Hering also observed that there was a distinct pattern to the color of the afterimages we see. You can try this "complementary afterimage" by staring at the white dot at the middle of the flag for about 30 seconds. Then, shift the gaze to the black dot in the right. Colors complementary will appear to be the normal color American flag.

Source: Schiffman (2000) Sensation and Perception, Wiley: NY

We know that we perceive different dimensions of physical characteristic of light (wavelength, intensity, and spectral purity) as different psychological dimensions of color (hue, brightness, and saturation). We also know that our major source of light, the sun, produces light that consists of all visible wavelengths that can be broken down using a spectrum. Moreover, all of the colors that we see are made from three primary colors using either additive or subtractive color mixtures.

Color Schemes

Relationships between colors are intertwined in the concept of color preference. Various color schemes have existed in the art world for a very long time. Primary and analogous color schemes date back to before the Renaissance. A description of the various color schemes may prove to be helpful at this point in time. No suggestions as to the superiority of any one scheme will be made, because currently there is no such thing. In fact any of these orderly uses of colors have been considered to be harmonious.

History

The first color wheel was invented by Sir Isaac Newton. He split white sunlight into red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue beams; then he joined the two ends of the color spectrum together to show the natural progression of colors. Newton associated each color with a note of a musical scale.

A century after Newton, Johann Wolfgang Goethe began studying psychological effect of colors. He noticed that blue gives a feeling of coolness and yellow has a warming effect. Goethe created a color wheel showing the psychological effect of each color. He divided all the colors into two groups – the plus side (from red through orange to yellow) and the minus side (from green through violet to blue). Colors of the plus side produce excitement and cheerfulness. Colors of the minus side are associated with weakness and unsettled feelings.

The current form of color theory was developed by Johannes Itten, a Swiss color and art theorist who was teaching at the School of Applied Arts in Weimar, Germany. This school is also known as 'Bauhaus'. Johannes Itten developed 'color chords' and modified the color wheel. Itten's color wheel is based on red, yellow, and blue colors as the primary triad and includes twelve hues.

Color Schemes

Primary

The first scheme mentioned was primary; this is simply the use of varying values of the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) in a painting.

Secondary

Secondary color schemes include green, orange, and purple.

Monochromatic

The monochromatic color scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. This scheme looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues. You can use it to establish an overall mood. The primary color can be integrated with neutral colors such as black, white, or gray. However, it can be difficult, when using this scheme, to highlight the most important elements.

Pros: The monochromatic scheme is easy to manage, and always looks balanced and visually appealing.

Cons: This scheme lacks color contrast. It is not as vibrant as the complementary scheme.

Tips:

1. Use tints, shades, and tones of the key color to enhance the scheme.

2. Try the analogous scheme; it offers more nuances while retaining the simplicity and elegance of the monochromatic scheme.

Analogous

The analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogous scheme is similar to the monochromatic one, but offers more nuances.

Pros: The analogous color scheme is as easy to create as the monochromatic, but looks richer.

Cons: The analogous color scheme lacks color contrast. It is not as vibrant as the complementary scheme.

Tips:

1. Avoid using too many hues in the analogous scheme, because this may ruin the harmony.

2. Avoid combining warm and cool colors in this scheme.

Complimentary

The complementary color scheme is made of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme looks best when you put a warm color against a cool color, for example, red versus green-blue. The complementary scheme is intrinsically high-contrast.

When using the complementary scheme, it is important to choose a dominant color and use its complementary color for accents. Using one color for the background and its complementary color to highlight important elements, you will get color dominance combined with sharp color contrast.

Pros:

The complementary color scheme offers stronger contrast than any other color scheme, and draws maximum attention.

Cons:

This scheme is harder to balance than monochromatic and analogous schemes, especially when desaturated warm colors are used.

Tips:

1. For best results, place cool colors against warm ones, for example, blue versus orange.

2. If you use a warm color (red or yellow) as an accent, you can desaturate the opposite cool colors to put more emphasis on the warm colors.

3. Avoid using desaturated warm colors (e.g. browns or dull yellows).

4. Try the split complementary scheme; it is similar to the complementary scheme but offers more variety.

Split Complimentary

The split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary scheme.

Pros:

The split complementary scheme offers more nuances than the complementary scheme while retaining strong visual contrast.

Cons:

The split complementary scheme is harder to balance than monochromatic and analogous color schemes.

Tips:

1. Use a single warm color against a range of cool colors to put an emphasis on the warm color (red versus blues and blue-greens, or orange versus blues and blue-violets).

2. Avoid using desaturated warm colors (e.g. browns or dull yellows), because this may ruin the scheme.

Triadic Color Scheme

The triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining balance, and color richness. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious.

Pros:

The triadic color scheme offers high contrast while retaining harmony.

Cons:

The triadic color scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme.

Tips:

1. Choose one color to be used in larger amounts than others.

2. If the colors look gaudy, try to subdue them.

Tetradic (Double Complementary) Color Scheme

The tetradic (double complementary) scheme is the richest of all the schemes because it uses four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize; if all four colors are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.

Pros:

The tetradic scheme offers more color variety than any other scheme.

Cons:

This scheme is the hardest scheme to balance.

Tips:

1. If the scheme looks unbalanced, try to subdue one or more colors.

2. Avoid using pure colors in equal amounts.

Useful Links –

http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/color1.html

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html

RGB vs. CMYK Summary

The traditional primary colors are RED, YELLOW and BLUE.

• Mix two primary colors to get the complementary colors.

• The traditional complementary colors are ORANGE (Red plus Yellow), GREEN (Yellow plus Blue), and PURPLE (Blue plus Red).

In grade school you probably had plenty of opportunities to mix primary colors and make new colors. It was magic!

The way we see color is a bit different. You've probably seen a prism break a beam of light into a rainbow of colors. The visible spectrum of light breaks down into three color regions: RED, GREEN, and BLUE.

• Add RED, GREEN, and BLUE (RGB) light to create WHITE light. Because you ADD the colors together to get White, we call these the additive primaries.

• Subtract one of the colors from the other three and you are left with yet another color. RGB minus RED leaves CYAN. RGB minus the BLUE leaves YELLOW. RGB minus GREEN leaves MAGENTA. These are called the subtractive primaries (CMY).

Try mixing GREEN and BLUE paint and I bet you don't end up with a nice CYAN. Why? Because the color we see is reflected light and light and ink don't work in quite the same way.

Your computer monitor emits light so it stands to reason that the computer uses the three color regions of RED, GREEN, and BLUE to reproduce the colors we see.

Working with images destined for the screen or the Web, we designate colors by the amount of RED, GREEN, or BLUE in the color. In your graphics software these numbers might look like this:

255 RED 255 GREEN 0 BLUE

A number between 1-255 designates the amount of each color RED, GREEN, or BLUE.

In order for your computer to understand these numbers we translate them into 6 digit hexidecimal numbers or triplets.

255 RED 255 GREEN 0 BLUE becomes FFFF00. The first pair (FF) is the Red, The second pair (FF) is the Green, and 00 is the Blue. FF is the hexidecimal equivalent of 255 and 00 is the hexidecimal equivalent of 0.

In print, we try to reproduce the colors we see. Remember how color (light) is made by subtracting differing amounts of other colors from the additive primaries (RGB)? Well, in printing when we are mixing (adding) inks together the colors don't come out as we might expect.

Therefore, we start with the subtractive primaries (CYM) and mix those in varying amounts (plus BLACK abbreviated as K) to get the colors we see printed in magazines and books.

Colors are mixed in percentages such as:

50% CYAN 100% YELLOW 25% MAGENTA