COLOR

ColorAn element of art that is derived from reflected

light

Color SpectrumWhen light passes through a wedge shaped glass, called a prism, the beam of white light

is bent and separated into bands of color

The Name of color in the color spectrum

Hue

RED YELLOW BLUE

HUE HUEHUE

Cannot be made

Primary Colors

BLUE RED

YELLOW

Made from mixing primary colors

Secondary Colors

GREEN ORANGE

VIOLET

Made from mixing a primary color with a secondary color

Intermediate Colors

BLUE-VIOLET RED-VIOLET

BLUE-GREEN RED-ORANGE

YELLOW-ORANGEYELLOW-GREEN

The spectrum bent into a circle

Color Wheel

Pigment(paint, colored pencils)

Other Color Systems…

RYB

Light(stars, stage lights, TV screens)

Other Color Systems…

RGB

Pigment(graphics, inks)

Other Color Systems…

CMYK

The art element that describes the darkness or

lightness of a color

Value

Shades – A dark value

of a hue

Tints –A light value of a hue

The brightness or dullness of a color

Intensity

High Intensity Low Intensity

vivid strong fair medium weak

Colors opposite each other on the color wheel

Complementary Colors

blue

red

yellow

orange

green

violet

Mixing a hue with its compliment:• Lowers its intensity

• Is how we get NEUTRAL COLORS

Complementary Colors

Monochrome means one colorColor Schemes

Monochromatic color scheme:A color scheme that uses only one

hue plus the tints and shades of thathue.

Effect:Unifying

• Colors that sit side by side on the color wheel AND have a common hue.

• Effect: Helps tie in one shape to the next through a common color so it unifies with more variety.

Analogous Colors

Analogous color scheme

Analogous Color Scheme

Edward Hopper - Compartment C, Car 293

• Colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel.

• Effect: exciting, loud, eye catching

Complementary Colors

Complementary Color Scheme

Vincent van Gogh - Noon: Rest From Work

• Composed of three colors spaced equally apart on the color wheel.

• Effect: The contrast is not as strong as that between complements

Color TriadsPrimary Secondary

Color Triads

Split Complements

• The combination of one hue plus the hues on each side of its compliment.

• Effect: has less contrast, but more variety than straight complements.

Split Complements

• Blues, greens, and violets• Usually associated with

water, ice/snow, or grass.• Cool colors seem to recede

or move away

Warm/Cool Colors• Reds, Oranges, and yellows

• Usually associated with Sunshine or fire.

• Warm colors move towards the viewer.

Warm & Cool

• Colors that result when a true color is affected by unusual lighting or its surroundings.

• Colors as we see them.

Optical Color

Arbitrary Color

• Color chosen by personal preference.• Artists choose arbitrary colors rather than

optical colors because they want to use color to express meaning, feelings, and moods. Also, the create certain effects.