COLOR
- additive: when color lights are combined they will create
white; the absence of colors creates black
- subtractive: when all pigment colors are added together they
will create black; the absence of pigment colors creates white
PROPERTIES OF COLOR
- hue: a particular color on the visible spectrum
- value: the relative lightness or darkness of a color
- Tint: a color plus white
- Shade: a color plus black
- intensity or saturation: relative vividness or dullness of
a color
COLOR WHEEL
subtractive
- Primary hues: red, blue and yellow; cannot be obtained by
mixing any other hues; if combined in proper amounts will produce
all other hues
- Secondary hues: green, orange, purple; produced
by mixing primary hues
- Tertiary hues: yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet,
blue-purple, blue-green; produced by mixing a primary and a secondary
hue
- Neutral color: Tones that do not reflect any single wave-length
on the spectrum. Neutrals create only effects of darkness or lightness
as in black, white or grey
- Black: the combination of all hues
- White: the absence of all color
COLOR SCHEMES:
- Monochromatic: one hue, altering value and intensity by adding
black and white
- Adjacent or analogous hues: lie next to each other on the
color wheel, usually 3 colors; ex. blue, blue green, green
- Complementary hues: lie directly opposite on the color wheel;
when mixed produce a neutral color; when side by side they enhance
each other and can produce a vibration; example, blue, orange
- Split Complementary: any hue plus two hues located on each
side of the complement; example: orange, blue-green, blue-purple
- Triad: using three hues located equidistant from each other
on the color wheel; ex. red, yellow, blue
- Warm/cool: warm colors tend to emerge;
cool colors tend to recede
- warm colors are red, yellow, and orange
- cool colors are blue, purple, green
- Polychromatic: using many colors
OTHER COLOR NOTES
- Afterimage: a visual image that continues after a visual
stimulus ceases, caused by fatigue of the retina; usually opposite
in value and hue; ex. the afterimage of a dark red is light green
- The rule of Simultaneous contrast: when two different color
tones come into direct contact, the contrast will intensify the difference
between them. The effect is most noted when colors are directly contrasting
in hue, but occur even if colors have a degree of relationship. Ex.
a yellow-green area surrounded by a green will appear to be yellow.
The same yellow-green surrounded by yellow will appear green.
- High key: a composition made of light values
- Low key: a composition made of dark values
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