Where Does Color Come From?

Why do we see colors? Light from the sun or from a lamp seems to have no particular
color of its own. It appears simply to be "white" light. However, if you pass the light
through a prism, you can see that it actually contains all colors, the same effect that
occurs when water droplets in the atmosphere separate light into a rainbow. A colorful
object such as a leaf appears green because when white light strikes it, the leaf reflects
only the green wavelengths of light and absorbs the others. A white object such as a white
flower appears white because it reflects most of the wavelengths that strike it, absorbing
relatively few. Inks, dyes, or pigments in color prints also selectively absorb and reflect
certain wavelengths of light and so produce the effect of color.
Although light from the sun appears colorless or "white" it actually contains a range of
colors similar to a rainbow. You can see these colors using a prism to separate them out.

White objects reflect most of the wavelengths of light that strike them. When all of these
wavelengths are combined, we see white. On the other hand, when all of them are
absorbed, and none reflected, we see black.
A

green object such as a leaf reflects only those wavelengths that create the visual effect of
green. Other colors in the light are absorbed by the leaf.
Some color names are almost literally as old as language. Others are obviously related to
a specific item that is distinctly that color. In your list orange, violet and indigo (a plant
that produces the characteristic purplish blue dye used in blue jeans) are fairly recent
additions to the grand list of color names.
There are definite patterns in how color names show up in languages:
1. All languages contain terms for white and black.
2. If a language contains three terms, then it contains a term for red.
3. If a language contains four terms, then it contains a term for either green or yellow (but
not both).
4. If a language contains five terms, then it contains terms for both green and yellow.
5. If a language contains six terms, then it contains a term for blue.
6. If a language contains seven terms, then it contains a term for brown.
7. If a language contains eight or more terms, then it contains a term for purple, pink,
orange, grey, or some combination of these.

It's my theory that all color names (except for those that paint companies come up with)
actually come from something of that color, and the earliest color names come from the
most important color messages:
1. Black=dark/night, white=light/day
2. Red=blood (someone's bleeding, we've got fresh meat!)
3. Green/yellow=vegetation
4. Yellow/green=vegatation different from the first
5. Blue=good weather? Blue and yellow and light gray seem to have crossed etymologies.
6. Brown=earth toned? or animal?
7. Whatever was locally important. Note that purple comes from the name of the shellfish
that was used to dye royal robes.
Where do the three primary colours come from?
It's called Color Theory. Color theory was originally formulated in terms of three
"primary" or "primitive" colorsred, yellow and blue (RYB)because these colors were
believed capable of mixing all other colors. This color mixing behavior had long been
known to printers, dyers and painters, but these trades preferred pure pigments to primary
color mixtures, because the mixtures were too dull (unsaturated)...
Concise history:
-- Aristotle
1. In "On Sense and Sensible Objects," Aristotle described a seven color progression that
could be traced to connect black and white. His linear scale was white, yellow, red,
purple, green, blue and black.
-- Early 16th Century
2. In 1510, Leonardo da Vinci created a sketch of a linear view of colors that progressed
from yellow to green to blue to red.
-- 17th Century
3. In 1611, Aron Sigfrid Forsius wrote a dissertation on color, which theorized that white
and black were the primary colors of the world from which all other colors were derived.
In 1630, Englishman Robert Fludd created the first printed color wheel in a medical
journal.
-- Isaac Newton
4. The color wheel created by scientist Isaac Newton had red, blue and yellow as primary
colors with purple, green and orange as secondary colors.
-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe
5. Goethe took an innovative approach to color theory by adding the emotional impact of
color upon people to the color wheel.
-- Johannes Itten
6. Johannes Itten built upon Goethe's work, incorporating emotional effects of color with
the work that had been done by previous theorists; his color wheel is shown above.

Colour has been investigated and used for more than 2000 years. Throughout history.
Many different civilizations have experimented, have learned and have used colour. We
are still learning today about how colour affects us and its importance in our lives.
Earliest Times of Colour
The ancient Egyptians have been recorded to have been using colour for cures and
ailments.They worshipped the sun, knowing that without light there can be no life. They
looked at nature and copied it in many aspects of their lives. The floors of their temples
were often green - as the grass which then grew alongside their river, the Nile. Blue was a
very important colour to the Egyptians too; the colour of the sky. They built temples for
healing and used gems (crystals) through which the sunlight shone. They would have
different rooms for different colours. We could perhaps relate our present methods of
colour/light therapy to this ancient practice.

Their deep knowledge and understanding of the healing powers of the colour rays was so
nearly lost when, later on in history, the Greeks considered colour only as a science.
Hippocrates, amongst others, abandoned the metaphysical side of colour, concentrating
only on the scientific aspect. Fortunately, despite this, the knowledge and philosophy of
colour was haThere are lists on papyrus dating back to 1550 BC of colour "cures".
nded down through the ages by a few.
The Chinese also apparently practiced Colour Healing. The Nei/ching, 2000 years old,
records colour diagnoses.
Early Colour Studies
Aristotle mixed colour
Some of the early studies and
theories about light were done
by Aristotle.
He discovered that by mixing
two colours, a third is produced.
He did this with a yellow and
blue piece of glass, which when
brought together produced green. He also discovered that light travels in waves.
Plato and Pythagoras also studied light.
The Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, Paracelsus reintroduced the knowledge and philosophy of
colour using the power of the colour rays for healing along with music and herbs.
Unfortunately, the poor man was hounded throughout Europe and ridiculed for his work.
Most of his manuscripts were burnt, but now he is thought of, by many, to be one of the
greatest doctors and healers of his time. A man, it would seem, very much ahead of his
time. Not only do we now use Colour Therapy once again, but, his other ideas, using
herbs and music in healing, can also be seen reflected in many of the complementary
therapies now quite commonplace.
Issac Newton (1642 - 1727)
Issac Newton a pioneer of
colour
A pioneer in the field of colour,
Isaac Newton in 1672,
published his first, controversial
paper on colour, and forty years
later, his work 'Opticks'.
Newton passed a beam of
sunlight through a prism. When the light came out of the prism is was not white but was
of seven different colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. The
spreading into rays was called dispersion by Newton and he called the different coloured
rays the spectrum.
He learnt that when the light rays were passed again through a prism the rays turned back
into white light. If only one ray was passed through the prism it would come out the same
colour as it went in. Newton concluded that white light was made up of seven different
coloured rays.
Modern Day Thinking
Indeed, the 'Ancient Egyptians' worship of the sun may also have a place in the modern
world since it may be the sun which will fuel all our central heating systems and lighting
systems etc. in the years to come as the coal and oil supplies become depleted. We are
now also aware of the effect of light deprivation on a large number of people who suffer
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months.
We are lucky that now we are all able to choose any colour we like and can buy products
of any colour freely. This was not always the case. In times gone by, the pigments used to
dye fabrics violet/purple were very expensive and, therefore, only available to the
wealthy. For example, the Romans in high office would wear purple robes since this, to
them, indicated power, nobility and thus authority.

Queen Victoria
Black is not a bad colour
It is also interesting to look at
the different phases in history
and how those phases have been
reflected in the colours
generally worn at those times.
During times of severity and
propriety the code of dress was very much dominated by black and grey. The Victorians
mainly wore black - influenced by the Queen's long period of mourning no doubt - and
were, in many ways, quite austere and, it has to be said, in many ways not very colourful.
The Puritans too, of course, dressed in black. This is not to say that black is a bad colour.
Every colour has its positive and negative aspects. Wearing black with another colour can
enhance that other colour's energy. Black can also give the space sometimes needed for
reflection and inner searching. It can indicate inner strength and the possibility for
change.
Before the last war it was noted that a lot of red was being worn. Red in its most positive
is the colour for courage, strength and pioneering spirit, all of which were much needed
by the men and women who were fighting that war. However, in the most negative
aspect, it is the colour of anger, violence and brutality. As the war was coming to an end,
pale blue became a popular colour - an omen of the peace to come perhaps, also giving
everyone the healing they must have so badly needed.
The future of Colour
Colour has many positive uses
We are now using colour in
very positive ways again.
Businesses are accepting that
their employees may work
better given a certain
environment and hospitals and
prisons are also becoming
aware of the effect that the
colour around them can have on patients and prisoners respectively. Paint companies
have introduced new colour cards with the therapeutic aspects of colour in mind.
Cosmetic companies too have 'colour therapy' ranges included in their products. Colour
has a great deal to offer us and can be found all around us in nature.
We need to expand our awareness of colour so that we can truly benefit from nature's
gifts so that 'colour' becomes a way of life, not just a therapy.

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