COLORS

INTRODUCTION

Color is an element of design that spans a large area of study. We are

all tremendously affected by color in everything we do and see.
THE ORIGIN OF COLOR

Isaac Newton was the first to study the origin of color. He

concentrated on the nature of spectrum we find in the
rainbow for his experiment. He achieved the same
spectrum when he passed a beam of sunlight through a
glass prism. Newton named these colors red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Another experiment
was carried out by passing a spectrum through glass prism.
The output came in the form of white light. The
experiments were going on and the third was about the
complementary colors. With the help of two prisms he
produced different colors on the same spot having white
background. The combinations of these colors were
producing the color, which lies between two source colors
in the spectrum. Isaac Newton came to some amazing
conclusions after these experiments.
THE COLOR WHEEL
COLOR WHEEL
oContains Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary Colors

oShows the relationships

between Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary colors

oUsed to make “desirable” color

combination

oScientific arrangement of colors

from warm hues to cool hues
 THE VOCABULARY OF COLOR
HUE
- is a basic color. It is a color found in the spectrum.

These are hues that cannot be produced by mixing any other colors.
PRIMARY COLORS

o Red
o Blue
o Yellow
SECONDARIES
are hues also, and they are made by mixing equal portions of two primaries
TERTIARIES
sometimes called intermediates, are hues made by mixing equal portions of one
primary and one secondary.

YELLOW GREEN YELLOW GREEN

(Primary) (Secondary) (Tertiary)
VALUE
- The attribute of value describes the lightness or dullness of a hue. If a color is
very light, we say it is a high-value color. When a color is very dark, we say that
its value is low.
VALUES, TINTS SHADES

– between the Pure Color and White

– between the Pure Color and Black

– any color that are Greyed down

 TINTS
By adding white in degrees, a hue is gradually made lighter. Lightened hues are
called tints.

RED WHITE PINK

(hue) (tint)

+ =
 SHADE
And adding degrees of black to a hue will produce shade.

+ =

+ =

RED BLACK MAROON ( SHADE)

INTENSITY
-the attribute of intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue. Intensity is obtained by
adding degrees of gray to a hue. The more gray added, the less intense of the hue. Full
intensity has no gray. Some theories refer to intensity as chroma or saturation. Chroma,
saturation and intensity refer to the same attribute of color.

By adding degrees of gray to a hue will produce tone.

+ =

PINK GRAY TONE

COLOR HARMONIES

Standardization is a way of defining and categorizing. It is important to

be aware of standardization of color combinations. They are called color
harmonies, color schemes, or colorways, and are named for
convenience and order in color theory.
WARM COLORS

Orange
◦ Energy, Happiness, Health
◦ Also used to Draw attention or Emphasis
Red
◦ Love, Passion, Fire, Violence, Warfare, Warning
◦ It is also encourages appetite, evokes strong emotion
Yellow
◦ Cheerful, Hope, Deceit, Cowardice, Increases metabolism
◦ Most likely to strain eye or eye fatigue
◦ Babies are more prone to crying
 COOL COLORS

oVariations of Green, Blue, and Violet

o Associated with night, water, and nature plants

oUsually Calming and Relaxing

Green
o new beginnings, relaxing, abundance, jealousy
o Nature, Life, Spring
Blue
o Calm, responsible, sadness, energizing
o Most productive and relaxing color
o Curbs Appetite
Violet
o creativity, royalty, wealth, wisdom

COOL COLORS
 NEUTRAL COLORS
oCombinations of Blacks, Whites, and Browns

oCommonly combined with other colors to create accents

oCan be cool or warm but are more subtle than blues and reds
NEUTRAL COLORS
White
◦ Purity, Cleanliness, Great for creating illusion of space
Grey
◦ Moody, Formality, Cloudy, Conservative
Black
◦ Mystery, Elegance, Evil, often used in Luxury Items
Brown
◦ Nature, Wholesomeness, Dependability
Tan / Beige
◦ Conservative, Piety, Dull
Cream / Ivory
◦ Calm, Elegant, Antiquity
COLOR HARMONIES
MONOCHROMATIC HARMONY
-Monochromatic harmony means of one hue or a harmony based on one
hue. This singular hue may be varied in value and/or intensity. A
monochromatic scheme has the most unity of all other color harmonies.
ANALOGOUS HARMONY
-Analogous harmony refers to a color combination using two or three hues
that lie side by side on the color wheel. When all analogous colors are equal in
value and intensity, the result is a highly unified harmony.
COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY
-complementary harmony refers to a harmony using two hues that lie directly
opposite one another on the color wheel.
SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY HARMONY
-split complementary harmony is a three-color combination utilizing a hue, its
complement and neighbor, or a hue and the two neighbors of its complement.
TRIADIC HARMONY

-A triad is a combination of three hues that lie

equidistant from one another on the color wheel.
RECTANGLE (TETRADIC) HARMONY
-The rectangle or tetradic color scheme uses four colors arranged into two
complementary pairs.
SQUARE HARMONY
-The square color scheme is similar to the rectangle, but
with all four colors spaced evenly around the color
circle.
CHROMATIC ENERGY
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
-is the study of color as a determinant of human behavior.
-the study of the effect that colors have on the moods, behavior and
feelings of people. Individual colors invoke negative or positive feelings
which are used to promote products or create a desired atmosphere
inside a home or business.
COLORS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERSONALITY

RED
-boldness, action, outgoing spirit. Strong emotions, judgments, deeds.
Sharp contrasts possible, as love or hate, rebellion or fierce loyalty.

PINK
-Likes money, status, sheltered life. Not usually the type for total
dedication to causes. Friendly and warm, yet somewhat restrained.
Seeks unfailing happiness
PURPLE
-extremely artistic, natural talent, individualistic, opinionated, multi-
personality to fit certain situations.
YELLOW
-Lofty intellect and goals; often radical views. Imaginative and
farsighted. Leans towards “reform” and “new thought”. Wants to
influence others.
ORANGE
-Jovial, extrovert, friend to man and beast. Gets along with almost
everyone, regardless of station. Pleasure-loving, may be fickle in
romance.
BROWN
-Dependable, stable. Handles money well his and others.
Conservative. Shuns glitter, tinsel, fads.

BLUE
-Competent, well-mannered, reserved. A good provider. Responsible,
conservative; can be stubborn in defense of own views. Most preferred
color.

GREEN
-mostly moderate in personal conduct. Loves nature. Non-philander.
Appreciates respect for these qualities.
GRAY
-Personality, like color, stresses compromise. Seeks inner peace,
tranquility. Would like to avoid emotional ups and downs, renounces
questionable conduct for hard work and duty.
BLACK
-Projects worldly, changeless, dignified image, yet no pompous or
overbearing. Feels no need for “artificial” supports as bold styles and
vivid colors.
 COLOR PSYCHOLOGY AS THERAPY
Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese,
practiced chromotherapy, or using colors to heal. Chromotherapy is
sometimes referred to as light therapy or colourology and is still used
today as a holistic or alternative treatment.

In this treatment:
Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase
circulation.
Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body.
Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels.
Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain.
Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems.
 EFFECTS OF COLORS
Color creates powerful psychological and physiological (or physical)
effects. Psychological effects are sensed in the mind; physiological
effects actually cause a change in the body. It is important to note that
people may react differently to the same color, based on their previous
experiences or learned behavior. Research studies have shown that:

Color affects an individual's moods or feelings in regard to space. Light

and cool colors seem to expand space: dark and warm colors seem to
enclose space.
Color affects eye's perception of weight and size. Dark and bright colors
seem heavier than light and cool colors. However, it is interesting that
the opposite effect is true in fashion design. Dark colors tend to slim
the figure, whereas light colors are usually thought to make one look
heavier.
Color affects a person's perception of temperature. Studies have
indicated that body temperature actually fluctuates in response to
various colors. For example, red, orange, and yellow can raise one's
temperature; cool colors have the opposite reaction.
Color can cause feelings of boredom and calmness, or stimulation and
liveliness. Colors may cause the nervous system to become agitated,
and the body reacts in negative ways to this stimulus.
Colors can affect one's reaction to sounds, taste, odors, and time
perception.
Colors can improve the rate of recovery of sick patients
LIGHT
“Architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of masses
brought together in light. Our eyes are made to see forms in light; light
and shade reveal these forms…”

-Le Corbusier, towards a new architecture.

WHAT IS LIGHT?
o Electromagnetic radiation
oVisible to human eye
oResponsible to the sense of sight
light ranges from the shorter wavelength invisible infrared light to
longer wavelength visible ultraviolet light