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COLOR CONTRAST

How Colors behave in relation


to other colors & shapes.

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Yellow text on a white


 

background?

OR

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Color Groups

• Light colors involve basic hues with white.


• Dull colors involve hues with gray.
• Vivid colors are the basic hues.
• Dark colors are involving basic hues with black
• Achromatic colors are shades of blacks and grays
                     

                   

                   

                   

     
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Color theory has proven obvious psychological effects
due to color contrasts.
Warm colors are said to advance or appear more active in a painting,
while cool colors tend to recede.

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Warm colors used in interior design or fashion are said to arouse or stimulate the
viewer, while cool colors calm and relax.

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Most of these effects, to the extent they are real, can be attributed to the
higher saturation and lighter value of warm pigments in contrast to cool
pigments.

Thus, brown is a dark, unsaturated warm color that derives from warm red, but
only few people may think brown as visually active or psychologically arousing
like color red.

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Color Assimilation
Color assimilation changes the hue of colored objects in
the direction of the surrounding color and often
decreases contrast. This effect appears whenever
colored objects are so tightly interwoven, that they tend
to become "integrated" into one color.

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Compare the contrast effects of different color backgrounds
for the same orange square.

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How color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes.

Compare the contrast effects of different color backgrounds for the same
red square.
Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller
against the white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless;
in contrast with blue-green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square
appears larger on black than on other background colors.
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Applying the Effects: Same but Different – Different but
Same
Notice how the same color appears differently depending on
the surrounding color

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Colors change appearance when placed
along side other colors.

i.e.

A light Color Block will appear lighter near a dark color area

A dark Color Block will appear darker near a light color area
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Different Readings of the same color.

The relationship of values, saturations and the warmth or coolness of


respective hues can cause noticeable differences
in our perception of color.
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Applying the Effects:
Same but Different – Different but Same

The two small squares in the middle seem to be the same. But
actually, these colors are quite different.

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Types of Color Contrast

Color Contrast

5. Complementary
1. Light & Dark 2. Cool & Warm 3. Saturation 4. Extension

Advancing Color & Receding Colors

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Color Contrast

1. Contrast of Light and Dark


A light hue in contrast to a dark hue. The strongest expression being
black in contrast to white.

This could be a monochromatic composition as well. It constitutes the


amount of black and white added to the particular hue. Example,
pink is the tint of red due to the result of more white. And burgundy
is a darker shade of red due to more black.

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Color Contrast

2. The contrast of warm and cool 


A hue selected from the cool collection to contrast
with a warm collection.

Warm color
-The Colors that fall between pure red and pure yellow are called.

Cool color
-The colors opposite of the warm colors are called “cool” colors; fall
between blue, violet and green

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Color Contrast

3. The contrast of compliments


 
When colors are opposite each other in the color wheel, it is
considered as complementary. Examples are Red and Green, Yellow
and Violet A key hue to contrast with it’s complementary color.

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Color Contrast

4. The Contrast of Saturation

A bright saturated or high intense hue contrast with a less intense hue or a
dull tone of a hue.

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Color Contrast

5. The contrast of extension 


 
Also known as the Contrast of Proportion. The contrast is formed by
placing a small area of color next to contrast with a large area of another
color. Usually combine two or more areas of colors.

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End of Show

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Color Wheel Construction – Harmony Cubes

Cool Range Warm Range


Cool Values – Warm Values –
Tint, Tone & Tint, Tone &
Shade Shade

Direct
Cool Adjacent Complimentary Warm Adjacent

Split Split
Complimentary Complimentary
- neutral
- neutral
1 warm and 2
1 cool and 2
cool
warm

Composite
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