Exploring Color Theory: The Art and Science of Color
Color Wheel by me
Previously In my blog The Art Vocab Kick-Off, I mentioned how a rainbow is formed: sunlight refracts as it passes through water droplets, dispersing into its constituent colors. Red, with the longest wavelength, appears on the outer part of the rainbow, while violet, with the shortest wavelength, remains on the inner edge. The spectrum of wavelengths between the two produces all the colors we see.
When I was a child, our family loved to go camping. My brother, now an engineer, explained how colors are perceived in our environment. I was sitting on a red four-wheeler at Kolob Lake in Utah. He said, “What color is that four-wheeler?” Red, of course- any dummy can see that. Now, let me qualify that my brother grew up to be an engineer with several patents. He doesn’t usually tell you something that isn’t true. I was intrigued. He continued to explain that the color we see is the color that is reflected off the object. Not the actual color of the object.
Whaaaa???? He explained that the colors we see are actually the wavelengths reflected off an object, not the object’s inherent colors. For example, a red four-wheeler appears red because it reflects red light while absorbing all other colors. The four-wheeler was ANY and ALL colors our eyes don’t see reflecting off the object. Boom! Mind blown. This concept explains why black, absorbing all light, becomes hot in the sun, while white, reflecting light, stays cool—a principle evident in traditional desert attire. I’m sure you have seen images of people crossing the desert, cloaked in flowing white clothing.
In art, the color wheel is an essential tool to understand how colors are created and describe the interactions between colors and the effect they have on one another. The basic color wheel is a circle sliced into 12 equal sections like a pie. They represent all the same colors a rainbow does, but instead of red and purple on opposite ends of the spectrum, they are together in a continuous circle. Let’s talk about why.
Color Relationships:
- Complementary Colors are positioned opposite each other on the color wheel, offering the highest contrast and vibrancy when paired. Examples include red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and violet. They can also be made up of two tertiary colors opposite each other. Mixing complementary colors results in neutral tones like gray or brown, which can be useful for dulling a color's intensity. This is an excellent technique for artists seeking to soften a color's vibrancy while maintaining harmony. Simply mix a small amount of any color’s complement in with it to knock it down a notch. When mixing brown or grey, use a more equal ratio of two complimentary colors.
- Analogous Colors are two or more colors that are adjacent on the color wheel, such as red, red-orange, and orange. If it is only two colors, it could be blue and blue-green, for example.. These combinations create harmonious and visually pleasing palettes.
If you’ve been following my blog series on the Elements of Art, you know that color is one of these fundamental components, alongside form, value, line, shape, space, and texture. In our previous exploration, we touched upon how color is perceived through light reflected off or emitted from objects—without light, there is no color. Sir Isaac Newton was the first to unlock the mysteries of this light-color relationship, a discovery that still influences our understanding of color today. Check out how I utilize color in my art HERE. I’ve also made a color wheel freebie that shows you how to make your own color wheel at home. I highly recommend this because experiential learning is so effective when were talking color theory. Get yours HERE.
The Color Wheel: Understanding Color Relationships
- Primary Colors: Red, yellow, and blue—these are true colors. They are also called hues and cannot be created by mixing other colors. If you can’t afford to buy many tubes of paint, buy these three hues as all other colors are created by mixing these.
- Secondary Colors: Orange, Green, and violet, derived from mixing two primary colors together. We get orange when we mix red and yellow. Green is created by mixing blue and yellow. Finally, we get violet by mixing blue and red. This is why it is next to red on the color wheel, instead of being separated like the rainbow.
- Tertiary Colors: These are positioned between primary and secondary colors, They are red-orange (sometimes called vermillion), red-violet (AKA magenta), yellow-orange (also called amber or gold), yellow-green (commonly called chartreuse), blue-green (some describe as teal), and blue-violet (also called indigo). They are similar to a secondary color but the mixture consists of more of the primary color noted in the name. You can think of them as the hyphenated colors. Each one starts with a primary color, and the second half of the name is the secondary color that is next to it on the color wheel.
The Structure of the Color Wheel:
Compliments with Primary
Compliments with Tertiary
Analogous
Exploring Tints and Shades
- Full Strength: The use of a color right out of the tube or a secondary or tertiary color that hasn’t been greyed down with it’s compliment.
- Half Strength: Using a color mixed with a little bit of white. In watercolor, we just add more water to our paint mixture to allow it to become thinner, and the white of the paper will show through more.
- Tint: A tint is created by adding white to a full-strenght color, resulting in a lighter version. This can create softer, more delicate shades. Think of pastels. Most people see pink as a separate color from red, but it is only red mixed with white. If we want to mix a color with white in watercolor, we rely on the white of the paper to show through a thin, transparent layer of color.
- Shade: A shade is produced by adding black to a color, making it darker and less intense. Shades contribute depth and richness to a composition. I don’t use black in my paintings because it tends to fall flat and ruin the look of the piece. Instead, I use a mixture of Payne's Grey (a deep, low-intensity blue) and a brown. It appears to be inky black, but it reflects light differently and keeps the piece looking lively.
Full Strength to Tint
Temperature of Colors
- Warm Colors are yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange, orange, and red. These evoke warmth and energy.
- Cool Colors are red-violet, violet, blue-violet, blue, blue-gree,n and green. They offer a soothing, calming effect. Notably, colors on the spectrum edges can shift between warm or cool depending on their mixture ratio. For example, a red-violet that has more red than violet can be warm.
Pigment and Intensity
- Pigment: The substance, usually a powder, that gives a material its color. For example, paint is a pigment mixed with a liquid, usually a binder, solvent, or additive, to create the desired effect. Check out the video in the Related Links section showing how paint is made.
- Saturation: Refers to the intensity of a color. More pigment results in a higher saturation, making the color appear vibrant. Conversely, less pigment results in lower intensity, making colors appear light, faded, or muted. This is apparent in our example of full strength, half strength, and tint. Each time we water down a color in watercolor, there are fewer pigment molecules and they become more spread out in the mixture. One way to use this is to create depth in a piece. A color’s intensity diminishes when it is farther away in space and brighter when it is up close. For example, if you have a bright blue ocean, the color becomes less intense as it moves back in space.
Effects of Surrounding Colors
- Complementary colors at the same intensity create a high contrast effect. While you can use high contrast to draw the eye somewhere, this high contrast in color isn’t usually pleasing to the eye. Think of Christmas ornaments that are high-intensity red and green. While they are compliments, they don’t appear to complement each other; they seem only to contrast and are at odds with each other. To create a more subtle and attractive color combination, grey down (mix in some of the complement) or lighten up (add white or, in the case of watercolor, thin out the mixture with more water) one of the colors. The more vibrant color will pop forward while the less intense color will seem to recede into the background.
- A color appears more vibrant when next to any greyed-down color, even when not its complement.
- A color will appear cooler when surrounded by warm tones and warmer around cool tones.
Additional Considerations in Color Theory
As you continue your creative journey, remember that color is not just a visual experience; it’s also an emotional and psychological one. I encourage you to experiment with these concepts in your art and observe how they influence your work and your audience's responses.
Stay tuned for more insights in my upcoming blog posts, and feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas that arise as you explore the world of color!
- Color Harmony: This concept involves the arrangement of colors in a way that is pleasing to the eye. Understanding harmony can enhance the visual appeal of your artwork.
- Color Context: How colors interact and affect one another can create various emotional responses. Experimenting with color context helps you understand how colors can alter the perception of a piece. For instance, placing a vibrant orange next to a subdued blue can create a striking contrast, while combining two harmonious colors, like green and yellow, may produce a calming effect.
- Cultural Significance: Colors often carry cultural meanings and associations that can influence a viewer's interpretation. For example, red may symbolize passion or danger in one culture and luck in another. Understanding these associations can enrich your artistic narrative and help your audience connect with your work on a deeper level.
- Light and Surface: The appearance of color can also be affected by the surface texture and the type of light in which it is viewed. Glossy finishes can reflect light differently than matte surfaces, altering the perceived color. Additionally, natural light can change the appearance of color throughout the day. We need to consider these factors to achieve the desired outcome in their work.
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