This was illustrated by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century when he put white light through a prism. The prism broke up white light into familiar rainbow of hues.
The significance of the fact that 'color is a property of light', is: as light changes, colors also change. E.g. Grass may be almost gray at dawn, yellow-green at noon, blue-black at night. However, our mind insists that grass is green despite the visual evidence. This is called Color Constancy Effect. For many artists, this has been an important subject of study:
Monet, London, The House of Parliament, Stormy Sky, 1904.
Monet, London, The House of Parliament, Sun Breaking Through the Fog, 1904.Although color comes from light, the guidelines of color mixing and usage are different depending on whether the color source is light or pigments & dyes.
Color from light combines and forms new visual sensations based on what is called ADDITIVE SYSTEM.
When color comes from the light reflected by pigments, it operates based on the SUBTRACTIVE SYSTEM.
(Pigments are substances that reflect approximately the same color as is seen in the band of the spectrum of refracted light.)
ADDITIVE SYSTEM (refracted light):
If you look at a screen with a magnifying glass you will see that all the colors are actually combinations of tiny red, green, blue dots. There is no color such as yellow on a screen.
Lights projected from different sources mix according to the additive method.
Three primary colors are: RED - GREEN - BLUE (RGB)
When three primaries are combined 'white light' will be produced.
Secondary colors are: CYAN - YELLOW - MAGENTA
When complementary hues in light are mixed, it will produce an Achromatic Gray or White. E.g. When light from a cyan spotlight and from a separate red spotlight overlap, the visual sensation is basically white.
SUBTRACTIVE SYSTEM (reflected light):
Artists reproduce the colors of the visible spectrum using pigments.E.g. Yellow pigment absorbs all the colors except yellow, reflecting yellow back to the observer.
No color occurs until this reflected wavelenght of light is received by the eye and interpreted by the brain.
Three primary colors are: MAGENTA - CYAN - YELLOW
Secondary colors are the mixture of primaries: ORANGE - GREEN - PURPLE
If the secondaries are mixed, a third set of hues is created:
Tertiaries are: ORANGE-YELLOW; RED-ORANGE; RED-PURPLE; PURPLE-BLUE; BLUE-GREEN and YELLOW-GREEN.
PROPERTIES OF COLOR:
HUE:
Hue simply refers to the name of the color. Red, orange, green, yellow are hues. Although the terms 'hue' and 'color' are often used as synonyms there is a distinction between them: Hue describes the visual sensation of the different parts of the color spectrum. One hue can be varied to produce many colors. So, there are few hues but almost unlimited number of colors. Pink, rose, scarlet, maroon, crimson are all different colors but hue in each case is red.
The most common organization for the relationship of basic colors is the color wheel. Dates back to Sir Isaac Newton (17th c.), then updated by Johannes Itten. 12 hues are divided into 3 categories. Color wheels are 2D models of color relationships that deal with only HUES – the names of the colors.
Hues opposite of each other on a color wheel are complementary colors.
Hues next to each other are called analogous.
VALUE:
The second property of color is value. It is the degree of lightness or darkness of a hue.
In pigment, value can be altered by adding white or black paint to the color (also dilluting can be used: adding trasparent paint, like water in case of acrylic or gouche)
Adding white lightens and produces a TINT, or HIGH-VALUE color.
Adding black darkens and produces SHADE, or LOW-VALUE color.
Please note that, not all the colors on the color wheel are shown at the same value. Each is shown at normal value, with the pure color unmixed and undiluted. The normal values of yellow and blue are radically different. Yellow is light, high-value color. Blue is comparatively low-value, corresponding to dark gray.
Value, like color itself is variable and entirely dependent in surrounding hues for its visual sensation. E.g. Against black background, the color appears lighter than when it is on lighter background.
SATURATION (a.k.a. INTENSITY - CHROMA):
It is a measure for the purity and brightness, or, grayness and dullness of a color.
Mixing black and white with a color changes its value, but at the same time affects the saturation.
If you want to change the saturation without changing the value, then what is necessary is to mix the color with its complementary:
In pigments there are two major ways of graying a pure color of maximum saturation without changing its 'value':
Mix it with a gray of the same value, or
mix it with its complementary of the same value.
Complementary colors are direct opposites in position and in character. Mixed complementaries will neutralize each other until they form a gray that resembles neither.
Contrarily, when complementary colors are placed next to each other (mixed visually, not as pigments), they intensify each other's brightness. When orange and blue are side by side, they appear brighter than in any other content. This effect is called Simultaneous Contrast, meaning that each complement simultaneously intensifies the visual brilliance of the other, so that colors appear to vibrate.
Henri Matisse, Piano Lesson, 1916.Therefore, another way of changing saturation is to put one color side by side with its complementary. Both colors will look more intensified.
This is also based on a general principle of color: Colors are affected by colors around them.
COOL and WARM COLORS
Although we don't get burned or freeze by touching a colored surface, because of the learned associations, we attribute sensations such as warmth and being cold to colors.
By definition, colors between yellow and red-violet on the color wheel are referred as warm colors, whereas colors between yellow-green and violet are cool colors.
Archibald J. Motley, Gettin’ Religion, 1948.
Pierre Bonnard, Breakfast Room, 1930.The final effect, -as in all colors- depends on the context in which we see the color. Depending on the surrounding color, a cool color like green can appear warm (e.g. when it is surrounded with a colder/duller color)
COLOR SCHEMES (Color Harmonies)
1) Monochromatic:
Monochromatic scheme involves the use of only one hue. The hue can vary in value (black and white may be added).
Picasso, Crouching Woman, 1902.2) Analogous:
The adjacent colors on the color wheel are called analogous colors. The analogous scheme involves several hues that sit next to each other on the color wheel. The hues may vary in value.
Navaho Rug, 1885-1895.3) Complementary:
This scheme joins colors that are opposite to each other on the color wheel, which results with a strong sense of contrast.
Van Gogh, Noon Rest, 1889-90.4) Split Complementary:
It is related with the complementary scheme, but the colors which are adjacent to one of the complementary pairs are used. E.g. A red may be used with blue and green, instead of blue-green which is red's exact complementary.
Matisse, Two Girls in a Yellow and Red Interior, 1947.5) Triadic
It involves three colors which are equally spaced on the color wheel. Because the colors come from different parts of the color wheel, the result is usually lively.
P.Fix-Masseau, Periodical Cover, 1948.COLOR DISCORD
Color discord is the opposite of color harmony. Discordant colors have neither closeness nor contrast. Their relationship can't be described based on their being analogous or complementary. Therefore, their combination can be visually very disturbing. Certain color pairings in this group can almost be difficult to look at (e.g. red-cyan) as they have vibrating edges. Our eyes experiences conflict in trying to perceive them simultaneously.
Although color discord may sound negative at first, it can be used to create excitement and attract attention in a design.
Victor Moscoso, Young Bloods, poster, 1967.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of References:
Lauer, David A. and Stephen Pentak. Design Basics. 5th Ed. USA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning, 2002.
Zelanski, Paul and Mary Pat Fisher. Design: Principles & Problems. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984.
0 comments:
Post a Comment