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Colour

Colour terminology
• Chroma means colour
• Intensity is the brightness or
dullness of a colour
• Hue means colour
• A Colour wheel is the spectrum
bent into a circle.
• Value means tone of a colour
History of colour theory
• Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of
colours in 1666
The emotional impact of colour
• Colour effects our actions and reactions

• The Brighter the colour is the stronger the emotional


response.

• Hospitals often use green as it relaxes patients


• Green can improve your vision

• Yellow enhances concentration, hence its used for legal


note pads

• Red used in restaurants to stimulate the appetite.

• Red clothing may not help people in negotiations or


confrontations
The emotional impact of colour
• Black friar Bridge in London. When the bridge was changed
colour from black to green suicide rate went down 34%

• Weightlifters can lift heavier weights in a blue gym.

• Doctors and Nurses wear white to imply sterility

• Sports teams paint the locker rooms used by opposing players


bright pink so their opponents will lose energy

• More Red cars get stolen

• Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job


interviews it symbolizes loyalty.

• People waiting to go onto TV sit in green rooms to relax.


Blue
• Blue blood is said to be of noble descent.

• A natural colour, from the blue of the sky.

• Blue is calming and tranquility.

• Appetite suppressant

• Helps self acceptance

• Resolves conflict

• True Blue means loyal and faithful

• Style of music
Green
• Green is a soothing colour.

• Green is life.

• Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal,


health and environment.

• Green is jealousy and inexperienced.

• Fewer stomachs and relieves pain.

• Green means go.

• Relieves a teething baby.


Orange
• Improves mental awareness

• Orange is sunshine and healthiness

• Orange is vibrant

• Promotes happiness increases flow of oxygen to the


brain

• Orange is warmth and flames.

• Orange is symbolic of autumn


Pink
• Subdues

• Pink is a softer colour. Pink is the


sweeter side of red.

• Pink is cotton candy and bubble


gum and babies.
Purple
• Purple is royalty

• A mysterious colour, associated with both nobility and


spirituality.

• The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to


create this intriguing colour.

• A purple heart a symbol of bravery

• A purple room is said to increase ones creativity.


Red
• Red symbolic of Anger

• Used for stop signs, brake lights, and fire equipment


because of its high visibility

• Red is hot. Its conjures a range of emotions from


passionate love to violence and warfare.

• Red is the most commonly found on national flags

• Increases body tension

• Stimulates nervous system


White
• Cause people to get more headaches more often

• White is purity, cleanliness, and innocence.

• Angels are depicted wearing white robe.

• Good luck to be married in white

• White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger,


devotion or passion.

• A white knight is a rescuer.

• A white flag is the universal symbol for truce


Yellow
• Fatiguing

• Yellow is sunshine.

• Babies cry more in yellow rooms

• Husbands and wives fight more in yellow kitchens

• Traitors and cowards painted yellow

• Yellow a colour of peace

• High visibility colour so used on warning and danger


signs
Colour Plans
• One or two colours with black, white or grey.
• Monochromatic
• Harmonious
• Complementary
• Warm
• Cold
• Split complementary
• Triad
• Harmonious with complementary accent
• Double split complement
Intermediate colours

• There are six intermediate colours


• Red-orange, red-violet
• Blue-violet, blue-green
• Yellow-green, yellow-orange
Twelve colour steps
Colour Triads: is a colour scheme
composed of three colours spaced
equally apart on the colour wheel

Primary colours are an uncomfortable colour


combination to the viewer. Secondary colours
are less disturbing.
Complementary colours

• Opposite on the colour wheel, therefore more reactive with


each other.

• Dynamic combination

• Attracts attention
Harmonious colours
• Next to each other on the colour wheel so they work well
together.

• A common hue
• Feeling of unity
• Tying together two parts of a design
Warm Colours
• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Paul Cezanne used this idea in his paintings to create
depth.
• Feeling of warmth
• Move towards the eye
Cold Colours
• Green
• Blue
• Purple
• Colder feeling
• Recedes into the background
Split complements

Create harmony within design.


A split complement takes the form of a Y on
the colour wheel.
Double split complement

Double split complement takes the form of an X on


the colour circle.
Harmonious scheme plus
complementary accent.

A common type of colour scheme.


Monochromatic colour

• The full tonal, tint, and shade of one colour


• From a light shade to a dark shade.
• Colours work well together as they are the same
chroma.
Colour rules in design
• Pale, cool colours feel clean
• Warm colours that are bright are more noticeable.
• Bright colours full strength are too garish.
• Lighter cold colours are less noticeable.
• Warmer and darker colours stand out more.
Munsell’s colour theory

• To create harmony within design,


use colours of the same value.

• Or use colours of the same


chroma.
True Colour

• Colours that realistically represent


the subject matter.
Optical colours
• The colour that results when true colour is affected by
surroundings.
• For example when a white building is shone on by the
sun, it will appear to be made up of yellows, reds and
oranges.
• Western art until late 19th century was true colour
paintings.
• The impressionists changed this, Claude Monet showed
light effects on subject matter, for example the ‘Lillie's.
Arbitrary colors
• They disregard true colours and optical colours
• They use colours to create mood
• Bright colour: loud
• Light bright colours:happy and upbeat
• Cool, dark colours:mysterious, depressing.
• Earth tones: friendly and comfortable
• Bright yellow stimulating
• Bright red:exciting
Colour filters can alter a photographs
mood and feeling.
Arbitrary colours
Contrast

• Contrasting colours in design can say to you


“hey pay attention to me”
• For example black and yellow.
Choose the background
colour first
• Lighter colours appear larger on a dark background.

• Dark colours appear smaller on a lighter background.


A dominant colour is a colour
that is used most often.

To many colours confuse the eye.


Compare the contrast effects of different
colour backgrounds for the same red
square

Red appears more brilliant against a black background


and somewhat duller on a white background. With the
orange it appears lifeless and the blue more brilliant.
Colours can change dramatically
depending on changes in their
surrounding colours.
Notice the effects on the
colour square below
Notice the impact of colour on
each logo design.
Colour combinations for contrast
• Highest visibility:
• Black on Yellow Yellow
• Green on White Green
• Red on White Red
• Blue on White
Blue
• White on Blue
White
• Black on White
• Yellow on Black
Yellow
• White on Red White
• White on Green White
• White on Black White
Colour and physical sensation
• Effects on the eyes, red-fatigue on the
eyes, blue-easiest on the eyes.
• Effects on the body, red-most exciting,
green- most restful, blue-most cheerful.
• Black and violet can create depression,
greys can create violence and blues and
greens can agitate people.
Colour can create
• Atmosphere
• Contrast
• Movement
• Visual weight
• Colour emphasis; creating a focal
point
• Depth and space
Colour uses
• Symbolism: can describe human
behavioral traits.
• “a little white lie”
• “caught red handed”
• Can we explain why green means go
• Black in New Zealand is a funeral
colour, in India white is the funeral
colour.
• A bride may white New Zealand, but red
in China.
Tips when using colour
• Highlight important text with the colour red.
• Text in a red circle will be read first.
• Make your elements in the design vibrate by using
purple and green together or orange with blue
• Tie a layout together. Repeat a colour from a
photograph or illustration for the background, as
coloured type
• Using colour coding to organise in design
• Create mood in design, for example bright colours
convey excitement while pastels soothe
• Provoke an emotional response
• Put important text in a different colour tint, or wrap a
tint around several pictures.
Links to research
• Josef Albers: colour perception

• Faber Birren

• Atsushi Assari

• Choku Akashi

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