Color Notes

History of Color Colors are often

symbolic.

Let’s talk about what role color has played in different times in history.

In China… Yellow has

religious significance and is still the Imperial color today!

In Greece and Rome… Red was believed

to have protective powers.

Purple was restricted to use by nobility.

The Egyptians… Adorned walls of

tombs and temples with brilliant colors of blue, tangerine, and green.

In the Italian Renaissance… Colors were

vibrant reds, greens, golds and blues.

In the Rococo period… Tastes

became very feminine and pastel-colors became less vibrant.

In 18th Century England… Colors were rich

and elegant, showing a strong Chinese influence in the use of red and gold.

During the Victorian Era… There was

great Eclecticism: abundance of “things”.

Colors were mostly dull reds, greens, browns, and mauves.

In the Early 20th Century… Colors were

Monochromatic. There were sleek surfaces and strong contrasts with black, gray, silver, brown, beige and white.

In the 1920’s… All-white interiors

became popular which gave way to delicate pastels with bright accents.

In the 1950’s.. Light colors

were preferred.

However, American interest turned to Mexico and a shift to bright colors with bright contrasts.

And in the 1990’s… Regal gold, blue,

and red were used. Southwestern remained popular and Victorian was being revived.

Ivy league also became popular with forest greens and cranberry reds.

Where does color come from? A ray of light is

the source of all color.

Without light, color does not exist.

Color is light broken into electromagnetic vibrations of varying wavelengths, which cause the viewer to see different colors.

The longest wavelength is perceived as red.

The shortest wavelength is perceived as violet.

Color Color can alter the

appearance of form and space.

Color can affect our performance abilities and change our moods.

Color is perceived in the brain through a response of the eyes to different wavelengths of light.

Important Terms Hue: Another word for the name of a

color.

Value: Refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue.

Tints: values lighter than normal (created by adding white to a hue)

Shades: values darker than normal (created by adding black to a hue)

Intensity: refers to the purity and strength of a hue. (Can be bright or dull.)

Pigments Pigments are substances

that can be ground into fine powder and used for adding color to dyes and paints.

Before they could be made through chemistry, pigments were originally derived from animal, mineral, and vegetable sources.

Examples:› Purple from shellfish› Red dye from the dried

bodies of insects To create our own color

wheel, we will be mixing different pigments together to create all the colors in the color wheel.

The Color Wheel

There are 12 hues in the spectrum of color.

They are divided into three categories…

Red-viole t

V io le t

B lue-vio le tB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

Red-orange

Red

The color wheel is a basic tool we use when working with colors.

The Primary Colors Red, Yellow, and

Blue

These colors cannot be combined from mixing any colors together.

Red-vio let

V io let

B lue-vio letB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange Orange

Red-orange

Red

The Secondary Colors Green, violet and

orange

Made by combining the Primary colors together.

Blue & Yellow = Green Red & Yellow = Orange Red & Blue = Violet

Red-vio let

V io let

B lue-vio letB lue

B lue-green

Green

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

Red-orange

Red

The Tertiary Colors Yellow-orange,

yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet & red-orange.

Made by combining a primary and a secondary hue.

Named by the Primary color FIRST.

Red-vio le t

V io le t

B lue-vio le tB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

Red-orange

Red

Color Schemes

Color Scheme: A combination of colors selected for a room design in order to create a mood or set a tone.

It provides guidelines for designing successfully with color.

Color schemes look best when one color dominates.

Types of Color Schemes

1. Neutral2. Monochromatic3. Analogous4. Complementary5. Split-Complementary6. Triad

1. Neutral• This color scheme utilizes blacks,

whites, grays, beiges and creams.

2. Monochromatic Tints and

shades of one color on the color wheel

3. Analogous•Three to five hues next to each other on the color wheel

4. Complementary Two colors

that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

5. Split-Complementary One color

combined with the two colors on each side of its complement.

6. Triad•Three colors that are of equal distance apart on the color wheel.