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Understanding Color

Chapter 9

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Color & Clothing

Why Learn about color:– Chose clothes that make you look your best– Draw attention to or away from certain areas of

your body– Emphasize the color of your eyes– Create illusion of height, etc

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Impact of Color

Act as symbols Communicate feelings Some colors indicate coolness Others indicate hot

Optical tricks cause colors to vibrate Sends special messages

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Color as Symbols

Traffic light– Green means go– Yellow means caution– Red means stop

Symbolize special holidays– Red for Valentine’s Day– Green for St. Patrick’s day– Rust, gold, brown indicate fall or harvest

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Colors associated with ceremonies and celebrations– First communion dresses– Bridal gowns– Mourners

Can represent feelings:– Feeling blue, in the red, in the black

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Colors & Temperature

Red, orange, yellow look like fire Considered warm colors

Blue – deep water, clear skies Green – grassy lawns, shade trees Violet – cool evening

– They are cool colors

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Colors

Warm

Fall colors Make people feel warm

on a cold morning

Cool

Cool colors, summer and spring colors

Make people feel cool on hot days

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Color & Movement

Warm colors are more noticeable– Cereal boxes, etc usually red, yellow, orange

Construction crews were bright yellow

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Colors & Mood

Blue, green and violets have subduing effect

Reds, oranges, yellow express excitement and stimulate action

Bright cheerful restaurants Calming colors for bedrooms, etc

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What is color?

Contain pigment…– Substances that absorb some light rays and

reflect others

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Color Wheel

Primary colors– Red, blue, yellow– All colors are made from these– Spaced equally on color wheel

Secondary Colors– Equal amounts of 2 primary colors– Blue and yellow = green– Blue and red = purple

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Complementary Colors– Directly opposite on color wheel

– Blue and orange are complimentary

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Color Variations

Value– Describes lightness or darkness– Adds white or black

Tint = lightened by adding white Shade = darkened by adding black Hue – precise name for a color

– Green, blue, red

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Intensity– Brightness or dullness of the color– Bright colors are deep and vivid– Dull colors = softer, muted or subdued

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Neutral Colors

Black = light rays are absorbed White = light rays are reflected

Gray = combination of black and white is also neutral

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Creating a Color Scheme

Color scheme = plan for using a color or a combination of colors

To decorate a room or put together an outfit

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Monochromatic

“mono” = one “chromatic” = color

One color scheme Can vary contrast a little or a lot

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Analogous

Uses 2 or more colors next to each other on the color wheel

Yellow, yellow-orange, orange

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Complimentary

Colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel

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Split-complementary

One color used with two colors on each side of its direct complement

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Triadic

3 colors are equally distant from each other

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Color Wheel

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  Complementary Colors are

colors that differ by 12 (180 degrees).Example: Blue and yellow, green and magenta, red and aqua are complementary pairs of colors.

Triadic Colors are colors that differ by 8 and 16 (120 degrees).Example: Red, blue, and green are triadic colors. Aqua, yellow, and magenta are also triadic colors.

Adjacent Colors are colors that differ by one or two

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Selecting Colors for You

Best to evaluate colors in natural light Fluorescent light adds blue Some light bulbs are “soft pink”

When selecting consider:– Personal coloring– Body shape– height

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Personal Coloring

Color of your skin Hair eyes

Skin tones Creamy, honey to olive To determine look at

the skin color on the inside of your wrist

– Blue or pink indicates cool

– Yellow, gold, peach, indicated warm

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Analyzing Colors

Hold up color next to your eyes and face

If light complexion does your face look more red, yellow

Darker skin – does it enhance or overpower you

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Body Shape

White cube VS Black cube

White appears larger because it reflect the light, black absorbs

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Use warm colors to advance Bright colors draw attention Light colors add size

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Summary

Colors can be used as symbols to communicate messages.

Colors can draw or deflect attention by suggesting temperature and movement.

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The 3 primary colors – red, yellow, and blue- are used to make all others, including secondary and intermediate colors.

Adding black or white creates variations of colors on the color wheel.

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Colors can be used in color schemes to create different visual effects.

The best colors for you are those that enhance your natural coloring

You can use color to help accent or minimize physical features.

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Activity

Warm VS Cool