color design rule

8/11/2019 Color Design Rule

1/16

Color Design Rule. Art Theory Tutorial

Compositional effects of color

Uses and psychological effects

Printing and computer color

Spot color

Color study chart

Color Schemes

Monochromatic - One color. A monochromatic color scheme uses only one hue (color) and all values

(shades adding !lac"# tones adding gray# or tints adding $hite) of it for a unifying and harmonious effect.

%ives the illusion of form dimension and depth.

&alue refers to the lightness and dar"ness of a color. 'or eample if light falls on a green !all the part of the!all nearest the light $ill !e lightest in value !ecause it reflects the most light. he part of the !all oppositethe light $ill !e the deepest in the shado$ and thus dar"est in value.

*emem!er - you can also change the value of a color !yadding !lac" (shade) or $hite (tint) or gray (tone). As $hiteis added to a color it !ecomes +higher+ in value (lighter). As!lac" is added it !ecomes +lo$er+ in value (dar"er).

Use values that are close together to give the design a calmappearance.

Use values of pure hues as $ell as those of tints and shadesto create movement.

Use value contrasts to sho$ teture and as an effectivemeans of directing vie$er attention in a composition.

*emem!er that value is the relationship of light to dar".

amara de ,empic"a - Marquis Sommi- /0


2/16

1atya - 1atya 2 - /33/- 4ased on color theory of 5osef Al!ers

Neutral Colors

6eutral colors - contain e7ual parts of each of the three primary colors -

!lac" $hite gray and sometimes !ro$n are considered +neutral+. 8hen

neutrals are added to a color only the value changes ho$ever# if you try to

ma"e a color dar"er !y adding a dar"er color to it the color (hue) changes.

Consider that !lac" and $hite are thought of as neutrals !ecause they do

not change color.

%eorgia O91eeffe -

Black Iris III: /;

Claude Monet - Water-Lilies-enri de oulouse-,autrec - The Kiss- ?/

Cool Colors

Cool colors suggest coolness and seem to recede

from a vie$er and fall !ac" e.g. !lue and green

are the colors of s"y $ater and trees).

&incent &an %ogh - Starry Night- ??

>enri Matisse - Woman ith the !at" #aris- 3


4/16

can only !e altered !y miing a color $ith

its complement $hich has the

effect of visually neutraliing the color.

Changing the values of the hues adding

!lac" or $hite $ill soften the effect.

1no$ that the color $heel is simply a guide on ho$ colors relate to one

another it is !y no means a formula for ma"ing successful art.

Also "eep in mind that miing colors ta"es more effort than simply

adding !lue to red to get purple.

Artist can spend entire careers developing color pallettes.

Intensity

4rightness or dullness of a color. A pure hue is a high-

intensity color. A dulled hue a color mied $ith its

complement is called a lo$-intensity color.

*aoul Bufy - 6ude on a Pin" Sofa - 3/

Piet Mondrian Composition $ith *ed ello$ and 4lue - /


5/16

Triad

A color triad is composed of three colors spaced an e7ual distance apart on the color $heel. he contrast

!et$een triad colors is not as strong as that !et$een complements.

#rimary

*ed yello$ and !lue

Secondary

4y miing t$o primary colors you create a secondary colorD

*ed E ello$ F Orange#

ello$ E 4lue F %reen# and

4lue E *ed F Purple (violet)

Glls$orth 1elly - %ed Blue &reen- ;2

Intermediate

Colors are created !y miing a primary and a secondaryD *ed-orange yello$-orange yello$-green !lue-green !lue-purple and

red-

purple.

>enri

Matisse - Le 'onheur de (i(re )The *oy o+ Li+e, - 30-3;


6/16


7/16

can !alance on large one.

An o!=ect $ith a complicated contour is more interesting and appears to !e heavier than one $ith a simple

contour. A small comple o!=ect can !alance a large simple o!=ect.

*emem!er that saturation is the relative !rilliance or vi!rancy of a color. he more saturated a color the less

!lac" it contains.

Balance and $ro$ortion

Use highly saturated or high-intensity colors (a pure hue $ith no other

colors mied in) or !usily detailed areas to dra$ attention and therefore

give the appearance of carrying more $eight than less saturated lo$-

intensity or visually simpler areas.

4alance - the t$o types of !alance are formal (symmetrical) and informal (asymmetrical).

Proportion - the sie relationship of one part to the $hole and one part to another.

0m$hasis

An area in a $or" of art that attracts the vie$ers attention first. he element noticed first is called dominant#

the elements noticed later are called su!ordinate.

1nity

Allo$s the vie$er to see a com!ination of elements principles and media as a $hole. Unity is created !y

harmony simplicity repetition proimity and continuation. 'or eample you could use the repetition of a

color scheme to unify a composition. Another $ay to unify a composition is to simplify the color scheme !y

allo$ing one color to dominate the $or". his is called tonality. onality does not have to !e monochromatic

ho$ever the overall effect appears to !e of one color.

Mo(ement

Color can create a sense of movement. 8hen the values in a $or" =ump 7uic"ly from very high-"ey to very

lo$-"ey a feeling of ecitement and movement is created. 8hen all of the values are close together the

$or" seems much calmer. 8hen you $ant to create movement $ith color remem!er to use values of pure

hues as $ell as those of tints and shades. Movement creates the illusion of action or physical change in

position.

%hythm

the use of repeated elements to create the illusion of movement. &isual rhythm is perceived through the

eyes and is created !y repeated positive spaces separated !y negative spaces. here are five types of

rhythmD random regular alternating flo$ing and progressive.


8/16

1ses and #sychological 0++ects

#hysiological e++ects- mystics have long held $e emanate a colored glo$ or aura $hich is thought to effect

the state of a person9s health and spirituality. oday chromotherapy is used to heal $ith colors. his form of

treatment dates !ac" thousands of years to the ancient +color halls+ of Ggypt China and @ndia. A more

prominent use of color therapy occurs in environmental design (the effect of color on health and !ehavior).

Color sym'olism- our responses to color are not =ust !iological. hey are also influenced !y color

associations from our culture.

#ersonal color $re+erences- not only have $e inherited cultural associations !ut $e also respond to colors

in individual $ays. *esearch has revealed some varia!les that help eplain individual differences in color

responses. One thing remains the same in color and that is our o$n color preferences are important to us.

0motional e++ects- the actual emotional effect of a specific color in an art$or" depends partly on its

surroundings and partly on the ideas epressed !y the $or" as a $hole. o !e surrounded !y !lue lighting in

an installation is 7uite different from seeing a small area of !lue in a larger color contet. 'or many of us the

emotional effects of art may !e difficult to articulate.

Local and e2$ressi(e color- there are t$o opposite $ays of using color in representational art. At one

etreme is the local color - the color that something appears from near!y $hen vie$ed under average lighting

conditions. 8e thin" of the local color of a !anana as yello$ for eample. At the other end of the etreme is

the epressionistic use of color $here!y artists use color to epress an emotional rather than a visual truth.

*emem!er that most colors carry physiological cultural personal emotional and epressive implications.


9/16

%ed Any of various colors resem!ling the color of !lood# the primary color atone etreme end of the visi!le spectrum an effect of light $ith a$avelength !et$een ;3 and H?3 nm. (8e!ster9s p.;


10/16

Pumps people up. Proven to increase energy. 8eight lifters should lift in a!lue room. Production people $ill produce more in a !lue room. 6ot a goodcolor for hospitals.

%es$onsi'ility" trustorthiness" com$assion those are the attri!utes ofroyal !lue.

!onest" integrity" righteous" $uritantical" moral" se(ere" $rudish" cool"

melancholy" sad" glum" doncast" gloomy" unha$$y" quality" +irst

$lace

4range A color !et$een yello$ and red in the spectrum an effect of light $ith a$avelength !et$een 03 and ;3 nm# reddish yello$. A secondary colorthat has !een formed !y the miture of red and yello$ pigments(8e!ster9s p.2;).

6ot a color that everyone loves !ut those $ho do are generally social andfun loving.

Con+ident" creati(e" ad(enturous" +un lo(ing" socia'le

&reen

A color intermediate in the spectrum !et$een yello$ and !lue an effect oflight $ith a $avelength !et$een 033 and 0H3 nm.# found in nature as thecolor of most grasses and leaves $hile gro$ing of some fruits $hileripening and of the sea. A secondary color that has !een formed !y themiture of !lue and yello$ pigments (8e!ster9s p.?2H).

A good color for people in transition. %reen is Mother 6ature9s color lover9sof green may !e fic"le.

he money color--!ound to influence.

@n Celtic myths the %reen man $as the %od of fertility.

Universal sym!olismD 6ature freshness

Contemporary sym!olismD Gcologically !eneficial

Nature" health" regeneration" contentment" harmony" cheer+ul" li(ely"

+riendly" +resh" sickly" unri$e" immature" sim$le" unso$histicated"

gulli'le" ne

#ur$le

Any color having components of !oth red and !lue such as lavender esp.one deep in tone (8e!ster9s p.0;).

he color of fantasy. Most men disli"e purple.

%oyalty" intelligence" ealth" 'eauty" ins$iration" so$histication" high

rank" e2alted" im$erial" $rincely" e2cessi(ely ornate rhetoric" $ro+ane"


11/16

shocking

&ray

Of a color !et$een $hite and !lac"# having a neutral hue (8e!ster9sp.?2


12/16

disorders.

/emininity" seetness" $rime" le+t-ing

Bron

A dar" tertiary color $ith a yello$ish or reddish hue (8e!ster9s p./;H).Solid relia!le !ro$n is the color of earth and is a!undant in nature. ,ight!ro$n implies genuineness $hile dar" !ro$n is similar to $ood or leather.4ro$n can also !e sad and $istful. Men are more apt to say !ro$n is oneof their favorite colors.

0arth" nature" dirt" tanned" dra'" co++ee" solid" sad

#rinting and com$uter color

*emem!er that in printing process colorsD yello$ cyan (!right !lue)

magenta (!lue red) and !lac" ma"e up all other colors.

@f you select a color from a color s$atch !oo" and as" 333 printers to

reproduce that color you9ll get 333 different colors.

he color of the paper affects the color of the in". 1no$ that on computer

or television screens red green and !lue ma"e up all other

colors.

Colors vie$ed on monitors computer or television $ill vary

significantly unless cali!rated.

S$ot Color

Consider that spot color results from adding a specific second color to the single color normally used (!lac"

is the traditional single color).

Use spot color to direct the reader9s eye to special sections or important information for fast identification.

Screen one or !oth of your colors and achieve the effect of printing in multiple colors. Screening is the

process !y $hich you use a percentage (or lo$er value) of a full color creating a lighter shade of the

original. ou can also add !lac" to the color to ma"e it dar"er.

Add a single color to !lac"-and-$hite photographs (creating a duo tone) to !ring depth and richness to the

document. ,oo" for eamples of different duo tones in design !oo"s.

Su!stitute a different color for !lac" in a t$o-color =o! as an effective $ay to increase the appeal and

richness of the document.

4e smart a $ell designed piece $ith t$o-colors and screens (tints of the t$o colors) $ill al$ays !e less

epensive and pro!a!ly !etter loo"ing than a piece designed $ith mediocre four-color images.


13/16

1no$ that if you are designing a four-color piece it $ill

pro!a!ly re7uire a five si or more runs through the

press. ou $ill pro!a!ly $ant a spot color (a special

non-process color other than Cyan Magenta ello$

and 4lac") a varnish (protective coating) and among

other things a dou!le hit (a second printing of a

!ac"ground color).

Color Study Chart

Create a chart to represent each of the items

!elo$. Use a one inch s7uare for each set.

Analogouscolor scheme (colors that contain a

common hue and are found net to each other on the

color $heel

set in red red-orange and red-violet)

set in ones (color plus 23J gray)

Com$lementary

Complementary color scheme (t$o colors opposite one another on the color $heel)

set your choice

set in ints (color plus $hite)

set in Shades (color plus !lac")


14/16

Se(en Warm5Aggressi(e Colors

@n a com!ination of pure color tints tones and shades.

Se(en Cool5%eceding Colors

@n a com!ination of pure color tints tones and shades.

Triad color scheme

Composed of three colors spaced an e7ual distance apart on the color $heel e.g. the three

primary colors - red !lue and yello$.

set in pure color.

.iad color scheme

$o colors that are t$o colors apart on the color $heel e.g. red and orange.

set in ints (color plus $hite)

set in Shades (color plus !lac")


15/16

set in ones (color plus 23J gray)

S$lit Com$lementary

Split complementary (one color and using the color on each side of its complement on the

color $heel e.g. red yello$-green and !lue-green)

set in pure color.

.ou'le Com$lementary

Bou!le complementary (t$o ad=acent hues and their opposites e.g. red and red-orange

green and !lue-green)

set in pure color.

Intensity

he !rightness or dullness of a color. A pure color is a high-intensity color. A dulled hue (a

color mied $ith its complement is called a lo$-intensity color.

Neutrali6e

Choose a high-intensity (!right) color and neutraliing (dulling it) !y addingD

4lac" $hite gray and its complement


16/16

color design rule

Documents