Art & Craft

Color Theory

Introduction

Color theory is the science and art of using color that explains how humans perceive color; how colors mix or contrast with each other and the primary rules and guidelines that surround color and its use in creating aesthetically pleasing visuals. It is the logical structure of color to create and use palettes more strategically. Thus the result means evoking a particular emotion, vibe, or aesthetic.

In color theory, colors are displayed on a color wheel and grouped into 3 categories: primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors.

So why should you care about color theory?

Color theory will help you build your brand and affect your sales too. It’s important to understand this as an entrepreneur, artist or a collector.

Color is conceptuality, perspective, representation and a lot more than just visual statement. People decide whether or not they like a product in 1.5 minutes or less. 90% of that decision is based solely on visual representation.

Our eyes absorbs light and the data sent from our eyes to our brains. Objects reflect light in different accumulation of wavelengths. Our brains pick up on those different wavelength and translate them into the phenomenon, we call color.

The color wheel

Have you ever been attracted to the wide hues of the box of crayon. I was so amused that I almost gazed on it till I was called my name to concentrate. The layout of color was absolutely pleasing. Understanding the color wheel and color harmonies (what works,what doesn’t and their communication) is just as exciting as that.Read More

What Are the Primary Colors

In color mixing for painting, the thumb rule is that three colors cannot be made by mixing other colors in any which way. These three colors, red, blue, and yellow, are known as the primary colors. They are the base of a color wheel, and all the other colors are made by mixing them in different proportions.

Red – eg, cadmium red

Yellow – e.g. cadmium yellow

Blue – e.g. ultramarine blue

How to Make Secondary Colors Using Primary Color

Secondary colors are obtained by mixing two primary colors.

Ie. To obtain

Purple: Red + blue

Orange: Red + yellow

Green: Blue+ yellow

If we mix all three primary colors, we get black.

When mixing colors, the choice of primary colors is of utmost importance. There are various red, yellow, and blue shades, which in combination also result in different secondary colors, thus giving a different color wheel each time.

How to Make Tertiary Colors Using Primary And Secondary Colors?

The tertiary colors are created by mixing two adjacent colors from the color wheel of the primary and secondary colors. These colors are also called fractional colors, intermediate colors because they are not as bright and distinct and voluminous as the primary and secondary colors.Read More

Quaternary paint colors

There is a fourth level of mixing paint colors, which is rarely shown on a regular color wheel. When 2 tertiary colors are mixed, quaternary colors are formed. These colors are the most complex, interesting of all, and they add depth, sophistication, and oomph factor to paint color schemes.Read More

Understanding tone-

The tone goes from light to dark when you look at the black and white range in a particular hue. It takes more practice to see degrees of tone when you look at the color, and equally important to control it. It is best to limit the number of colors used while mixing until you feel complete tone control.

Importance of Warm and Cool Colors:

The color wheel can also be divided based on the warm and cool colors. The warmth or coolness of color is also known as the temperature of a color. The combinations found on a color wheel often have a balance of warm and cool colors. While the color wheel is divided into warm and cool colors, each color also has its cool or warm varients. Different colors can be achieved when a cool or warm version of the colors is mixed. For example, Cool red mixed with warm yellow will be different from a cool red mixed with cool yellow, and vice versa. And since we have a wide variety of the cool and the warm variant, the list of the colors mixed and achieved is limitless.Read More

Color Harmony

Colors that go well together are called color harmony. Artists and designers use these color moods to create a particular look or feel. I’d suggest you use the color wheel to find color harmonies, mix colors to achieve new colors, and understand how to make other Colorado apart from primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

Visually speaking, harmony means pleasing to the eye. It will engage the viewer and creates an inner sense of order or a balance. When something is not harmonious, it’s either boring, outrageous, bland, or chaotic. The human brain will reject and not engage, or so extreme, that it is overdone & chaotic that the viewer can’t stand to look at it, and the human brain rejects what it can’t organize, cannot process, or something that it cannot understand. Harmony creates a dynamic equilibrium.

The mother color theory

Monochromatic color scheme

When a color is given different shades, tones, and tints by adding white, black, or grey color to the base color, it provides a monochrome. This subtle and conservative color combination is a versatile color combination that is easy to apply. To understand any painting, a person must do a tonal study to better design harmonious projects.

Complementary colors: These are the two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel. This combination provides high contrast and appeals to the human eye, thus appearing brighter and more prominent.

Split complementary color scheme-

These include 3 colors in total. One color is the primary color from the complementary pair, and the other two
are on either side of the other complementary color. For, e.g., red, green-yellow, and blue-green. Choosing
these colors combination can be confusing to many but is highly appealing.Read More

Let’s discuss values- Shades, tints, and tones-

When choosing a color scheme, Value of the color wheel gives you opportunities to create brighter, lighter, softer, and darker colors by mixing white, black, and gray color with the base colors:Read More

Artist:-Neha Chopra Nahata

Instagram: @nehachopra.art

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