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Color Theory October 24, 2009

Posted by kd49 in : Class 7 - Color Theory, Classes , comments closed

Logo design recap. more examples of recently updated logos

Color Theory based on the color wheel and identification of primary, secondary and tertiary colors.

Use of the color wheel in design: [ppt]


Analogous
colors are colors that are adjacent on the color wheel.

examples:
gorilla glue

Underground Seattle


Complementary
colors are opposites on the color wheel

example: University of Florida

The Color Purple


M
onochromatic color schemes  use only the tints and shades of one color. If you mix white with a pure color you produce tints of that color. If you mix black with a pure color, you get shades of that color.

example: Microsoft Money

Color Triads use any three colors that form a triangulation on the color wheel example New Victory print piece or example: ProPublica

examples of color theory in art

Color Meanings

Hue – the color we describe, pure color. Color reflected from or transmitted through an object. It is measured as a location on the standard color wheel, expressed as a degree between 0° and 360°. In common use, hue is identified by the name of the color, such as red, orange, or green.

Value or Brightness – how much light. Relative lightness or darkness of the color, usually measured as a percentage from 0% (black) to 100% (white).

Intensity, tint or saturation – how much color. Strength or purity of the color (sometimes called chroma). Saturation represents the amount of gray in proportion to the hue, measured as a percentage from 0% (gray) to 100% (fully saturated). On the standard color wheel, saturation increases from the center to the edge. To change the saturation of a color, add the compliment color.
Demonstration of how to manipulate these properties in Photoshop and other programs.

Motion graphics of Mark Coleran: reel | stills

Explorations of Joseph Albers

Everything about color has to do with relationships

Color exercises

Color resources:
Colourlovers

Designing for the color impaired

Color Scheme designer

______
ASSIGNMENT

take the color IQ test

Read: color basic do’s and don’ts

Make two different compositions:
1. a composition that is an optical illusion using the same color blocks but having them appear to be different  because of its color juxtaposition. ( simple example) or  (complex example)
2. Make a second composition working using one constant variable of hue, saturation or brightness and changing either one or both of the other variables. (simple example) or (complex example)