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Susan Newberry

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Hi there. My name is Susan Newberry and I am going to introduce you to Color Theory. My favorite color is green. What is your favorite color?

Direct Sunlight Indirect Sunlight Artificial Light

Did you know that the type of light under which color is viewed makes a tremendous difference in how we perceive a particular hue?

For example:◦ Incandescent bulbs produce a soft yellow-white light◦ Fluorescent bulbs give off a cold blue light◦ Halogen bulbs slightly whiter than regular incandescent

lamps and produce more light◦ Candlelight warmest of all lights

The gray sample above looks different against the two background colors.

Color changes with light

Color changes with its surroundings.

Rarely do we see color by itself.

The same color can have a different appearance on carpet or fabric than it does on paint.

Sheen affects the amount of light reflected from the surface.

Paint comes in different sheen levels.◦ Flat surfaces are nonreflective◦ Eggshell and satin have a soft glow◦ Semi-gloss provides reflective light

The Eye: Our eye views bright or light colors faster or more easily than dark colors.

Contrast Effects

What do you notice about the reds above? They look different, don’t they?

The same concept applies here. The purple in the center of each box is actually the same purple.

Say the color of each line out loud…

Say the color or each line out loud…

Not so easy, was it? It takes time for your brain and mouth to sync on this one.

Today’s color wheel was developed in 1666 by Sir Isaac Newton.

The color wheel is made up of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

Hue is just another name for color.

The same hue or color can have many different names.

For example, pink, scarlet, maroon and crimson are all hues of red.

The most common organization for the relationships of the basic colors is the color wheel.

Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.

Secondary colors are orange, green, and violet.

Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.

Refers to the lightness or darkness of the hue

Adding white or black to a color alters value.

Value scales are usually shown from white to black, but can be shown using color like this one here that illustrates tints and shades of red.

Adding white to a color is known as a tint.

Adding black is referred to as a shade.

Adding gray to a color is known as a shade.

The color wheel is divided into warm and cool colors.

Warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows.

Warm colors advance Represents – Fire, Sunlight Implies – Happy energy An artist many use warm

and cool color relationships to create depth and volume.

Warm colors can also create a feeling of light.

Did you know that you can change the perceived temperature of a room by decorating with warm colors?

Cool colors include blue, green, and purple.

Cool colors recede Represents – Sky, Water,

Grass, Plants Implies – Sadness,

Depression, Night

Cool colors can make a space look larger, but be careful too much can cause sadness, thus the term, “The Blues”

What did you learn about color? Key Terms to know:

◦ Primary◦ Secondary◦ Tertiary◦ Color Wheel◦ Tint◦ Tone◦ Shade

I hope you learned some new things about Color Theory. Next week we’ll talk about the different color schemes and how color affects our moods.