Design & Colour Concept & Its Composition Part-B

8/11/2019 Design & Colour Concept & Its Composition Part-B

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BSC Degree in Textile Design

1stYear

Design & Colour Concept & itsComposition Part-B


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INDEX

Unit - VI ................................................................ 3

Lesson 1: Symbolism of Colour ............................. 4

Lesson 2: Aspects of Colour ................................ 11

Unit - V ............................................................... 25

Lesson 3: Practical Exercises on Colour .............. 26

Lesson 4: Group Projects on Colour .................... 45

Lesson 5: Source of Colours before Synthetic Dyes

were invented ..................................................... 54

Lesson 6: Functions of Colours ............................ 60

Books for Further References.............................. 65


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Unit - VI

Lesson 1: Symbolism of Colour internationaland traditional indian

Lesson 2:Aspects of Colour


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Lesson 1: Symbolism ofColour

Structure:

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Colour Symbolism

1.3 Colour Symbolism in India

1.1 Introduction

Colour : affects our life.

Colour : physical .... we see it.

Colour : Communicates .... we receiveinformation from the language of colour.

Colour : is emotional .... it evokes ourfeelings.

Ideas can be communicated through colour without

the use of any verbal or written language. Colourhas the power to divert, direct and deceive. Colourevokes specific essential responses. For example,red can be powerful, exciting, passionate, and

daring. Within each colour an innumerable range of

tints and shades generate on even wider range ofresponse. Red goes from the palest romantic pinkto a sophisticated deep burgundy. Creatingpowerful colour combinations from various hue,

tints and shades is the ultimate objective ofworking with colour.

To develop an accurate response to the language ofcolour, it is necessary to understand the harmonyof colour. This means knowing what colour to use


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and in what order and proportion to create adesired mood and to communicate an idea.

1.2 Colour Symbolism(International)

Colour psychology refers to the moods that colourscreate, evoke and signify. To communicate through

colours it is important to study their symbolism.Most colours speak a common language throughoutthe world.

Listed below are some widely researched colourresponses.

Yellow: It is sunshine and gold; happy, brightcheerful. It signifies optimism, expectancy andacceptance. It is the colour of the sun, marigoldsdaisies and lemons.

Orange: A friendly sociable colour; agreeable, and

glowing. It is exciting and vibrant. It is the colour ofthe rising sun, fire, flame and marigolds. It alsosignifies welcoming.

Red: Exciting, stimulating, powerful and passionare some of the words that describe red. It could

also be assertive, demanding and sometimescheap. Red is used to convey danger or anywarning signal. Most western countries have red on

their flag.

Pink: It may be regarded sweet, lovely, pretty alittle girls colour. It is the colour of flowers, rosebuds, ribbons and love.

Green: Green is an alive, cool and growing colour.The colour of trees, forests, leaves, lawns, green iscommonly used for traditional Indian weddings.

Blue: Always a popular colour choice and thefavourite of most. It is cool, calm, comfortable and


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speaks of soaring skies. Serene lakes, gentlehorizons, and security. If not treated well, it canbecome cold moody and depressing. Blue is alsoregarded as the corporate colour.

Blue-Green: It is cool, tasteful colour sensitiveand restful but alive and vital.

Peach: Suggest the warmth and happy excitement

of orange (toned down). A smiling colour which iseasy and delightful to be in. A pastel earthtone, a

friendly colour that will go with almost anything.

Violet/Purple: This traditionally regal/royal colourin recent years has become a favourite with thechildren and the young. In its deepest richest formit is a colour of taste and distinction. It can also

look boastful and pompous at times, Lavander

conveys old-fashioned charm.

Grey: Grey is the neutral barrier that makes

seperations but no statements. Grey exists wellwith other colours but alone it could be depressing.At the same time if treated well it could look asophisticated colour that suggests fine jewellery,silver & furs.

Brown: Signifies the earth, hearth and home, thefamily and the farm. It steps back to let the other

colours forward but, unlike grey, it does notdisappear. From the lightest off-white beige to thedeepest charcoal brown, it is relaxed. It is thecolour for autumn wood and clay.

White: The blankest of the blank, but strong and

makes every other colour by comparison, turnbigger, bolder and brighter. Signifies innocence,hope, purity and peace.

Black: Denotes night, vacuum, and absence oflight. It is the colour of mystery, death, intrigue

and sophistication. Black could be ultra chic orultra-depressing. It can be as sensuous as satin or


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qualities, making it a suitable colour for brides andyoung married women. Even today, most oldermarried women eschew the wearing of bright red.

GREEN

The Vaisyas were traditionally associated with thecolour green but today it usually has Islamicconnotations, being popular among Muslim groups.

(It is no coincidence that the flag of Pakistan, aMuslim state, is green.) In some areas of the

central Deccan and the south, a green wedding sariis sometimes worn, often in place of the yellow sariworn during certain marriage rituals.

BLUE

Blue is the colour relegated to the Sudras, andhigh-caste Hindus avoided this colour because thefermentation process used to create indigo wasregarded as ritually impure. Among caste Hindus,blue and black were both considered inauspicious

colours, reflecting sorrow and ill omen, but since atleast the mid-nineteenth century, blue and black

embellishments to white saris have been worn byolder married women, especially in the east. In thewest, blue was commonly worn by many tribal and

low-caste groups, as it was seen as protectionagainst the evil eye. Today, blue is a widely worncolour, and many older women and widows tend towear clothes with muted tones of blue, black and even

green, rather than the more traditional pure white sari.

YELLOW/ORANGE

The colour yellow is traditionally regarded as thecolour of religion and ascerticism, as saffron yellow

or orange is the colour of Sadhus and otherindividuals who have relinquished their caste and

family to lead a spiritual life aimed at releasing


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themselves from the endless round of rebirths. Onthe first day of the Hindu wedding ceremony in theeastern region, the bride is washed in haldi(turmeric) to ritually purify her, during and afterwhich she wear a yellow sari. Yellow saris are alsocommonly worn during the climax of the Tamil andTelegu wedding ceremony among non-Brahmincommunities, and a yellow sari is traditionally wornfor seven days after the birth of a child, when the

mother conducts various pujas. In general, yellowis seen as an auspicious colour that still hasreligious connotations. The orange robes of EastAsian Buddhist monks are derived from the sametradition.

The use of colour to represent spiritual andemotional states is also found in painting of the

classical period and traditional drama, although thesymbolic roles of different colours do notnecessarily follow the pattern outlined above.

It is noticed that the amount of colour people use intheir surroundings and clothing depends on theclimatic conditions and the colours of nature around

them. People from Rajasthan and Gujarat use lotsof colour in their clothing, decoration for housesand animal trappings, mainly because there is nocolour in the nature around them; its all desert.People of the coastal regions of India do not use so

much of colour in their clothing; its mainly whiteeg. Bengal and Kerala. This is because of the sea,

humid climate and lots of greenery around them.Note : How we see colour, colour characteristics[Hue, value, Chroma], colour wheel and colour

schemes have been covered in detail under Design& Colour concept.


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Review Questions:

1. What is the symbolism of the following colours inthe international senario grey, black, white.

2. What was the symbolism of organge / yellow,green in traditional India ?


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reason red is often used in graphic signage anddesign. Hot colours are strong and aggressive andseem to vibrate within their own space. The powerof hot colours affects people in many ways such asincreasing blood pressure and stimulate thenervous system.

FRESH

Possessing equal amounts of blue and yellow, greensuggests health and prosperity. Although weak in

its softest tints, green, a recessive hue, only needsto be combined with small amount of its strongcomplement, red, to increase its vitality. Usingcolours analogous to green on the colour wheel willcreate strong colour combinations that resemblevivid, outdoor environments. Like newly mowedgrass on a clear day, sky blue and green alwayslook fresh and natural together.

COLD

Cold refers to fully saturated blue. At its brightest itis dominating and strong.

Cold colours remind one of ice and snow. Thefeelings generated by cold colours blue, green,and blue-green - are the direct opposite of thosegenerated by hot colours; cold blue slows themetabolism and increases ones sense of calm.When placed next to each other, cold and hotcolours vibrate like fire and ice.

WARM

All hues that contain red are warm. It is theaddition of yellow to red that makes warm colours

substantially different from hot colour. Warm

colours, such as red-orange, orange, and yellow-orange, always contain a mixture of red and yellow


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in their composition and encompass a larger part ofthe emotional spectrum.

Warm colours are comforting, spontaneous, andwelcoming. Like an Arizona sunset, the warmth ofthese hues radiates outward and surroundseverything in reach.

COOL

Cool colours are based in blue. They differ from

cold colours because of the addition of yellow totheir composition, which creates yellow-green,green, and blue-green. Cool colours, such asturquoise blue and verdant green, are seen innature. Like spring growth, they make us feelrenewed. Soothing and calm, these hues provide a

sense of depth as well as comfort. Cool colours are

like a swim in a refreshing, tropical pool.

TRENDY

Whats in today may be out tomorrow. Trendycolour schemes can be pleasantly shocking incombination with other colours. Chartreuse is anexcellent example of an accent colour used inyouthful and offbeat objects. This brilliant hue takespart in countless successful colour combinationsused in fashion, from basketball shoes to sweaters.A combination of exquisite contrast is yellow-greenor chartreuse paired with its perfect complement,magenta.

LIGHT

Light colours are the palest pastels. They take theirlightness from an absence of visible colour in their

composition, and are almost transparent. When

lightness increases, variations between thedifferent hues decrease.


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Light colours open up the surroundings and suggestairiness, rest, and liquidity. They resemble sheercurtains at a window and send a message ofrelaxation.

DARK

Dark colours are hues that contain black in their

composition. They close up space and make it seemsmaller. Dark colours are concentrated and seriousin their effect. Seasonally, they suggest autumnand winter. Combining light and darks together is a

common and dramatic way to represent theopposites in nature, such as night and day.

PALE

Pale hues are the softest pastels. They contain atleast 65 percent white in their composition, andhave a diminished hue which is most often referredto as soft or romantic.

BRIGHT

The amount of pure colour within a hue determinesits brightness. The clarity of bright colours is

achieved by the omission of grey or black. Blues,reds, yellows, and oranges are colours in full

brightness.

Bright colours are vivid and attract attention. Ayellow school bus, a bunch of coloured balloons, the

red or a clowns nose, never go unnoticed.Exhilarating and cheerful, bright colours are perfectfor use in packaging, fashion, and advertising.


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POWERFUL

The most powerful combinations, full of excitement

and control, are always associated with the colourred. No matter what colour it is combined with, redcan never be ignored. It is the ultimate powercolour forceful, bold, and extreme. Powerful colourcombinations are symbols of our strongestemotions, love and hate. They represent emotionaloverdrive.

In advertising and display, powerful colourcombinations are used to send a strong message ofvitablity and awareness. They always attractattention.

RICH

Richness in a colour can be created by combining apowerful hue with its dark complement. Forexample, deep burgundy results from adding blackto red, and like a fine old wine from a French

vineyard, it signifies wealth. Burgundy and deepforest green used together with gold suggest

affluence. These dark sumptuous colours used intextures as diverse as leather and taffeta create adramatic, unforgettable effect. They will always

reveal a sense of wealth and status.

ROMANTIC

Pink suggest romance. Pink is white added to red invarying amounts and is the lightened value of red.

Like red, pink arouses interest and excitement, butin a softer, quieter way.

A romantic colour scheme using pastel tints of pink,

lavender, and peach will read as gentle and tender.

Combined with other bright pastels, pink evokes


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memories of dreamy June days and full bouquets ofdelicate, summer flowers.

VITAL

Vitality and enthusiasm are best prompted indesign and graphics by using the hue mostcommonly known as vermillion, or any of its many

tints and shades. By using colour combinations with

this red-orange hue at the centre, a feeling ofvigour and warmth can easily be created. Thesecombinations are youthful and playful and are oftenseen in advertisements displaying energeticlifestyles and personalities. The combination of red-orange partnered with its complement, turquoise, is

active, easy to be around, and is very effective

when used in fabrics, advertising and packaging.

EARTHY

Rich, warm and full of vitality, earthy colourcombinations frequently use the dark vivid red-

orange called terra-cotta. Terra-cota suggestssubtle warmth, like polished copper. When usedwith white, it projects a brilliant, naturalcombination.

Earthy hues reflect fun-loving youth, and call tomind leisure living. As part of an analogousscheme, these warm, earthy tones generate

exciting combinations, such as those seen in thedecor of the American West.

FRIENDLY

Colour scheme that convey friendliness ofteninclude orange. Open and easy, these combinations

have all the elements of energy and movement.


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They create order and equality without a sense ofpower or control.

Orange along with its colour wheel neighbours isfrequently used in fast-food restaurants because itprojects an inviting message of good food at afriendly price. Because it is energetic and glowing,orange is the international safety colour in areas ofdanger. Orange life rafts and life preservers areeasily seen on blue or grey seas.

SOFT

Light-valued tints without high contrast are themost comfortable to use when creating soft colourcombinations. Peach, as part of a muted pallette, isdelicious and appealing in its colour message and

workable in any setting from restaurants to store

displays to fashion. When combined with tints ofviolet and green, it becomes part of a subdued butmarginal secondary colour scheme.

These soft and relaxing colours are often ideal forhome decor. The combinations are cheerful andoutgoing, while at the same time calm and inviting.

WELCOMING

Colour combinations using yellow-orange or amberare the most welcoming. Yellow combined with asmall amount of red creates these radiant hueswhich are universally appearing. In full strength,

yellow-orange or amber can be likened to gold orthe precious spice saffron. A monochromatic colourscheme of saffron used with white is one of classicbeauty and is very inviting.

Combinations made with pale amber are warm andcongenial. This hue can be used in a variety ofapplications that call for creamy tints to express

festive and cordial environments.


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MOVING

The brightest colour combinations are those that

have primary yellow at the centre. Yellow expresseslife-giving sun, activities, and constant motion.When white is added to yellow, its luminous qualityincreases and the overall effect is one of theextraordinary brightness.

Colour scheme of high contrast, such as yellow withits complement violet, mean activity and motion.

These palettes generate movement, especiallywithin a round space. It is almost impossible to feeldespondent when surrounded by a combinationusing yellow or any of its tints.

ELEGANT

Elegant colour combinations use only the palesttints. For example, a whisper of yellow combinedwith white makes a pastel cream, which can beused to create a warmer version of an all-white

room. The presence of natural light produces subtleshadows and highlights architectural details, which

help to fashion an elegant setting.

Palettes that combine hues similar to the colour ofeggshells and linens are compatible with most otherhues and offer a workable alternative to achromaticwhite or noncolour schemes. In fashion, elegantlinens, skills, wools, and velvets in creamy tonesgive the impression of ease and opulence bycreating a look of classic understatement.

TRADITIONAL

Traditional colour combinations are often copied

from those with historical significance. Conservative

colours of blue, burgundy, tan, and green in theirgreyed or deepened hues, express traditional


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themes. For example; green in both its full hueand greyed shades, always signifies possession.Hunter green combined with deep gold orburgundy, or in combination with black, suggestsrichness and stability. Hunter green is frequentlyseen in the decor or banks and legal offices, whereit suggests permanence and value.

REFRESHING

Colour combinations that are considered refreshingusually include cool blue-green paired with itscomplement, red-orange. Blue-green, or teal, isfresh and invigorating. It is frequently used in itsfull hue to depict travel and leisure. Refreshing

colour combinations sparkle with lightness while

providing a sense of soothing calm.

TROPICAL

Tropical hues on the colour wheel always includeturquoise. Blue-green is lightened to turquoise bythe addition of white and it is the warmest of thecool colours. Staying with the lightest tints of theblue-green family will increase the feeling andmessage of tranquility.

Using red-orange, the complement turquoise, isperfect in any of these combinations. Like flowers innature, these colour schemes enhance any setting

and create a serene and stress free feeling.

CLASSIC

Classic colour combinations are indicative ofstrength and authority. Intense royal blue is thecenterpiece of any classic grouping of colours. Itstands out, even when combined with other hues.


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Combinations using this colour symbolize authorityand regal inspiration. Likened to the deepest blue-black plums of summer, blue-voilet combined withits complement, yellow-orange, creates a moststriking colour scheme. This lush combinationsuggests royalty and is seldom used outside adaunting environment.

MAGICAL

Elements of surprise and magic are oftenassociated with violet. By itself, voilet conveys itsown unpredictable personality. With its secondarypartners, orange and green, voilet in any tint orshade becomes part of an exciting team, which is

slightly offbeat.

When used with chartreuse and yellow-orange, it iswhimsical and clashing, even loud. In combination

with its true complement yellow, voilet has spectralbalance and can be enjoyed for extended periods oftime. In fashion, it is considered an immaturecolour and is used to bridge the gap between childand adult.

NOSTALGIC

Colour combinations using lavender are oftenthought of as nostalgic. They are reminiscent of thevictorian era and can remind us of dreamy

moments, poetry, and romantic ideals. Moredelicate and less passionate than pink, lavenderhas red and blue in its voilet makeup. Whencombined with other pastels, lavender is theprominent hue, even with its muted accents.


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ENERGETIC

Colour combinations that are energetic often

contain red-voilet, also known as fuschsia. Italways sends an unmistakable message of activity.Fuchsia, or magenta, has such an exuberantpersohality that in order to the workable it is oftencombined with its complementary hue, chartreuse.A clash combination using fuchsia and yellow orgreen will be exciting for the moment, but will

invariably limit the overall effect of the combinationand lessen its workability. Yellow-green, whenpaired with fuchsia or magenta, heightens the

enthusiastic personality of this energetic colour.

SUBDUED

Unlike an energetic colour scheme, a subdued or

graved scheme has little contrast. Mauve, a blendof magenta, grey, and white, is a diminishedcolour. The addition of minimal grey and white toany brilliant hue results in subdued and delicate

variations, including grayed blues and greyedgreens Mauve combined with other tints and shadesappears to be understand and dull. A spark of

colour in the form of its complement, or a morevivid tone of the original hue, must be added to

bring these mellow hues back to life. To maintainthe subdued nature of similar colours, shadesshould be used sparingly.

PROFESSIONAL

In the world of the business professional, colour isevaluated with scrutiny. In fashion, the word

professional has come to mean greys and tonalblacks because these colours lack personalcharacteristics and are truly neutral. Warmed

greys, however, are perfect backgrounds forbrilliant hues such as red, teal, or orange. Schemes


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based on achromatic grey combined with vividaccents become accented neutrals.

Grey is unexciting but practical. It sends a sobermessage, with a minimum of humour.


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The value of a colour is read by comparing it withthe grey scale. Where the difference between thecolour and the noncolour of the grey scale is theleast, the value is the most similar. We say that

colours with the same amount of light reflection onthe grey scale have the same value.


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PROJECT 2

Name: How pink is the Pig?

Ask the class to collect one colour suggestion forsky-blue, pig-pink, forest green. Now collect all the

blues; pinks and greens and pin it on the board andcompare the different colour perceptions of eachindividual.

Observation:

Everybody with normal colour vision sees the colourthe same way, but the way each person perceivesthe same colour varies from person to person. Wealso feel differently about colours depending on

interests, temperaments, cultural background, andexperiences. This make it hard for us tounambiguously describe our colour impressions toeach other. Often we compare one colour with thecolour of some object familiar to all. We might say

that a sweater is tomato red, but the tomato canhave different degrees or ripeness andconsequently, different red colours. And nobodyknows exactly which shades of red you associatedwith the tomato. If we use fancy names such asshocking pink, baby blue, or hunter green as adescription of a colour, the confusion grows. It is

better to use the crayon names on colours theultramarine, carmine, cinnabar, umber, and so on.They are ingredient names; names of the chemical

substance which have been used when

manufacturing the actual colour substance. Forexact colour description, these names are alsounsatisfactory since one and the same coloursubstance can be found in many different

manufacturing processes. Carmine, for example,can look different depending on its manufacturer.

The number of clearly descriptive words for colour

is very limited. Simple, uncombined colour namesare yellow, red, blue, green, white, black, grey, and


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possibly orange and violet. These colour names canbe combined to form yellow-red, red-blue, which inturn can be additionally made clearer by using lightor dark, soft or bold, clear or unclear but eachdescription still contains a multitude of variations.

PROJECT 3

Imaginative Colours

Name : Colours & things awaken ourimagination.

Collect 5 swatches of 5 different colours and try tofree your imagination and put enticing, seductive,poetic or humorous names on the colouredswatches.

Observation:

When the eye is attracted to a colour on a surfaceas well as its texture, then the visual and the tactilecombine to stimulate our imagination. Often, whendescribing a colour, we want to evoke the surfaceas shiny or dull, rough or smooth, complicated or

simple.For example :

White piece of cloth could be crystal white, glacierwhite, pearl white, frost linen, snow crust.

Red cloth could be opera red, warm red,revolutionary red

Blue cloth could be intense blue, luster blue, azureblue, swimming pool blue.


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PROJECT 4

Name : Quality of the Colour

On a cardboard piece of 73 (base of whitecolour) make a scale chart.

Now put any colour chip against these scales andyou will be able to find the exact grey scale.

Observation:

Different coloured surface can seem related whenthey have certain common qualities. Surfaces withthe same value are clearly related even if they are

otherwise different. Surfaces with likeness in value,intensity, tint, shade, and saturation all seems to

be related.

PROJECT 5

Name : How colours influence each other.

On a white sheet of paper place a black piece of

52. Now in the centre of this black, place apatch of white colour. You will observe that white inthe centre looks whiter than the surrounding whitepaper.

Observations:

Often colours influence each other so that value,

intensity, tone, hue, and so on, change. Thisphenomenon is called induction or contraststrengthening.Knowledge about when or why these

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3

7

White Black


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Reducing simultaneous contrast. Thesimultaneous contrast or colour shifts can becancelled in many different ways, for example, bygradually increasing the intensity of the graysurfaces at the edges or by inserting white or blackdividing lines between the surfaces. Insertingnarrow stripes white the same intensity asbordering areas will soften the movement from onearea to anotehr and will also cancel the contrast.

Particularly in weaving, where you sometimes wantto create relationships between different areas,moving from one colour to another with narrowstripes is very useful.

PROJECT 6

Name: Contrasting Values

Take 2 pieces of white and black sheets 72.

On each of them paste similar (11) colouredsquares.

Draw a motif (any) and place it on a white base andblack base, note the observation.


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Observation:

Contrasting values. A light colour will look lighter

against a dark background or darker against a lightbackground. This is called light induction or valuecontrast.

Against a black background the colours will showup lighter and more luminous than against a white

background. You will also find that the coloursamples on the black background seem larger than

those against the white background, and the whitefigure against the black background seems to belarger than the black one, even if they are the samesize.

BlackWhite


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PROJECT 7

Name: To identify colour contrast in grey

Material required:

5 pieces of 1 1 of the medium grey/light grey.

One piece each of 33 of the following colour- Red

- Parrot Green

- Red blue (purple)

- Ultramarine blue

One piece each of 55 of the following colours- Ochre yellow

- Light green

- Light purple

- Light ultramarine blue

Assignment:To place the colours in the specifiedsequence of them to study the effect on colour

grey.


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Observation:

Medium light or light grey shades are especially

sensitive to influenced by other colours. Thepictures of the squares clearly show how a neutralgrey area is influenced by surrounding colours.Look, in turn, at the grey squares, which all havethe same hue and intensity as the square in thecentre of the figure. You will find that the grey areaplaced against a yellow-red background seems

bluish, while the one against a green backgroundseems grey-pink, almost, violet. The grey squareagainst a red-blue background seems greenish, and

the one against a blue background seemsyellowish. At together, the grey areas seem to haveabsorbed some of the surrounding areascontrasting colour. The four grey areas placed

against a coloured background seem lighter thanthe square at the centre.

Knowing the propensity of grey to change like achameleon, depending on its environment, can beuseful in everyday life. For example, if a clear grey

sofa is placed against a sgreen wall, the sofa will

look graypink. The grey colour has to be broken withthe colour of the green background to look clear grey.This is another way of counteracting simultaneouscontrast.

PROJECT 8

Name : To study the intense colour contrast

Material required :

3 strips of 1 3 of light blue colour.

3 pieces of 3 3 of the following colour (1each).

White

Light green Dark green


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Assignment : To place the strip of colour in all thethree coloured squares and study the colourcontrast and record your observation.

Observation:

Intense colour contrast : When a colour of

medium hue is placed against areas of different

colour strength, you can clearly see that it willchange. Against a background with an intense hue,it will gradually lose its own colour strength.

The strength of the hue will also change dependingon the size of the area. Most of us have had theexperience of selecting colour from a small sample

in a store and then discovering that it does not live

up to our expectations. When painted on large wallsurfaces at home the colour appear much darker.


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PROJECT 9

Name: One and the same colour can seem

differentMaterial required:

4 of the same colour

4 of the same colour

25 coloured pieces of the following colours.

Light green

Dark green

Light blue

Black

Assignment : To place the and on top of these

rectangular pieces and to understand theirbehaviour. (Whether they are emphasizing or arereducing.)

Observation:

A colour can change all its qualities depending onthe colour next to it.

In the illustrations, all the circles are the same

colour. See how they seem to change againstdifferent backgrounds even if they do, by halves,stand out against white. The circle seems stronger


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in colour against a light green background thanagainst a dark green one. It acquires an additionalyellow hue against a blue background, and almostglows against black.

Even the triangles, which all have the same colour,take on different characteristics against thedifferent background colours. The triangles seemdarkest against the light-green background, deepgreen against blue; they have a muddy appearance

against the clear green, and become light againstintense black.

In order to analyze the colour impressions, coverthe projecting parts with white paper. Then you caneasily see the difference among the green areas.

Project 10

Name : Vibration

Assignment :

a) To study the fact that contrasting colour oncool and warm colours next to each othercan create vibration.

Take two pieces of any colour, one light and one alittle dark and place a contrasting colour form on

both of them. Observe.

Light Orange

Base

Pur le Light Orange

Base

Pur le


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Observation:

Contrasting colours, or cool and warm colours next

to each other, can create vibrations and quiverings.Artists often exploit this phenomenon to create lifeand light in the picture. Vibration is something youwant to avoid in your pattern designing. On fabricsmeant for clothing it may be irritating, while onprinted materials and signs that must be easilyread, the vibration would be very distracting.

If you are aiming for a strong colour effect but wantto avoid vibration, it might be enough to subdueone colour. In the two examples on the left with theyellow-red (violet) rectangles, the background hasbeen subdued in the example on the right, whilethe figures and the stripes have been allowed tokeep the luminosity.

PROJECT 11

Name : Vibrations

Assignment :

1. To study the degree of vibration in differntchecks and stripes.

On a sheet of paper make different thick and thin

lines and big and small checks. Now study theeffect of vibration caused by them.


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Observation:

When the correct common mixed colour has been

found the papers will look transparent.

(It might be hare dto decide if the white strip is

lying on top of or underneath the black paper). Thestrip to the right is clearly underneath the blackstrip, while the one to the left is lying on top.

Colour composition

A combination of two or more colours is calledcomposition. A colour composition is usuallyexperienced as more interesting and more pleasingthan the individual colour, just as a composition ona plane is a more pleasing experience than theindividual note. That we prefer certain coloursmight depend on the learned conventions and

earlier experiences where a certain colour hasplayed an important role. It is important to exercise


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your colour feelings, and to work without a dislikefor certain colour fields. One colour might bewrong in one relationship but just right in another.Interesting and lively compositions can be createdfrom only one hue by exploiting the intensity,strong and weak tones, tints and shades of thehue.

Constrating colours, which in their maximumstrength heighten each others luminosity and

create vibrations, can form quiet, soft and pleasantcompositions if they are chosen in light hues.

It is not feasible to make a list of all possible colour

combinations. You could say that the more coloursthat are in a composition the more difficult it is toachieve colour balance. To avoid chaotic coloureffect and divided picture patterns, you should let

one colour dominate. It is often advantageous ifone colour dominates in a pattern.

Another way is to give the various colours differentcharacter, for example, one colour is made lighter,

another is made more intense in hue, a thirdgreyed, a fourth more saturated, and so on.

Using colours from onequadrant a harmonious

composition is formedby all the hues betweentwo adjacent primary

colours.


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Using colours from

two oclants, thearea around adominant primary

colour, an animatedand harmouniouscomposition iscreated by usingonly colours related

to the primarycolour in this caseblue.

When combiningcolours from three

or four quadrants,the impressionmight be too livelyand broken due to

the increasednumber of primarycolours.


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Review Questions:

1.Colours influence each other so that value,intensity, tone and hue change. Thisphenomenon is called induction Prove thisin a square of 52


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Lesson 4: Group Projects onColour

Structure:

4.1 Group Projects on Colour

4.1 Group Projects on Colour

PROJECT 13

Stripe becomes square following the Africa

method

In Africa they weave long narrow strips withalternating patterned and solid coloured sections.

When the strips are then sewn together into largerfabric pieces, the patterned and solid areas thedisplaced tro form complicated square patterns.

The exercise below is built on the same idea. Theparticipants in the group each get a letter-sizedsheet of paper, white or coloured, which theY haveto cut in half lengthwise Each strip is folded in

three equal sections, lengthwise. Each section hasto be decorated as follows: one strip has the centresection decorated with strips across, the other stripis decorated at the outer sections. Limit the

number of colours and choose a colour that mustbe used by all participants in their strips. Join allthe strips together so that striped sectons alternatewith solid-coloured sections. Then a checked

surface will appear with alternate squares beingstripes. Solid-coloured squares can then bedecorated with simple geometric forms.


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PROJECT 14

Diagonals form squares

Paint two letter size papers with diagonal stripes,one with stripes from the bottom left slanting to theright and one with the stripes from the top left ofthe right. Choose a colour that must be used in thestripe patterns of all the participants. Have somestudents paint narrow stripes and some widerstripes.

Experiment to see which stripes will go togetherbefore the papers are cut into small squares,rectangles, or narrow strips. Turn the piecesaround so that the stripes meet at the centre of the

new squares that are formed when the pieces arejoined together. Paste the pieces on a solid-

coloured background with a predetermined space inbetween which will tie and design together. The


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diagonally striped papers can also be used as abackground for larger, solid-coloured surfaces or

figures. Experiment and use your imagination.

Diagonals

In some special weaving techniques, such as goose

eye and korndrall, a diagonal check appears. Thediagonal-square pattern is also a cherished patternin knitting, where the argyle pattern is worked inmany variations on socks and sweaters.


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The style of the southern and central Lapp cultureof Sweden is characterized by geometricdecorations that completely cover the surface.Objects made of everything from spoons to the tipsof skills are decorated with carved patterns, looselyinterwoven lines having straight or diagonal angles.The spaces between the lines are decorated withtwo or four knife cuts.

The lively sketch for a rug has as its origin a paper

which has been painted with diagonal stripes. Thispaper has been cut into squares and strips whichthen have been joined together in a new way so

that squares appear. Try to create squares andstripes yourself in a similar way.

PROJECT 15

Borders make a frame

Here you have to create a coloured frame for asolid-coloured, rectangular centre surface by

putting border next to border. It can be filled witha text of some kind - an award, a proverb, a

quotation or something similar.

Any border shown in the chapter Borders can bereworked into a frame. Choose both light and darkcolours that harmonize with each other and withthe solid-coloured center section. The bordersdont need to be the same on the long and shortsides; both pattern and width may vary. Narrow,solid-coloured stripes or strips might be needed

between the borders to hold them together for aframe.

The picture with the proverb shows borders put

together with patterned and unpatterned paper.Dots and stripes are added with a gold pen.


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Many oriental rugs are build on the compositionprinciple of placing border next to border. Try todesign a rung in this way.

Geometric Borders

Look carefully at shopping bags, wrapping paper,and the insides of envelopes before you throw theminto the trash. They are often very beautiful, both

on the front and the back, and may be used forborders as well as for the ornamentation and

background paper.

Practice combining patterned and unpatterned


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papers by cutting out geometric forms which youwill repeat for borders. Make the borders intoframes around quotations or greetings.

Stamp Printing makes a surface

When the potato printing exercises are completed,the group, working together, can use the stamps,to illustrate a poem, a mood, or a time of the year.

First plan the surface for the colouring anddesigning before you start printing with the stamps.

Completely ignore the shape of the stamps, butchoose colour carefully and print with shading and

overprinting. In this way you might create a designwhich fits the subject you chose.

The picture shows a group work where theparticipants in a picturesque way tried toillustrate Ingrid Sjostrands poem.

On pathsone never walkscompletely alone.The feet havecompany fromall the steps thathave steppedalong the path.


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PROJECT 17

Composition exercises using stylized flowers

Left flowers from the field or garden be the theme.All the participants form flowers with long pipecleaners or thin wires. This produces soft stylizedforms and since all the pipe cleaners or wires areequal in length, all the flowers will be about equal

size.

Place the completed flowers on top of a large whitepaper and choose several to continue working with.Trace them onto transparent paper. Decide on four

or five colours to be painted on paper which will becut so that everyone can get colour samples. Each

person then paints at least three samples of herflowers in these colours so together you have


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bunch of flowers to play with. Cut out the flowersbut leave a little extra around the edges so theylast while being handled. Now try either to spreadout the flowers in dense or sparse surface patterns,or to gather them for a wreath or a bouquet to putin a pot. Trace the different solutions ontotransparent paper so the compositions arepreseverd, or document them by photographingthem. Then choose different techniques for

execution. The surface patterns might be printed,the pot embroidered, or the wreath appliqued. Thepainted flowers can again be pinned to the walls inthe room so that new course participants canarrange them in a different way.

PROJECT 18

Enlarging and colour matching

With this amusing and useful exercise, the groupcan practice enlarging and matching colours.

Cut a picture into a number of sections and in sucha way that something is happening in each

section. Each participant receives her own sectionand must (without looking at the others sectionsand without looking at the original picture) enlargeher section to double the size using the graphmethod. It is important to be as careful as possible

both with the enlarging and colour matching, sinceall the sections have to be reassembled for a large

picture.


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Review Questions:

1. Cut out patterned and unpatterned paper

pieces from waste wrapping paper and creategeometric design for borders.


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Lesson 5: Source of Colours

before Synthetic Dyeswere invented

Structure:

5.1 General Information about Colour

5.1 General information about colour

Light is a basic necessity for seeing colours. In thedark we see no colours. What we ordinarily call

light is made up of rays of different wavelengths.The white sunshine is made up of all the colours ofthe rainbow, from long waves which give rise to redand red-yellow colours to short waves which giverise to blue and violet colours.

Coloured surfaces contain pigments which reflect

some wave lengths and absorb others. If long-waved light is reflected, we see it as red. If short-waved light is reflected, we see the surface as blueor violet. If all wavelengths are being reflected, wesee the surface as white and grey. When thecoloured light rays pass through the eye, theystrike the retina, which, in turn, sends a series of

impulses through the optic nerve to the brain.After a complicated process the nerve impulsesreach the visual centre of the brain, providing uswith colour perception.

Colours from mineral substances

Mans inclination to beautify both himself and his

environment with the help of colour has alwaysbeen strong, and the art of producing colour


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substances is also very old. The animal pictures inprehistoric caves in France and Spain are paintedwith earth colours : the values are yellow, red,white, brown and black.

The colour substances were crushed in a stonemortar, kneaded with animal marrow, using urineas a binding agent. The colours that had a strongand hardy composition have been preserved rightup to the present.

Artists and craftsmen have, for the most part, usedcolour pigments from minerals. For example,yellow ochre, brown umber, terra di sienna (earthfrom Sienna) came from clay. The same pigmentswere being used for different kinds of colour. If thepigments were bound together with an eggemulsion, the result was tempera colours that wereused for wall murals. If the pigments were bound

together with oil, the result was oil colours.

Cinnabar,known in China and ancient Egypt, is a

yellowish-red colour substance that was madeprincipally from the ore of mercury.

Ivory black was made, as the name implies, byburning elephant tusks.

Ultramarine, the only colour fast blue colour to

which the medieval and renaissance painters hadaccess, was made from the semi-precious stone,lapis lazuli. It was brought from Persia, China andTibet, that is beyond the sea (ultra mare), from which

comes the name ultramarine. Many monasterieswere known for the manufacture of ultramarine andalso for their greed regarding this valuable colour.

Sepia, used for wash-drawings, during the

Romantic Period, was made from the black-brownfluid secreted by cuttlefish to avoid attacks by its

enemies.


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Textile Colours

For painting textiles, earth colours were first used,

either sprayed on with the help of a hollow bone orpainted on with a brush. This meant, however,that the colours only lay on the surface and easilywore off. True textile colours first appeared afterthe discovery of a method to get soluble coloursubstances to penetrate the textile fibres.Discoveries from China, India and Egypt show that

this technique was mastered long before Christ wasborn. The colour substances were taken mostlyfrom the plant world. It had been discovered that

flowers and leaves, roots, bark, mosses, andlichens possessed useful, and in some casesparticularly long-lasting, colour substances. Red,yellow, and blue colours were predominant. Green

was obtained by first dyeing the material yellowand then dyeing it again with blue. Yellow was lesscolour-fast and bleached easily. The cool blue-

green overall tone which often characterized the oldtapestries is due to the fact that the yellow colourswere less colour-fast and bleached. Finally, at theend of the 19th century, it was possible to make

colour-fast green colours.

Indigo, a blue substance which has been usedsince earliest times in Asia and, according to MarcoPolo, it was known in Venice by the end of the 13th

century, can be made from many differentlegumes. The tropical variety Indigofera tinctoria,

which comes from India and Java is thought to givethe best quality colour. Depending on the strengthof the dyebath, the indigo gives different colours;everything from greenish-blue over clear blue tobluish-red hues. The hues are always clear andbrilliant whether it is a light or an over-saturatedbluish tone. Indigo has also been called the king

of colours because it is especially beautiful andstrong. Now you can get synthetic indigo with the


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same good qualities. Current interest in naturaldyeing means that even today you can buy naturalindigo.

Woad. From the woad herb, used during the IronAge for dyeing blues and during the Middle Ageswhen it was grown on a large scale in Europe(especially in France and Germany), you could geta colour substance that looked like indigo but whichwas considerably less colour fast. Soon the colour

from woad was strenghtened with imported indigo.When the sea route to India was discovered at theend of the 16th century, imported indigo

threatened to drive out the use of woad. Thisresulted in stiff resistance to the use of indigo inthe West. During the 18th century when tradebecame more active, indigo drove out woad

completely.

Purple. Around 1600 B.C. a red-hued substancewas discovered from the animal kingdom - purple.The colour substance was made from juice from the

gland of the purple mollusks called the colour ofkings, became the most valuable colour substance of

antiquity and only nobility could afford to wear purpleclothing. During Emperor Neros time, the newbornimperial children were swaddled in purple fabric. Noone was allowed to wear a piece of clothing dyed inpurple without the emperors permission. When theTurks conquered Constantinople in the year 1543, thedyerss showes were destroyed and the art of dyeing

with purple diminished. Purple is now madesynthetically.

Purple was replaced by other red-coloursubstances, two of which also come from the

animal kingdom, namely kermes and carmine, bothof which were obtained from two different kinds of

scale insects.


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Kermes from the kermes shield-louse, which forthousands of years had been used to dye red in theOrient, was brought to the Mediterranean world inthe middle of the 15th century.

Carmine, the red colour which came from thecochineal scale insect, quickly became important toEurope and is still being used today. It was alreadyknown to the Aztecs and Inca people before theSpanish came to Mexico in 1518. Te Spaniards

were fascinated by the populations deep redcloaks, whose colour greatly surpassed purple. Thecolour substance was extracted from the fertilized

female cochineal scale insect which was brushed offits cactus home with a freather. The insects werekilled by heating, or with ether, then dried in thesun and crushed in a mortar. By 1526 cochineal

were being imported to Europe; in the middle of the16th century, the Opuntia cactus on which they livewas imported as well. Carl von Linne planned to

grow the desirable insects in greenhouses inSweden and in this way to save barrels of goldwhich importing carmine cost the kingdom everyyear. When the Opuntia cactus, abundantly

covered with insects, was delivered at the BotanicGarden in Uppsala, after an adventurous trip, thepackage was opened by a garden-master, who onlysaw small, nasty bugs rather than valuable insects,and flushed them away. When Linne came toinspect his acquisition, there stood the Opuntia

cactus, perfectly clean, without a single insect.

Madder, known for thousands of years in Persia andIndia, became, next to indigo, the most commondye plant in the world. The colour substance,which has a healthy yellow-red tone often called

Turkish-red- is extracted from dried root clumpsfrom the Rubia peregrina. Karl the Great started

many large madder plantings in Europe, and evenin Sweden there were madder plantations during


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the 18th century. Cochineal and madder are still inuse as dyes today.

Synthetic colour. Natural dyes were valuable andexclusive until the end of the last century, whensynthetic dyes entered the market. The firstsynthetic textile dyes entered the market. The firstsynthetic textile colours were made in England in1856 by an eighteen-year-old student, WilliamPerkin. Towards the end of the 1850s, the larger

dye shops on the Continent started producing newdye substances chemically. At first, the syntheticdyes were not colour fast, but today they surpass

the natural dyes. The development of syntheticcolour substances means that we now have analmost unlimited colour range at our disposal. Withthem we can reproduce not only strong, clear and

brilliant hues but also the characteristic whole, softcolour scale of natural dyes. The fact that thenatural dyes are still in use in Sweden to such a

large extent is due to a great interest in nature andwhat it can give us, along with a deeply rooteddesire to share in earlier generations experiencesand knowledge, and also perhaps to take part in

the camaraderie of the gloriously scented dyebaths.


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Lesson 6: Functions of

ColoursStructure:

6.1 Functions of Colour

6.1 Functions of ColoursThe word colour has many meanings. Partly, itrepresents the emotional observation of a colour,

partly the substance we dip the brush into and thenapply to a surface. We use the word colour (fromthe French couleur) when we mean seen and

experienced impressions and also to describe theactual characteristic of the colour as being strong,

clear, warm, light, saturated, and so on.

When colour means the materials to paint with, weoften make it clearer by saying the type of paint:water-colour, oil colour, lacquer-colour, or bysaying what the colour is going to be used for, such

as boat-colour, exterior-colour, floor-colour, and soon.

Through information about such things as distance,weather, time of the year, the health of anotherperson, degree of ripeness of food and freshnesswhich colour can provide, colour has given human

beings the guidance they needed to survive.Since we read colour faster than letters andnumbers, it is used for warming signs in modernsociety in almost every field. Think about all the

traffic signs with different colours for different kindsof information. In this way, for example, acombination of red, yellow and black is used as a

warning.


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seem shorter and smaller in cool light : blue orgreen.

You can also use colour to change proportions in aroom, create an illusion of more space by paintingthe walls and ceilling in light colours or lower theceiling height by having the ceiling colour extendonto the wall.

Colour help us

Almost one hundred years ago, FlorenceNightingale observed that certain colours in theenvironment helped patients in the filed hospital toa sense of well-being and faster healing.

The researchers of today have discovered that thewhole body reacts to colour. Red lighting increasesblood pressure; increases our rate of respirationand the number of eye blinks per second, whileblue has the opposite effect. Reaction speed is

supposedly 20% faster than noraml in red lighting ,while green lighting causes slower reactions thannormal. We also know that red has a tendency toaggravate symptoms such as nearsightedness andbalance disturbances in sick people and that finemotor skills are accomplished with greater precisionin green rather than red lighting.

Colour for energy conservation

By using a colour that gives a feeling of warmth,you can lower the temperature in a room severaldegrees. A colour that reflects light from the wallsand ceiling will let you make the lighting more

energy efficient. There are coloured outer layerswhich absorb neutrons and protect againstradioactive rays. Soon, we might have paint withdust repellant qualities to prevent outer and innerwalls from getting dirty. The practical uses for

paint will soon have no limits. Even if reasearchand colour experience might seem abstract, its


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observations can often result in particularapplications.


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Review Questions:

1.How can colours fool us and help us?

2.Name the insects that were crushed to extractcolours? What were the colours extracted fromthem.

3.When was the first synthetic dye discovered andby whom?


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Books for FurtherReferences

1. Lyton Linda, 1995, The Sari, Thames &Hudson London.

2. Wilson and Leaman, Colours in Decoration,

Studio Vista Ltd. London.

3. Wheran, BM, 1994, Colour harmony 1 and 2,Rock Port Publishers Germany.

Documents

Design & Colour Concept & Its Composition Part-B