Color, Value and Hue• Color has high expressive qualities. Understanding the uses of

color is crucial to effective composition and semantics in design and the fine arts.

Color, Value and Hue• Hue is the term for the pure spectrum colors commonly referred

to by the "color names" - red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet - which appear in the hue circle or rainbow.

Color, Value and Hue• Theoretically all hues can be obtained from the mix of three basic

hues, known as primaries.

• When Pigment primaries (NOT Light primaries) are all mixed together, the theoretical result is black. Therefore pigment mixture is referred to as Subtractive mixture. Light mixing is Additive.

Color, Value and Hue• The primary colors consist of three hues from which we can

theoretically obtain all other hues.

There are three commonly used definitions of primary colors -

1. Painters Primaries are Red, Blue, Yellow. This traditional definition of primaries on mixing may not generate clear greens or purples; it is based on 19th century theories.

Color, Value and Hue2. Printers Primaries are Magenta, Cyan (turquoise), Yellow. This

definition of primaries mixes to clear colors across the entire spectrum. It is used as the basis for color printing.

Color, Value and Hue• Theoretically, if we were to print a surface with equal parts of

cyan, magenta and yellow, we would see black, because all colors would be absorbed and none reflected. In practice, however, this black looks more like a muddy green or brown. That is why four colors are generally used in printing ("four-color print"). Black (K) is used as the fourth color in order to achieve a real black.

Color, Value and Hue• The computer screen probably does not give you a true

turquoise, the color should be a blue-green. This is because of differences between color mixture in pigment (printer)and color mixture in light (monitor).

Color, Value and Hue3. Light Primaries are Red, Green, Blue. This definition is active

when colored light (not pigments) is mixed, as on your computer screen.

• Its effects are less familiar than pigment mixture to most people. If all three primaries are mixed, the theoretical result is white light. So Light mixture is sometimes referred to as Additive mixture.

Color, Value and Hue• Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color. It

is an important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that it defines form and creates spatial illusions.

Color, Value and Hue• Any given color can be described in terms of its value and hue.

Color, Value and Hue• Contrast of value separates objects in space, while gradation of

value suggests mass and contour of a contiguous surface.

Color, Value and Hue• Hue has value. When contrasting hues are made similar in value,

the spatial effects might be flattened out.

• Warm-cool contrast of hue can cause images to appear to advance or recede.

Color, Value and Hue

Color, Value and Hue• In the black and white version of the image here, the coat

virtually disappears, since only value, and not hue is available to distinguish it, and the values of coat and the environment are quite similar. But, the strong value contrast of the eyes and hair with the face draw our attention to the face, even though the contours of the face seem to melt into the background.

• Therefore the black and white version emphasizes the model more than the garment.

Color, Value and Hue• Colors of the same lightness and saturation are of the same

Nuance.

• Colors of the same hue and saturation, but of different lightness, are said to be Tints and Shades.

• Colors of the same hue and lightness, but of varying saturation, are called Tones.

Color, Value and Hue• In mixing colors, Hues can be ‘De-saturated’ (reduced in purity,

weakened) in one of three ways -

1. Mix with white to lighten the value (tint)

2. Mix with black to darken the value (shade)

3. Mix with gray to either lighten or darken the value (tone).

Color, Value and HueColor relationships may be displayed as a color wheel or a color triangle.

1. The Painter's color triangle consists of colors painter’s would often use in their compositions directly and also to create new colors. The primary hues are Red, Blue and Yellow.

2. The Printers' color triangle is the set of colors used in the printing process. The primaries are Magenta, Cyan, and Yellow.

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Color, Value and Hue• A version of printer’s color triangle nine-part Harmonic Triangle of

Goethe begins with the printer's primaries; the secondariesformed complete the painter's primaries palette; and the resulting tertiaries formed are dark neutrals.

Color, Value and Hue• A color wheel (also referred to as a color circle) is a visual

representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship.

• The primary hues are equidistant from one another, and are bridged using secondary and tertiary colors.

Color, Value and Hue• Tones of blue are considered to be cold colors. Cold colors remind

us of ice and snow. When cold and hot colors are placed nearby it seems as if the composition is vibrating.

Color, Value and Hue• The basic tone of cool colors is blue. If we add yellow to cold

colors we receive yellow-green, green and green-blue colors. Such tones relax, refresh, and give a feeling of depth and comfort.

Color, Value and Hue• All colors that contain red seem to be warm. Red-orange, orange

and yellow-orange are supposed to be warm colors. Warm colors could be perceived as impulsive, friendly, blurry, dirty and comfortable.

Color, Value and Hue• Primary Colors - Colors at their basic essence; those colors that

cannot be created by mixing others.

• Secondary Colors - Those colors achieved by a mixture of two primaries.

• Tertiary Colors - Those colors achieved by a mixture of primary and secondary hues.

Color, Value and Hue• Complementary Colors - Those colors located opposite each other

on a color wheel.

• Analogous Colors - Those colors located close together on a color wheel.

Color, Value and Hue• Color Harmony is a specific set of color rules that an artist follows

to create a certain mood in the viewer. Basically he or she chooses a specific subset of colors to use while ignoring all others. This focuses the emotional message that they want to deliver to the viewer.

• Color schemes are often described in terms of logical combinations of colors on a color wheel.

Color, Value and Hue• We look at a color wheel to understand the relationships

between colors.

Color, Value and Hue• If you don't use a correct harmony, you run the risk of sending an

emotional message to your viewer that is garbled or contradicts the message that you intended to send.

• When this happens we start saying that a painting or photograph looks dull, irritating, not peaceful or repelling, even if we can't rationally explain why.

Color, Value and Hue1. Monochromatic color scheme consists of different values (tints

and shades) of one single color found on the color wheel.

Color, Value and Hue• Monochrome relationships work because it’s clean and simple.

There’s a sense of unity to the piece because all of the shades are derived from one color. Visual interest can be added and focus can be directed to a particular section or area by choosing different shades with different values and saturations.

Color, Value and Hue• Use a monochrome relationship when you want your work to feel

cohesive. This is especially true if you have a lot of details that compete with each other that you’d like to blend together. Focusing on just one color will help unite all of the parts of your piece. This is also great for beginners learning how values and saturations work.

Color, Value and Hue2. Primary color scheme consists of the three primary colors (red,

yellow, and blue) and their tints, shades, and tones.

Color, Value and Hue3. Secondary color scheme is the same as a primary scheme, but

consists of the secondary colors - orange, green, and violet. Merging of character and moods associated with primary colors.

Color, Value and Hue3. Tertiary color scheme is made up of tertiary colors. Tertiary colors

are made of a primary color mixed with a secondary color that is next to it; for example, a color such as yellow-orange or blue-green. Again emotional characteristics of the element colors could be blended together to generate the required response.

Color, Value and Hue4. Analogous scheme relationships use two or more colors that sit

next to each other on the color wheel. Examples would be orange/yellow-orange/yellow or yellow-green/green/blue-green. You can choose as many colors to use here as you like, but generally you want to stick to two, three, or four.

Color, Value and Hue• Colors transition into one another in a way that makes sense to

our brains (thanks to the secondary and tertiary colors, which help connect the dots). E.g. if we use blue-green, blue, and blue-purple together, the continuity on color wheel helps make sense to us. There is a natural flow because the same color blue can be used to create the other two colors.

Color, Value and Hue• Use an analogous relationship when you want more than one

color, but still want a sense of unity. Because the colors sit next to each other on the color wheel, using analogous colors will help your work feel blended together and purposeful.

• Using a brighter, more vibrant shade of a color can help direct attention to a specific part of your work, while still working with that natural flow of colors.

Color, Value and Hue• Generally speaking, analogous relationships have less contrast to

them than a complementary relationship, because of how the colors flow into each other.

• Analogous colors are positioned in such a way as to mimic the process that occurs when blending hues.

Color, Value and Hue• Analogous Harmonies are great for conveying intense moods and

emotions.

Color, Value and Hue• Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are

pleasing to the eye. The combination of these colors give a bright effect in the area, and are able to accommodate many changing moods. When using the analogous color scheme, one should make sure there is one hue as the main color.