Intro to Visual Communication - Colour Theory

• Colour Spectrum• Colour Wheel• Primary Colours• Secondary Colours• Complementary Colours• Analogous Colours• Split Complementary Colours• Tints, Shades and Tones• Simultaneous Contrast• Successive Contrast• Subtractive Colour• Printing Primary Colours• Additive Colour

Colour Matters Colour, Contrast & Dimension

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Colour Theory

Colour Test

Colour Test Answers

Colour

colour spectrum

The concept of additive colour theory was developed around 1690 by Sir Isaac Newton who discovered that white sunlight passing through a prism split into different wavelengths of light - the colours of the spectrum.

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Colour Wheel

Hue

pure colour

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primary colours Next

primary colours

primarycolours can be found

equally spaced onthe twelve partcolour wheel

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secondary colours

each secondarycolour is a mixture of two primary colours

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complementary colours

Complementarycolours can be found

opposite each other onthe twelve partcolour wheel

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complementary colours

complementary coloursprovide maximum

visual contrastof hue

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complementary colours

The sum of any twoprimary colours makesthe complement of the

remaining primary

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analogous colours

colours which areclose to each other on

the colour wheel

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analogous colours

colours harmoniseeasily and are

pleasing to the eye

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analogous colours

they can include tones,tints and shades

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split complementary colours

this complementaryvariation introducesslight variations of

the contrastingcolour

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split complementary colours

using adjacentcolours to theopposite hue

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split complementary colours

the effectis vibrant and exciting

but less harsh thantwo straight

complementary colours

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Tints

Colour + white

hue

Hue +white

Hue +more white

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shades

Colour + black

hue

Hue +black

Hue +more black

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tones

colour + greyhue

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hue

70% tint

50% tint

30% tint

+light grey

+dark grey

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simultaneous contrast

of tone

the same grey, shown as a central square, gives

the illusion of being lighter set against a dark tone

and darker when set against a light tone

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simultaneous contrast

the same effect occurs when the same grey

is set against colours of different value

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simultaneous contrast

of colour

The same grey is shown against a different background colour

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look at the central spot

after a few seconds the same grey has the illusionof appearing different in colour - taking on a complementary hue of its background colour

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simultaneous contrast

of colour

The same yellow is shown against a different background colour

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look at the central spot

after a few seconds the same yellow has the illusionof appearing different in colour - it appears more intense set against a contrasting hue

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successive contrast

look at the central spot and try to remain fixed on it until the screen changes

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successive contrast

the complementary colour appears as an afterillusion as your eyes adjusted to the loss of colour

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successive contrast

try the illusion againwhat colour will appear?

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purple / mauve

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subtractive colour

i.e. using colour pigments

primary colours

red

yellow blue

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subtractive colour

secondary colours

two pigment primaries mixed together create a secondary colour

purpleorange

green

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subtractive colour

secondary coloursWhen mixing paint it is often proves difficult to mix an intense

colour hue using the traditional primaries. Some colours appear dull.

purpleorange

green

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subtractive colour

secondary colours

purpleorange

green

Red and yellow, mixed, create a good orange in this example,

but purple and green appear dull

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printing primary colours

yellow

magenta

cyan

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to reproduce the widest range of colours printersuse four process colours - magenta, yellow and cyan + black

yellow

magenta

cyan

+ black

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printing primariesprinting primaries mixed together create good secondary colours

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theoretically, all are mixed to create black but in practice this is impossible to achieve

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thus black is printed as an additional colour to provide definition and depth

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additive primary colours Next

additive colour

i.e. using light

when all light primaries are mixedwe see white

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