The Psychology of Color

The Psychology of Color

The How and Why of ColorThe How and Why of Color

Color AttributesColor Attributes

• There are literally millions of colors, but they can be divided into just a few color families.

• And every color can be described in terms of having three main attributes: hue, saturation and brightness.

HueHue• Any pure color is referred to as a hue.

• Hue is identified as the color family or color name (such as red, green, purple).

• Hue is directly linked to the color's wavelength.

SaturationSaturation• Saturation, also called “chroma,” is a

measure of the purity of a color or how sharp or dull the color appears.

• Saturation is the relative brilliance or vibrancy of a color. The more saturated a color, the less black it contains.

BrightnessBrightness• Brightness, also called “luminance” or

“value,” is the shade (darkness) or tint (lightness) of a color.

• Areas of an evenly colored object in direct light have higher brightness than areas in shadow.

Tint vs. ShadeTint vs. Shade•A hue is a specific color; red, green, blue.

•A tint of a color is made by adding white.

•A shade is made by adding black.

Color Wheel Color Wheel

•Invented by Sir Isaac Newton.

•A tool for understanding color relationships and creating harmonious color schemes.

•The color wheel is divided into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Color Wheel Color Wheel • Primary colors are those

that cannot be created by mixing other colors together.

• Secondary colors are those that are created by mixing two primary colors.

• Tertiary colors are those that are created by mixing a primary and secondary color together. For this reason they have two-word names.Example: blue-green, yellow-orange, etc.

Warm vs. Cool ColorsWarm vs. Cool Colors

Warm colors appear larger than cool colors.

Cool colorsCool colors• Cool colors range from blue to violet, the half

of the color wheel with shorter wavelengths. • Have a calming effect. • Frequently used for backgrounds to set off

smaller areas of warm colors. • Used together, cool colors can look clean

and crisp, implying status and calm. • Bright cool colors generates more

excitement than light, medium or dark cool colors.

Warm ColorsWarm Colors• Warm colors range from red

to yellow.• On the half of the color

wheel corresponding to the longer wavelengths.

• Warm colors are active, attention-grabbing and aggressive.

• They stimulate emotions, motivate and seem to come forward off the screen or page.

Color SchemesColor Schemes• Selecting color combinations may be

based on several traditional color schemes. These are:

– Compliments– Monochromatic– Neutral– Analogous– Low Intensity– Split Compliments– Double Compliments

Complementary ColorsComplementary Colors• Any two colors whose light

together produces white are called complementary colors.

• Complementary colors in an image are pleasing to the eye. The colors seem to belong together.

• The most effective use of complements is to let one of them dominate by giving it a bigger area or a fuller saturation, while using the other as an accent.

Complementary ColorsComplementary Colors• Complementary colors lie opposite

each other on the color wheel. They complete or enhance each other.

• When a pair of high intensity complements are placed side by side, they seem to vibrate and draw attention to the element.

• If the hues are of low-intensity, the contrast is not too harsh.

Complementary ColorsComplementary Colors

• Intensity can only be altered by mixing a color with its complement, which has the effect of visually neutralizing the color.

• Changing the values of thehues, adding black or white, will soften the effect.

Monochromatic SchemesMonochromatic Schemes• A monochromatic color scheme

uses only one hue (color) and all values (shades or tints) of it for a unifying and harmonious effect.

• You can change the value of a color by adding black (shade), or white (tint), or gray (tone).

• As white is added to a color it becomes “higher” in value (lighter).

• As black is added it becomes “lower” in value (darker).

Monochromatic ColorsMonochromatic Colors• Value is the relationship of

light to dark.

• Values that are close together give the design a calm appearance.

• Values of pure hues as well as those of tints and shades create movement.

• Value contrasts show texture and provide an effective means of directing viewer attention in a composition.

Neutral colors Neutral colors • Contains equal parts of

three primary colors - black, white, gray, and sometimes brown.

• When neutrals are added to a color, only the value changes.

• If you try to make acolor darker by adding a darker color to it, the color (hue) changes.

• Black and white are thought of as neutrals because they do not change color.

Analogous ColorsAnalogous Colors• Colors that contain a

common hue and are found next to each other on the color wheel. 

• Adjoining colors on the wheel are similar and tend to blend together.

• They are effective at showing depth.

Analogous ColorsAnalogous Colors

• Analogous color can be used to create subtle differences in an image or design by creating a peaceful and more harmonious feeling.

IntensityIntensity

• Intensity is the Brightness or dullness of a color.

• A pure hue is a high-intensity color.

• A dulled hue, a color mixed with its complement, is called a low-intensity color.

Triads Triads •A color triad is composed of three colors spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. •The contrast between triad colors is not as strong as that between complements.

Triad - Primary ColorsTriad - Primary Colors• Primary Color are rarely seen as a trio except in

children’s products.

• Red and yellow, are popular in the USA for everything from fast foodto gas stations.

• Blue and red are also common, but are attractive only when separated by space.

Triad - SecondaryTriad - Secondary

• Colors created by mixing two primary colors to create a secondary color.

• Red + yellow =orange

• Yellow + blue = green

• Blue + red = purple (violet)

Intermediate TriadsIntermediate Triads

• Colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary

• Examples:red-orangeyellow-orange

yellow-green

blue-greenblue-purplered-purple

Split ComplementsSplit Complements• The combination of

one hue, plus the hues on each side of its complement.

• Easier to work with than a straight complementary scheme because it offers more variety.

Example: red-orange, blue, and green.

Double ComplementsDouble Complements

•Two hues and their opposites. •Four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs. •Scheme is hard to harmonize.•If all four colors are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced.•Choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.

Compositional Effects of Color: Spatial effects Compositional Effects of Color: Spatial effects

• Hues that are lighter at maximum saturation (yellows, oranges) appear larger than those that are darker at maximum saturation (e.g., blues and purples).

• Warm colors appear closer and cool colors fall back.

Compositional Effects of ColorCompositional Effects of Color

• A large shape or form appears to be heavier than a small shape. Several small shapes or forms can balance one large one.

• An object with a complicated contour is more interesting and appears to be heavier, than one with a simple contour. A small complex object can balance a large, simple object.

Compositional Effects of ColorCompositional Effects of Color

•Use highly saturated or high-intensity colors (a pure hue with no other colors mixed in) or busily detailed areas to draw attention.

•Highly saturated colors give the appearance of carrying more weight than less saturated, low-intensity or visually simpler areas.

How Colors Effect Each OtherHow Colors Effect Each Other• Placing colors next to each other effect how we see

colors and is a complex part of color theory.

• Red appears more brilliant against black.

• Red is somewhat duller against the white.

• Next orange, red appears lifeless.

• In contrast with blue-green, red exhibits brilliance.

• The red square appears larger on black than on other background colors.

How Colors Effect Each OtherHow Colors Effect Each Other• The color of the surrounding color can affect how

the color looks.

• The block in the center of the examples below are the same, only the background color has changed.

• Color is partially defined in our brain by the colors surrounding it.

Sources of InformationSources of Information•Write Design on-line

http://www.writedesignonline.com/resources/design/rules/color.html