The Role of

•Color is the most important element of design. (Deciding what color to use is usually the first decision made when decorating a room). •Sets the mood in a room.• Allows one to express their individuality.

CMAGNO

The Role of Color•

* How do the following colors make you feel?

CMAGNO

RED

CMAGNO

ORANGE

CMAGNO

YELLOW

CMAGNO

GREEN

CMAGNO

BLUE

CMAGNO

BLACK

CMAGNO

VIOLET

CMAGNO

WHITE

CMAGNO

The Role of Color

What is your favorite color? Why?

CMAGNO

Psychological effects on People

• RED is bold, aggressive, exciting and warm; demands attention; associated with power, danger, fire, strength and passion.

• Makes one feel energetic.• Too much red can be

overpowering.

CMAGNO

Orange• Orange- Is hopeful, cheerful, warm and

less aggressive. It expresses courage and hospitality.

• It can make a room feel energetic and friendly.

CMAGNO

Yellow

• Yellow – is friendly, happy and warm.• It is associated with sympathy, sunlight,

prosperity, cowardice and wisdom.

• Yellow rooms are cheerful, light and airy.

• Effective in rooms for studying.• Gold = more formal

CMAGNO

GREEN• Green – Is the color of nature.• It is refreshing, friendly, cool and

peaceful.• Is associated with hope, good luck and

envy.• It mixes well with other colors and

looks especially good next to white.

CMAGNO

Blue• Blue- Is cool, quiet and reserved.• Is associated with tranquility, serenity and

formality.• Is soothing and peaceful.• May make one feel calm, relaxed.• Known to lower blood pressure, body temp.

and pulse rate.• Seldom used in fast food restaurants• Large amounts of dark blue may be

depressing.CMAGNO

Violet• Violet- is a royal color. It is dignified

and dramatic.

• It works well with most other colors.

CMAGNO

Black• Black is sophisticated and mysterious.• Associated with wisdom, evil and death.

• Small amounts = a crisp appearance• Large amounts = oppressive

CMAGNO

White• White – fresh, peaceful and pure.• Associated with youth, innocence, and

faith.

• Small amounts= crisp and lively feel• Large amounts = too stark, cold

CMAGNO

Neutrals

• * Black, White, Gray• Not really considered colors, but classified

as colors when discussing design.

• *By adding a neutral color to another hue (another color), The value of the color is changed to either a tint or a shade.

CMAGNO

Illusions with Color• People feel most comfortable when they are

surrounded by colors that reflect their personalities.

• Warm colors – (the advancing colors)– Associated with the sun (yellow, orange, red)

appear closer than cool ones;– Make rooms look smaller than they are.

• Red coveys the most warmth of any color; – stimulates the nervous system, – increases blood pressure and heartbeats. (Used in

restaurants and locker rooms; in advertisements).

CMAGNO

Illusions with Color• Bold, bright colors make objects stand

out.• A high ceiling painted a dark color will

seem lower.• A light color will cause a low ceiling to

appear higher.

CMAGNO

Cool Colors• The receding colors (blues, greens, violets);

• A small room decorated in cool colors will

appear larger than it is. • Quiet and restful; used in hospitals,

bedrooms. • It can be depressing in large amounts.

CMAGNO

The Color Wheel• The color wheel is the most commonly

used tool to understand color relationships.

• The Primary Colors are: Yellow, Red, and Blue. – By mixing, lightening or darkening them, all

the other colors can be made.

CMAGNO

The Color Wheel • Secondary Colors are orange, green and

violet. – Mixing equal amounts of two primary colors produces

these colors. (ex. Red mixed with yellow makes

orange; Mixing yellow and Blue makes Green; Mixing

blue and red makes violet).

– On the wheel, they’re located half-way between the

primary colors that make them.

CMAGNO

The Color Wheel• Intermediate colors or tertiary colors

(third level) *They are made by mixing a primary color

with a secondary color.

– They are Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-violet, Blue-Violet, Blue-Green, Yellow-Green.

CMAGNO

Color Characteristics• Each color has three characteristics:• Hue- color name; The specific individual nature of each color; makes a

color unique.• Value – The lightness or darkness of a hue.

– The value of a hue is made lighter by adding white. This addition of white produces a tint (ex. Pink is a tint of Red).

– The value of a hue can be made darker by adding black. This addition of black to a hue produces a shade. (ex. Maroon is a shade of red- made by adding black to red; Navy Blue is a shade of blue- made by adding black to blue).

• Intensity – the brightness or dullness of a hue. (The normal intensity of each hue is shown on the middle ring of the color wheel).– To dull a hue (lower its intensity)- add some of its complement (the

color opposite it on the color wheel) .Ex. Add blue to orange.• Examples of high intensity colors are: hot pink and fire engine red.• Low intensity colors are: smoky blue and rust.

CMAGNO

Let’s see if you understand this sentence…

• Adding a neutral color to a hue changes the value to either a tint or a shade; makes the hue less intense.

CMAGNO