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Page 1: Colour in Visual Communication by Francess Deanna Ramli

December 9, 2010

IntroductionC

olour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red,

green, blue and others. Colour derives from the spectrum of light which is the distribution of

light energy versus wavelength interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light

receptors. Colour categories and physical specifications of colour are also related with objects,

materials, light sources, and others, based on their physical properties such as light absorption,

reflection, or emission spectra. By defining a colour space, colours can be identified numerically

by their coordinates. Because perception of colour stems from the varying sensitivity of different

types of cone cells in the retina to different parts of the spectrum, colours may be defined and

quantified by the degree to which they stimulate these cells. These physical or physiological

quantifications of colour, however, do not fully explain the psychophysical perception of colour

appearance. The science of colour is sometimes called chromatics. It includes the perception of

colour by the human eye and brain, the origin of colour in materials, colour theory in art, and the

physics of electromagnetic radiation in the visible range that is, what we commonly refer to

simply as light.

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Colour Wheel

The first colour wheel has been recognized to Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1706 arranged red,

orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet into a natural chain on a rotating disk. As the disk

spins, the colours blur together so rapidly that the human eye sees white. From there the

association of colour has taken many forms, from tables and charts, to triangles and wheels in the

history.

From Sarah Lowengard’s The Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe tells us the

progression of colour organization systems and how the colour wheel came to be.

A successful colour ordering system requires an appropriate shape, the correct number of colours

to include, and the proper medium in which to present its information.

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PRIMARY COLORS

Red, yellow and blue :: In traditional color theory, these are the

3 pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any

combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from

these 3 hues.

SECONDARY COLORS

Orange, green and violet :: Colors created by a mixture of two

primaries.

TERTIARY COLORS

Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-

violet and red-violet :: Colors created by a mixture of primary

and secondary hues.

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The colour wheel is a visual representation of colour theory. Colours are arranged according to their chromatic relationship. Primary colours are positioned equidistant from one another and are connected by a bridge using secondary and tertiary colours.

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Analogous

An analogous colour harmony uses colors which are side-by-side on the color wheel. In most

cases, the colours that are being used are usually between 3 to 5 colours. There are three main

types of analogous colour harmonies:

1)  Warm analogous

2)  Cool analogous

3)  Analogous including both warm and cool colours

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1)  Warm Analagous colour uses 3 to 5

colors from the “warm” side of the

wheel:

Here are some examples of warm analogous colour from art history:

 

Cave Painting, Lascaux, France

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Bruegel, The Triumph of Death (1500's)

Sorolla, "Bacante" 1886

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2)  Cool Analagous

colour uses 3 to 5 colors from the “cool” side of the wheel:

green - blue - purple analogous

Here is a couple of cool analogous:

Picasso, 1903

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"Ocean Park no. 114" , Diebenkorn 1979

It was not easy to find paintings based on purple, blue, and green. It seems to be much less commonly used than the next type.

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3)  Warm + Cool Analagous

A very common analogous colour harmony which crosses from warm to cool on the wheel is the combination of yellow, green and blue.  This is frequently seen in nature, maybe which is why

we find it very pleasing:

Examples of warm to cool analogous:

"Rainy Night, Etapes", 1912, William E. Scott

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Van Gogh, "Wheatfield with Cypresses" 1889 (29 x 36)

Cezanne Water Jug (1880's)

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Cezanne, "Still Life With Apples"

Willem de Kooning

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Joan Miro, Constellation 3

Sergei Bongart

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Complementary

Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are considered to be complementary colors.

The high contrast of complementary colours creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This colour scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring.

Complementary colours are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when one wants something to stand out.

However, complementary colours are really bad for text.

Red on Green Painting by Gary Hernandez

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Split Complementary

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The split-complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to its complement.

This color scheme has the same strong visual contrast as the complementary color scheme, but has less tension.

The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good choice for beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.

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Tetradic

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The tetradic also known

as the double

complementary scheme

is the richest of all the

schemes because it uses

four colours arranged

into two complementary

colour pairs. This scheme

is hard to harmonize; if

all four colours are used

in equal amounts, the

scheme may look

unbalanced, so you

should choose a color to

be dominant or subdue

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Conclusion

In conclusion, all of us live in a world where at some point colour will be a part of, and effect

us in our everyday lives. Colour in everyday life is very diverse - from knowing that a fruit is

ripe to eat, to understanding how colour can affect our moods. Colours can vary according to

their wavelength and how our eyes perceive it. However, not all colours can match well together

when one is choosing the suitable colour for a design. Thus, it is important for a designer to

review the colour wheel every now and then.

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References

Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/

History Of The Color Wheel

http://www.yeeeeee.com/2008/06/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/

Color

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color

COLOR THEORY BASICS :: Color Wheel

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2006/11/24/color-theory-basics-color-wheel/

Analogous Color in Art History

http://davidslonim.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/analogous-color-in-art-history/

Color Harmonies

http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-harmonies.htm

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