Hue
This is the common name for color and indicates its position in the spectrum
or in the color wheel.
Primary Colors
Every color is made from these three colors: Red, blue, and yellow. These
are pure colors and thus are the brightest.
Secondary Colors
Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors together. Some
colors are stronger and some are weaker so you must use the eye rather than
measure.
*When mixing colors, always add the strong hue to the weak hue.The three secondary colors are green, orange, and violet.
Value
This refers to the degree of lightness or darkness of a color. By adding
white to a hue you lighten it and by adding black to the same hue you can
darken it.
Tint - add white
Shade - add black
Local Value
Pure hues have a value. e.g. yellow is lightest, and violet is darkest.
Neutral Value Scale
This scale does not have color, i.e.. it consists of white, gray, and
black.
Intensity
This refers to the strength of a color determined by its purity. A vivid/bright
color is of high intensity and a dull color is of low intensity.
Neutralized Hue
A hue which has been grayed or reduced in intensity by a mixture with
any of the neutrals or with a complimentary color.
Temperature
Through association and experience color has been divided into cold (blue,
green, violet) and hot (red, yellow, orange)
Cold-receding, sad, restful
Hot-advance, happy, energy
Weight
Colors have visual weight and must be placed in such a way as to achieve
balance in a painting.
Cool and light - light e.g. Picasso
Warm and dark - heavy e.g. Rembrandt
Color Systems
When you are painting a realistic work of art and are reproducing the
colors you see in nature, you are using local color.
When not using local color, you can use one of the following color harmonies.
1. Monochromatic - when a single color dominates the paining. Produces unity and mood e.g. Picasso's blue period.
2. Analogous - colors which are closely related in hue, found adjacent to each other on the color wheel. Produces unity but lacks variety. e.g. Rembrandt - yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange, red.
3. Triad - a group of any three colors spaced an equal distance on the color wheel. there is a primary triad, a secondary triad, and two tertiary triads. Give good visual contrast. e.g. Mondrian.
4. Complimentary - any two colors found opposite on the color wheel. this
is a strong, dynamic scheme that attracts attention. Used in modern graphic
design.
