Colour Theory - Systematic Colour

An Introduction to Colour Theory

Colour is infinite, colour is always surrounded by colour, there is a infinite gradient, hues and tones around an isolated colour. Colour never ends, yet we have been taught to distinguish colours as separate hues. How do we know this apple is red? 

Three areas to focus around when considering colour, physical, physiological and psychological. Physical aspects of colour, optics, refraction… Human interpretation of colour = physiological. Colour is linked to light, our perception of colour is dependent on light, each singular colour has its own wavelength. Certain wavelengths we perceive as the same colour because our eye sight is limited. Light is made up of all the possible colours we can see vibrating at different wavelengths. The way we perceive colour is through reflection. Absorption is important in print, when someone views work in a different colour light it will affect the colour of the print, therefore it is important to know about and take into consideration. The eye contains two receptors: rods and cones:

• Rods see black white and grey, light and dark, tonal values ie shade
• Cones are communicating colour to your brain

Three types of cones:

1 is sensitive to red-orange light

2 is sensitive to green light

3 is sensitive to blue-violet light

The only colours that we really see is red green and blue. When a single cone Is simulated, the brain perceives the corresponding colour, but two cones stimulated so combination colours can be perceived, such as yellow. Suggesting that yellow doesn’t really exist.

Primary secondary and tertiary colour wheel:

Mixing complimentary colours gives a neutral colure as when they’re mixed they cancel each other out. The neutral is another form of tertiary colour. 

Neutral Colour Wheel

Colour Modes

RGB vs CYMK

RGB – SCREEN

CYMK – PRINT

Chromatic values- Hue, Tone and Saturation

Hue – initial response to a colour e.g. a range of colour that sits within the violet, green or blue spectrum

Luminance, how bright something is, how much of the light reflects (shade)

Tint- adding more or less white to a colour.

Saturation – the amount of colour we can see and how pure it is.

Colour matching systems – Pantone