the color wheel

History of Color• Colors are often

symbolic.• Let’s talk about

what role color has played in different times in history.

In China…• Yellow has

religious significance and is still the Imperial color today!

In Greece and Rome…• Red was believed

to have protective powers.

• Purple was restricted to use by nobility.

The Egyptians• Adorned walls of

tombs and temples with brilliant colors of blue, tangerine, and green.

In the Italian Renaissance…

• Colors were vibrant reds, greens, golds and blues.

In the Rococo period…• Tastes became

very feminine, colors became less vibrant.

In 18th Century England…

• There was great elegance. Colors were rich, showing a strong Chinese influence in the use of red and gold.

During the Victorian era…

• There was great Eclecticism known for it’s abundance of “things”.

• Colors were mostly dull reds, greens, browns, and mauves.

In the Early 20th Century…

• Colors were Monochromatic. There were sleek surfaces and strong contrasts with black, gray, silver, brown, beige and white.

In the 1920’s…• All-white interiors

became popular which gave way to delicate pastels with bright accents.

In the 1950’s..• Light colors were

preferred.• However,

American interest turned to Mexico and a shift to bright colors with bright contrasts.

And in the 1990’s…• Regal gold, blue, and red

were used. Southwestern remained popular and Victorian was being revived.

• Ivy league also becomes popular with forest greens and cranberry reds.

Where does color come from?

• A ray of light is the source of all color.

• Without light, color does not exist.• Light is broken down into colors of

the spectrum. You can often see a variety of colors in a bright beam when you look at something like a rainbow.

Color• Color can alter

the appearance of form and space.

• Color can affect our performance abilities and change our moods.

Pigments• Pigments are

substances that can be ground into fine powder and used for adding color to dyes and paints.

• Pigments were originally derives from animal, mineral, and vegetable sources.

• Examples:– Purple from shellfish– Red dye from the dried bodies of

scale insects

The Color Wheel• The color wheel is

a basic tool we use when working with colors.

• It is based on the standard color theory known as Brewster/Prang.

• In addition to the traditional color wheel, there are two color systems that are useful when more detailed colors are required.– The Munsell system:

• Has 5 principles hues and 5 intermediate hues. A numbering system helps designers identify the exact hue they need.

– The Ostwald system:• Made from pairs of complementary colors.

The color circle has twenty-four hues.

The Color Wheel• There are 12

hues in the spectrum of color.

• They are divided into three categories…

R ed-vio le t

V io le t

B lue-vio le tB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

R ed-orange

R ed

The Primary Colors• Red, Yellow, and

Blue• These colors

cannot be combined from mixing any colors together.

R ed-vio le t

V io let

B lue-vio letB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

R ed-orange

R ed

The Secondary Colors• Green, violet,

and orange• Made by

combining the Primary colors together.

R ed-vio le t

V io let

B lue-vio letB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

R ed-orange

R ed

The Tertiary Colors

• Yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange.

• Made by combining a primary and a secondary hue.

• Named by the Primary color first.

R ed-vio let

V io let

B lue-vio letB lue

B lue-green

G reen

Yellow -green

Yellow

Yellow -orange O range

R ed-orange

R ed

COLORCOLORCOLORCOLORWhat color is your What color is your

personality?personality?

PINK• Laid back and

carefree

• Somewhat sheltered and innocent, or you wish you were

• Words that describe you are shy, romantic, and feminine

• Gentle, almost to the point of being weak

• You have a calming effect on those around you and people who need a friend seek you out

RED• Want to be part of

the action and are quite impulsive

• Outspoken, quick-tempered and intense

• In a crowd you are dynamic and noticeable

• Be careful you can become overbearing

• Emotional, exciting and athletic

• You give your opinion whether others agree with you or not

• You live life to the fullest

YELLOW• Intellectual and drawn

toward the new and modern.

• High spirited, cheerful, and idealistic

• Vivacious, extroverted and comedic

• You have strong opinions and can be stubborn

• You live by high standards and give sound advice

ORANGE• You are unique• Friendly and get

along well with others

• Radiate warmth and inspire those you are with

• You tend to be social and drawn to groups of people

• You are the hearth of the home and grateful for family and friends

WHITE

• You expect to be happy most of the time

• Your personality is light, good and pure

• You have a sense of innocence about you

• You seek perfection and expect others to do the same, which sometimes make you appear cold

BLUE• You are

cautious, conservative and sensitive to the needs of others

• Your basic need for harmony often thrusts you into the role of peacemaker

• Words that best describe you are business-like, calm, and capable

• You are a loyal, trustworthy friend, but expressing your emotions in a relationship is difficult for you

GREEN

• You are fresh, friendly and natural

• You are persistent, well balanced and stable

• The environment is important in your life and you like things basic to the point of being simple

• As a friend you are frank, sensitive, affectionate and loyal

BLUE/GREEN

• You are sensitive and need loving care and adoration form others, but you maintain your independence

• Showing emotion difficult for you and others perceive you as self-centered

• You have excellent taste and a mature outlook

PURPLE• You are creative! • You consider

yourself unique and you set yourself apart from others

• You are an artist at heart

• Scheduling and mundane tasks bore you

• You can frequently be found daydreaming and would actually prefer fantasy to reality

• While you seek cultural events and luxury, you do not put yourself out to serve humanity

• Many inventors claim purple as their favorite color

BROWN

• You are likely to be seen as stable and unchanging

• You are self-disciplined, conscientious and dependable

• You like the rugged outdoors and the ultra natural

• You are warm, comfortable, intimate and accepting

BLACK

• You are sophisticated, mysterious and dramatic

• You are dignified and keep to yourself

• You may be unhappy with how things are, but aren’t quite certain how you can change existing circumstances

• A young child who chooses black exclusively may be depressed

Clue in on ColorClue in on ColorClue in on ColorClue in on Color

Blue• Cool Color• Moves away from you• Suggests respect, responsibility,

authority• Needs a relief color• Tranquilizing• Elongate time• Favorite color• Poor color around food

Red• Hot, exciting, stimulating• Highly emotional• Raises blood pressure, pulse and heart

rate• Cellular reaction in heart and lungs• Stimulate appetite• Pay more• Lose track of time• Separate gender responses

Yellow• Requires the most visual processing• Cheerful, warm, inviting• Stimulate memory• “Value for Money”• Loss of minor muscle control in

elderly• Loose your temper quicker• Baby’s cry more

Green• Peaceful, relaxation, serenity• Easiest for the eye to see• Fastest adjustment time• High socio-economic status• Natural• Cool color closest to warm

Black• Mysterious• Positive and negative effects• Dignity, solemnity, formality• Mourning, sorrow, depression• Power, strong authority when

combined with white• Limited positive response in décor• Reinforces the color it touches,

powerful accent

White• Delicate, refined• Symbol of purity, chastity,

cleanliness• All white feels empty or forced• Soften edges between colors• Encourages precision• Clarity, openness and brightness

Gray/Grey• Work longer• Creativity• More artistic• Chameleon• Needs accent colors• Strong prejudice against grey

Brown• Homelike, masculine• Warmth, snug, secure• Universal• Solidity• Listener• Positive food associations• Less intensive behavioral response• Needs natural associations and less

yellow for a positive response.

Violet• Stronger versions are called purple• Uncertainty• Royalty, dignity• Women generally accept universally• Tire of the fastest• Seen as artistic and expressive

Pink• Sweet• Can be calming• Intensifies when applied• Feminine• Good accent clothing color

Orange• Declassifying• Informality• Stimulating• Inexpensive• Good around fast food• Shares some qualities of red, slightly

reduced

ColorColorColorColor

VocabularyVocabulary

Hue• red, yellow, blue, green, or any

combination of • White, black and gray possess no

hue

Neutrals• Black• White• Gray

Values of Hues• is defined as the relative lightness

or darkness of a color.

Shade• The degree to which a color is

mixed with black or is decreasingly illuminated

• Gradation of darkness

Tint• A gradation of a color made by

adding white to it to lessen its saturation.

Tone• adding gray to a pure hue

Intensity• The brightness or dullness of a

hue.• One may lower the intensity by

adding white or black

Lower the Intensity• Adding black • Adding white• Adding the complementary color

– Opposite on the color wheel

Graying a color• Add a small amount of its

complement

Warm and Cool ColorsWarm and Cool ColorsWarm and Cool ColorsWarm and Cool Colors

Warm Colors•Yellow-green to red

•Advancing- make objects look larger or closer than they really are

Cool Colors•Green to red-violet

•Receding- objects seems larger and farther away

Color Scheme

s

Color Scheme:•A combination of colors selected for a room design in order to create a mood or set a tone– Provides guidelines for designing

successfully with color– Color schemes look best when

one color dominates

COLOR WHEEL

Types of Color Schemes

1. Neutral2. Monochromatic3. Analogous4. Complementary5. Split-Complementary6. Triad

1. Neutral• Neutral color schemes can be easier

to live with than with vibrant color schemes.

• Often used as background colors in rooms because they blend well with other colors

• Touches of accent colors are usually added for interest

2. Monochromati

c• Tints and

shades of one color on the color wheel

3. Analogous

•3 to 5 hues next to each other on the color wheel

4. Complement

•Two colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

5. Split Complement

•Three colors, they combine one color with the two colors on each side of its complement

6. Triad•Three colors that are equal distance apart on the color wheel.

Red Color Scheme

Yellow Color Scheme

Blue Color Scheme

Green Color Scheme

Orange Color

Scheme

Purple Color Scheme

The Purples

Browns and Naturals

Desaturated

The Trippy Tints

Sherwin-WilliamsSherwin-WilliamsSherwin-WilliamsSherwin-Williams

Color ForcastColor Forcast

Techno Color                                                                                                                                                                     

It’s a brave–and beautiful—new world.Techno-Color explodes with bold and bright environmentally friendly hues that enhance your color and design possibilities. The daring colors of this collection dance across any canvas creating dimension and luminescence.

Gauntlet Gray SW 7019 Hep Green SW 6704 Reflecting Pool SW 6486

Zany Pink SW 6858 Ruby Shade SW 6572 Zircon SW 7667

Local Momentum • Putting a local spin on the color wheel.

Local Momentum is about embracing the world around you. Raw natural materials and handmadeitems by local artisans are crafted together to make this look. So wherever you live, your home will feel connected to the experience you get every time you step outside

Wool Skein SW 6148 Black Fox SW 7020 Lemon Verbena SW 7726    Grandiose SW 6404 Aqua-Sphere SW 7613 Mesa Tan SW7695

Conscious Luxury • Conscious Luxury takes earth-friendly inspiration

and gives it an exotic twist. Mineral hues, such as mother of pearl and warm metallic shades, combine earthy sensibility with refined taste. Imagine wrapping yourself in the finest silks and cashmeres shaded with natural flower and root dyes.

Steamed Milk SW 7554 Celestial SW 6808 Plummy SW 6558 Plum Dandy SW 6284 Constant Coral SW 6325 Insightful Rose SW 6023

Global Tapestry • One world. One palette. Endless

inspiration.Global Tapestry brings color influences from many lands and weaves them together into a brilliant tapestry. Earth-inspired colors from India and Asia blend seamlessly with those of Latin America giving you a whole world of inspiration.

Enticing Red SW 6600

      Gambol Gold SW 6690

         Basket Beige SW 6143

                 Alexandrite SW 0060

                  Tigereye SW 6362

            Umber SW 6146

PantonePantonePantonePantone

What is Pantone?• Color matching system• Standardized colors in the CMYK

process. • The CMYK process is a method of

printing color by using four inks—cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

Pantone Colors of the Year

2013 Pantone Color of the Year…EmeraldEmerald

PANTONE 17-5641

Sample Board of an Interior Color Scheme

Neutral ColorScheme

Accent color

What happens if you have no color

scheme?

Color Scheme and Mandalas

• Try to make your design with only three colors– A three color combination is a good

starting point. – This is enough to create variation and

visual interest.

Apply the 60 - 30 - 10 Rule for Success

• You should not use equal amounts of the three colors.

• An old designer's rule is to divide the colors into percentages of 60, 30, and 10.

Mandala Assignment• Monochromatic• Analogous• Complementary• Split Complementary

Need more colors?

• Sometimes a design require more than three colors.

• Use shades and tints of your main colors.

Just for Fun…Just for Fun…Just for Fun…Just for Fun…

In this pipe you will also see a woman

Do you see a rabbit or a duck?

What do you see besides a man? Two

people kissing?