COLOR THEORY

Color = the reflection of light from an object or surface. No light = no visible color.

Hue = the name of a color.

Triad = a group of three.

Primary colors = red, yellow and blue. These mix to make all other colors.

Secondary colors = green, orange and violet. Made by mixing two primary colors.

Tertiary colors = the intermediates like red-violet, yellow-orange, etc. These are made by mixing a primary with a secondary.

Analogous colors = grouping of three colors that are next to each other on the wheel.

Cool colors = blue, green and violet. The colors of sky, water…calm, peaceful, sad, cold, etc.

Vincent van Gogh’s Green Wheat Fields

Warm colors = yellow, red and orange. The colors of fire and the sun…energy, excitement, look at me attitude, etc.

Georges Seurat’s The Circus

Complementary colors = these are direct opposites on the color wheel. Intense next to each other…but dull each other when

mixed. Green – red, yellow – violet and blue – orange.

Tint = when a color is mixed into white.Shade = when black is mixed into a color.Tone = when a color is mixed into grey.

Intensity = the overall brightness or purity of a color.Value = the lightness or darkness of a color.Monochromatic = means “one color”...contains tints, shades and tones in the same color.

Warm and analogous colors Cool and analogous colors

Monochromatic and warm colors Monochromatic and cool colors

What color schemes do these images fit?

Color wheel examples…

COLOR THEORY

• Primary colors = red, yellow and blue. These mix to make all other colors.• Secondary colors = green, orange and violet. Made by mixing two primary colors.• Tertiary colors = intermediates made by mixing a primary with a secondary…ex. R-O.• Analogous colors = grouping of 3 colors next to each other on the wheel.• Cool colors = blue, green and violet. Colors of water and sky…calm, peaceful or cold.• Warm colors = yellow, red and orange. Colors of fire and sun…energy, excitement,

look at me attitude.• Complementary colors = these are opposite on the wheel…R-G, Y-V, and B-O. Intense

next to each other…dull each other when mixed.• Tint = when a color is mixed into white…ex. Pink.• Shade = when black is mixed into a color…ex. Maroon.• Tone = when a color is mixed into grey…ex. Blue-grey• Monochromatic = means “one color”…tints, shades and tones of one color.• Hue = the name of the color.• Intensity = the overall brightness or purity of a color.• Value = the lightness and darkness of a color.• Color = the way light reflects from a surface.• Triad = means a group of three…primary, secondary and analogous colors are groups

of three colors.