COLOUR ---------------------------------

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INDEX

1.- COLOUR PERCEPTION. DEFINITION •LIGHT

•EYES

•MATTER (OBJECT)

2.- COLOUR TYPES.

•LIGHTS COLORS

•PYGMENTS COLORS

3.- QUALITIES OF COLOUR

•HUE

•LUMINANCE

•SATURATION

4.- COLOUR ORDER

•HARMONY (WARM AND COOL COLORS & ANALOGUS COLORS )

•CONTRAST (COMPLEMENTARY COLORS)

COLOUR

DOES NOT

EXIST

IT IS A SENSATION THAT IS PRODUCED BY OUR

BRAIN AND ONLY EXISTS IN OUR MIND

COLOUR

PERCEPTION

COLOUR PERCEPTION

The elements that we need to see

colors are: • The Light

• Our Eyes

•Matter (the object)

Colour can only exists when the three components are present.

LIGHT

COLOUR PERCEPTION

LIGHT

Although pure white light

is perceived as colourless,

it actually contains all colours

in the visible spectrum.

La joven de la perla de VERMEER

Eyes Human Vision

HUMAN VISION The human eye is equipped with a variety of optical elements

including the cornea, iris, pupil, a variable-focus lens, and

the retina.

When an object is observed, it is first focused through the cornea

and lens onto the retina, where, like a camera, an inverted image

is produced.

The retina is where all light detection takes place. The retina is a network

of nerves connected to over 100 million photo-sensitive rods and cones.

The signals created by these rods and cones are then sent via the optic

nerve to the brain, and in the brain there are differents procces that

permit us to understand what we are seeing; that is the visual perception.

Rod cells are better for low-light vision,

but can only sense the intensity of light,

that means that we understand the volume

of the different objects; while cone cells

can also discern colour.

Three types of cone cells exist in your eye,

with each being more to either short (S) (blue light), medium (M) (green

light), or long (L) (red light) wavelength light.

Matter

(The object)

MATTER (THE OBJECT)

•When light shines on an object the

surface absorbs all or part of that light.

This is called absorption.

•The part of the white light that is not

absorbed by the surface, bounces off

the object, changes direction and this

produces the sensation of colour. That is

called reflection.

When white light hits an object, it selectively blocks some

colours and reflects others; only the reflected colours

contribute to the viewer's perception of colour.

PROCESS:

COLOUR TYPES

LIGHT COLOUR

&

PIGMENT COLOUR

Light Colour

white

red green

blue

The primary colours of light are red, blue, and green, and the secondary

are yellow, cyan, and magenta.

It is very important to know that mixing pigment and mixing light are

the opposite.

Red + green = yellow

Red + blue = magenta

Green + blue = cyan

The more we mix the beams, the closer they get to being white light.

Additive colours are seen in televisions, nature, and the computer screen

you are looking at right now. Amazingly enough, colours are perceived

in our eyes and brains by a three-color code; three different particles in

the retina are sensitive to—you guessed it—red, blue, and green.

LIGHT COLOUR

PIGMENT

COLOURS

PIGMENT COLOURS

cyan

yellow magenta

black

The primary pigment colours are yellow, cyan, and magenta and the

secondary are red, blue, and green.

It is very important to know that mixing pigment and mixing light are

the opposite.

yellow + magenta = orange red

magenta + cyan = blue (violet)

cyan + yellow = green

The more we mix the pigments, the closer they get to being black.

Subtractive Colour is used for printed publications such as newspapers

and magazines. You also use a sustractive colour in yours drawings, as

well as artists in their masterpieces or paintings.

PIGMENT COLOURS

THE

QUALITIES

OF

COLOUR

In the world of colour, we can order each one by three

different qualities:

• HUE

• LUMINANCE

• SATURATION

QUALITIES OF COLOUR

QUALITIES OF COLOUR

HUE

Hue simply means the actual shade or colour

QUALITIES OF COLOUR

LUMINANCE

Luminance is what is described when we

say that a colour is either light or dark.

QUALITIES OF COLOUR

SATURATION

Saturation is just how pure the hue is.

Munsell´s Tree

Charpentier´s Cube

Chromatic

wheel

COLOUR ORDER

From the 19th to the 20th century, three significant forms were

created to show the order of colours depending of the

hue, the luminance, and the saturation.

COLOUR

HARMONY

Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music,

poetry, colour…

COLOUR HARMONY

In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye.

It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the

visual experience.

Colour harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order.

Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium.

WARM AND COOL COLOURS Warm colours are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space, these colours

are side by side from magenta to green-yellow.

Cool colours give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression, these

colours are side by side from magenta to green-blue.

ANALOGUS COLOURS Another formula for harmony colours is the scheme based on analogous colours

Analogous colours are any three colours which are side by side on a 12 part colour

wheel, such as yellow-green, green and cyan-green. Usually one of the three colours

predominates in the composition.

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

CONTRAST

Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour

wheel.

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

Magenta is the complementary colour of green

Yellow is the complementary colour of blue-violet

Cyan is the complementary colour of red-orange

When placed next to each other,

complementary colours tend to look

balanced and, they appear brighter.

MONET

IMPRESSIONISM