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Color Theory for Art Enthusiasts

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From the moment we first enter the world, color aids our understanding and interpretation of everything around us. A fascination with color is seen in young children and infants alike. As we grow older, we may think we understand color, but do we really? What is color, exactly? What distinguishes one color from another?

Here we will begin to explore the world of color theory. Where and when does color theory originate? How were distinct colors devised and defined? Who are the leaders in color experimentation and theorizing today? In truth, we could discuss these topics at great length, just as numerous color experts have already done. However, we hope to simply introduce the basic tenets of color theory to art enthusiasts, prospective fine art, and design students, as well as those who are simply curious about color.

 

Origins of Color Theory

 

Color theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations. The theory can be represented visually through the use of the color wheel, which organizes the entire color spectrum into a circle to illustrate the various relationships between primary, secondary, and complementary colors.

Often, artists use the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue (RYB color model) to express color theory. In the model, these three colors are equally spaced at points around the color wheel. Their arrangement corresponds to the wavelengths of light, as opposed to hues; the first color wheel, devised by Sir Isaac Newton in Opticks (1704), was modeled after this principle. While early fundamentals of the theory were found in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti circa 1435 and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci circa 1490, the tradition of “color theory” did not truly begin until Newton began his work in the early 18th century.

These early color theorists considered the RYB model to be indicative of fundamental sensory qualities that contribute to all physical colors and blend equally in the physical mixture of pigments or dyes. These ideas and many personal color observations were summarized in two of color theory’s founding documents: The Theory of Colours (1810), by German poet and government minister Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; and The Law of Simultaneous Color Contrast (1839), by French industrial chemist Michel Eugéne Chevreul.

 

Modern Color Theory

 

Modern color theory can be traced back to The Art of Color, a revolutionary work published by German author Johannes Itten in 1961. Itten’s work incorporated the ideas of artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, and Rembrandt, as well as Newton and Ewal Hering. In developing his theories, Itten drew on his study of Eastern philosophies, the wisdom of Chinese and Hindu thinkers, and his knowledge of art from around the world. Itten’s color wheel and ideas about color harmony are based on science and the mechanics of human vision.

Itten helped demonstrate the phenomena of “successive contrast,” which happens when the brain creates an afterimage of a color when we look at it for an extended period of time. For example, red is an afterimage of green. Itten came to realize that the afterimage was always the colors exact complement on the color wheel, thus, he recognized that our brains are programmed to find color equilibrium and recognize harmonies.

 

Terms of Color Theory

 

While color theory analyzes the relationships of pure colors, it does not take color lightness and saturation into account. Instead, color theory focuses on the hue component of a given color. Color theory dictates that harmonious color combinations use any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel; any three colors equally spaced around the color wheel forming a triangle; and any four colors forming a rectangle (which is essentially two pairs of colors opposite each other).

Harmonious color combinations are called color schemes, and can be broken down into a few key categories. These are as follows:

  • Monochromatic: This scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. The scheme looks clean and elegant, and many monochromatic colors go well together. The scheme is known for producing a soothing effect, particularly with blue or green hues.
  • Analogous: This scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. Analogous is similar to monochromatic, though it offers more nuance.
  • Complementary: Consisting of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The scheme usually produces the best results when a warm color is placed against a cool color, such as red vs. green-blue. This is always a high-contrast scheme.
  • Triadic: This scheme uses three colors, equally spaced around the color wheel. The scheme is commonly used due to the strong visual contrast it offers while retaining harmony and color richness. Not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, triadic offers a more balanced, harmonious aesthetic.
  • Tetradic (Double Complementary): By using two complementary sets of pairs, this is the most varied scheme. If all four hues are used in equal amounts, Tetradic is hard to harmonize and can often appear unbalanced. Thus, when the scheme is used, a color is often chosen to serve as the dominant color, subduing the others.

Colors can further be broken down into five main categories. These are as follows:

  • Hue: A description of the distinct characteristics of color that distinguish one from the other. Hues are largely dependent on the dominant wavelength of light that is emitted or reflected from an object. From the spectrum, any pure hue can be mixed with white, black, or gray to yield a tone family of colors with different lightness, chroma, and saturation.
  • Chromaticity: Highly chromatic colors contain maximum hue with little or no impurities such as white, black, or gray. Often referred to as ‘colorfulness’, chromaticity is the amount of identifiable hue in a color. A good indicator of chromaticity is the degree to which a color is free from being mixed with other colors.
  • Saturation: Saturation, or ‘intensity’ of color, describes the strength of a color with respect to its value or lightness. It is the degree to which it is different than gray at a given lightness.
  • Value: Also know as ‘brightness’, value of a color is based on the amount of light that emanates from the color. Value can be visualized using the ‘grayscale’, which runs from black to white, containing all possible monochromatic grays. The brighter the color is on the grayscale, the higher its value.
  • Luminance: Dimension of color is related to value but is distinct in its mathematical definition. Luminance or lightness of a color measures the intensity of light per unit area of its source. It is calculated by taking the average of a series of achromatic colors. Luminance runs from very dim to very bright, and is best represented by the color wheel, which shows all hues with equal luminance. Adding light to the color wheel would increase the intensity of light, as well as the luminance.

 

How Color Theory Helps Students and Shapes Careers

 

The International School of Colour + Design in Sydney, Australia, offers courses specifically designed to launch a career as a color designer. The goal of these courses is to use color theory and design principles to give students the ability to create color schemes for a broad range of projects.

At Parsons The New School for Design, color theory is taught by Kelli Glancey, an illustrator for Hallmark Gift Books and young adult book covers. Glancey aids students in practicing with paint, mixed media, fabric and computer programs to develop color as a tool to communicate and solve visual problems. Students also keep a sketchbook to take notes, develop ideas, practice concepts and collect examples from artists and designers in order to document their progress in and out of the classroom.

Full Sail University, a for-profit university specializing in art and design, offers a course on color theory as part of their Digital Arts & Design Bachelor of Science Degree. In the course, color theory is explored from historical and geographical perspectives. Methods and techniques of the use of color to create impact are also discussed in sections regarding psychology of color, color calibration and applied color theory.

 

Color Theory and Careers

 

Whether we’re aware of it or not, color theory dictates our daily life in a myriad of ways, such as how we choose to spend our money, who we find attractive, and even our state of mind. A career in color theory can be fascinating and exciting, but it is also exceedingly competitive. Fine artists who use color theory regularly include painters, sculptors, illustrators, fashion designers, web designers, animators and filmmakers.

As of 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of craft and fine artists is projected to grow 5% through 2020, slower than average for all occupations. In 2010, approximately 56,900 U.S. citizens were employed within the field, a number that is expected to increase by around 3,000 over the next decade.

Employment of artists is very much dependent on the overall economy, as painting and design is often viewed as a hobby that is a nonessential part of daily life. As most people have less disposable income, and charitable giving to the arts is expected to wane, job growth will likely be limited within the field. In this market, only the most successful and competitive fine artists will likely be able to make a full time living with their work.

In 2010, the median hourly wage of craft and fine artists was $20.90. However, the lowest 10% earned less than $9.10 and the top 10% earned more than 44.04%. Fine artists, such as sculptors, painters and illustrators could usually command more, while craft artists were often on the low end of the spectrum.

Those interested in the position should cultivate their artistic ability and creativity, of course, but also skills in customer-service, sales and marketing. Making a living in fine arts is expected to become increasingly competitive, so strong physical health, ambition and exceptional talent and skills are all important traits for prospective artists.


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