Color Theory and Principles of Composition

Discussing Color Theory and Principles of composition for Fine Arts and Photography Students

1. Hue, Value and Intensity Color and composition 20BFAA103 Kanishka Das

2. HUE Hue is the name of a color in the color spectrum, such as red, blue, or yellow. Primary Hues: Red, Blue, Yellow Secondary Hues: Green, Orange, Violet Intermediate Hues: Six colors made by mixing primary and secondary hues – Example: Red-Violet, Blue-Green, Yellow-Orange

3. VALUE Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue. Every hue can range in value from light to dark, but we usually think of them in their normal values. All colors have an inherent value associated with them. For example, purely pigmented yellows are generally lighter in value when compared to purely pigmented blues, which are darker. Values are changed by making colors reflect differing amounts of light.

4. The value of a hue can change the apparent size of a room. For example, a dark ceiling makes lighter colored walls appear lower and vice versa. Darker walls make a room appear smaller, while lighter walls make a room appear larger.

5. INTENSITY Intensity refers to the purity and strength of a hue. To lessen the intensity of a hue, add varying amounts of its complementary hue. Changing the brightness of light shining on a hue will also change its intensity. Intensity can also be considered as the brightness or dullness of a color. A color can be made less intense by adding gray to the color. In some ways, intensity can be measured by the amount of gray in the hue.

6. Color Schemes

7. COLOR SCHEME A color scheme is a system of organizing colors. A color scheme deals with pairing colors in order to create a specific mood or atmosphere. A  color scheme  is the choice of colors used in various artistic and design contexts.

8. COLOR WHEEL A color wheel or color circle is an abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc. Newton's color wheel is often used to describe complementary colors, which are colors that cancel each other's hue to produce an achromatic (white, gray or black) light mixture. Newton offered as a conjecture that colors exactly opposite one another on the hue circle cancel out each other's hue; this concept was demonstrated more thoroughly in the 19th century.

9. COLOR SCHEME Warm and Cool Colors Cool colors: Blue, Green, Violet Cool colors seem to recede or move into the distance Warm colors: Red, Yellow, Orange Warm colors seem to move toward the viewer

10. Monochromatic Colors Monochrome means “one color” (mono = one, chroma = color). A monochromatic color scheme is one that uses one hue and the tints and shades of that hue. As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of contrast of hue.

11. The split-complementary ( also called compound harmony) color scheme is a three-color combination consisting of base color and two colors that are 150 degrees and 210 degrees apart from the base color. The split-complementary color scheme has the same sharp visual contrast as the complementary color scheme but has less pressure. Any color that lacks strong chromatic content is said to be unsaturated, achromatic , or near neutral. Pure achromatic colors include black, white, all grays and beiges; near neutrals include browns, tans, pastels, and darker colors. Near neutrals can be of any hue or lightness. Analogous color schemes (also called dominance harmony) are groups of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, with one being the dominant color, which tends to be a primary or secondary color, and two on either side complementing, which tend to be tertiary.

12. The triadic color scheme is a three-color combination consisting of base color and two colors that are 120 degrees and 240 degrees apart from the base color The tetradic (also called double complementary) color scheme is considered the richest because it uses four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize and requires a color to dominate or subdue the colors; if all four colors are used in equal amounts, the color scheme may look unbalanced. The rectangle color scheme is a four-color combination consisting of a base color and three colors that are 60 degrees, 180 degrees, and 240 degrees apart from the base color. Rectangle color schemes work best when one color is dominant. The square color scheme is a four-color combination consisting of a base color and three colors that are 90 degrees apart from the base color.Square color schemes are rich in color and offer variations.

13. The term polychromatic means having several colors. It is used to describe light that exhibits more than one color, which also means that it contains radiation of more than one wavelength. The study of polychromatic is particularly useful in the production of diffraction gratings.

14. Grey Scale

15. Grayscale Grayscale is a range of shades of gray without apparent color. The darkest possible shade is black, which is the total absence of transmitted or reflected light. The lightest possible shade is white, the total transmission or reflection of light at all visible wavelengths .

16. Implementation of color and composition in Advertisement

17. Symmetrical Balance is achieved by making all elements visually equal on all sides. Near about one side mirrors the other. And makes the design Predictable.

18. Asymmetrical Balance is achieved by creating an odd number of elements or where the elements are off-center. Asymmetrical balance offers more visual variety, although it can be more difficult to achieve because the relationships between elements are more complex. When a design is unbalanced, the individual elements dominate the whole and the composition becomes less than the sum of its parts.

19. Radial Balance : is achieved by making the elements radiate from a central point. Because everything radiates from a common center, everything also leads to that center, making it a strong point of attraction.

20. Rhythm is a visual tempo or beat. It is the principle of design that refers to a regular repetition of elements of art to produce the look and feel of movement. It is often achieved through the careful placement of repeated components which invite the viewer's eye to jump rapidly or glide smoothly from one to the next.

21. Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually the designer will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.

22. Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates a sense of completeness. that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of design. A totality that combines all of its parts into one complete, cohesive whole. Unity can be achieved through the use of a common pattern or a common back ground .

23. Center Composition The most obvious type of composition is the center composition, where the subject is placed exactly in the center of the Design. Center composition places the important thing in the middle.

24. Eye direction : If the subject of a composition is looking in a particular direction, audience will look to see what they are looking at.

25. Using the Rule of thirds to create visual interest The rule of thirds helps finding the ideal focal point , Audiences tend to follow a capital “F” shaped pattern with their eyes whenever they look at a design. The eye naturally starts at the top left section of the canvas, then moves down to the bottom left, back up to the top right, and then finally the bottom right.

26. Using the Rule of thirds to create visual interest The rule of thirds helps finding the ideal focal point , Audiences tend to follow a capital “F” shaped pattern with their eyes whenever they look at a design. The eye naturally starts at the top left section of the canvas, then moves down to the bottom left, back up to the top right, and then finally the bottom right.