COLOR THEORY PART 1

Definitions

1. Hue

- a term for the pure spectrum colours

- red, orange , yellow , blue , green and violet, which appear in the hue circle or rainbow.

2. Value

- the relative lightness or darkness of a colour

- an important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that is defines form and creates spatial illusions. 

3. Saturation

- an expression for the relative bandwidth of the visible output from a light source.

- As saturation increases, colours appear more "pure".

- As saturation decreases, colours appear more "washed-out".

4. Secondary color

- made by mixing equal parts of primary colours.

- These colours are less strong than primaries, but they are more pleasing when mixed with white to make a tint.

5. Tertiary color

- formed by mixing two secondary colours.

- Tertiary color are sophisticated and add wonderful variety to a colour scheme.

6. Complementary color

- those which are opposite to each other on the colour wheel.

- neutralize each other when mixed together in equal amounts - making a neutral gray.

- When a small amount of one colour is mixed into its complement, the resulting colour is a less intense, more pleasing version of that colour.

7. Analogous colours

- groups of colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel, with one being the dominant colour, which tends to be a primary or secondary colour, and two on either side complimenting, which tend to be tertiary.

8. Tint

- mixture of pure hue and white.

- As more white is added the colour becomes a lighter and lighter tint of red, until it turns to pale pink.

9. Shade

- a colour refers to how dark it is.

- combination of a hue and black.

10. Neutral

- Does not pop out to the eyes easily.

- colour like cream, white, brown, or very light pastels with not a lot of "pop" to them.

- usually means without colour.