Color ConceptsIntroduction to basic color concepts

Color Associations

If one says “red” and there are fifty people listening, it can be expected that there will be fifty reds in their minds. And… all these reds will be very different. Colors present themselves in continuous flux, constantly related to changing neighbors and changing conditions.

• Josef AlbersArtist, visual theorist, and educator, from Interaction of Color, Yale University Press

Color Systems

• Subtractive color space – CMYK color system

• Additive color space – RGB color system

Ford, Janet L. http://www.worqx.com/about.htm

Color Associations• Color Psychology: the study of the emotional and behavioral effects produced by colors

• Color communicates

• Color Symbolism• Cultural - western culture, eastern cultures, African (zulu beads), etc.• Color Therapy

• http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm

Color Associations• Red: stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, blood pressure (love, passion, anger)

• Blue: calming, lowers blood pressure, openness, intelligence, faithful (water, sky, air) Conveys a sense of stability (corporate)

• Yellow: energizes, relieves depression, improves memory(Active and visible: taxi, bus, caution signs)

• Orange: energizes, active

• Green: soothing, relaxing mentally & physically, soothes depression anxiety, nervousness (Nature, growth, freshness, hope)

• Black: self-confidence, power, elegance, strength

• White: clean, perfect, light, pure

Color

Color

Color

Color

Color

Color

Color TemperaturesWarm Colors

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Color SystemsPrimary

ColorsSecondary

Colors

Tertiary Colors Complementary Analogous

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Color SchemesMonochromatic

ComplementarySplit-Complementary

Double-Complementary

Analogous Triad

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Color Schemes Analogous

Color Schemes Complementary

Color Schemes Complementary

Complementary Colors next to

each otherSimultaneous

ContrastVibrating

Boundaries

Color CombinationsAchromatic

color scheme (without color)

http://www.subtraction.com/

Color Schemes Audience??

Color Schemes Navigation

Color Schemes

Color Schemes

Color Schemes

Resources• Kuler by Adobe Labs

http://kuler.adobe.com/#

• Design Melt Downhttp://www.designmeltdown.com/default.aspx

• Colourlovershttp://www.colourlovers.com/

• worqx.comhttp://www.worqx.com/about.htm