color mixed according to three systems:

subtractive color—•process of mixing pigments together• method used in painting•with blended pigments, more light is absorbed, less is reflected—“subtractive”

absorption of light rays

color mixed according to three systems:

additive color—•process of mixing colored light•theatrical lighting•more they are mixed with other colors, lighter they become

color mixed according to three systems:

partitive color—•based on viewer’s reaction to colors when they are placed next to each other

color wheels

color arrangements/structures

allow organization and prediction of color reactions and interactions

one wheel or system may not satisfy needs:•painter?•photographer?•textile designer?

the pigment wheel

basis for working with subtractive color

communicates color reactions when they are actually mixed

the pigment wheel

primary colors: red, yellow, blue•cannot be obtained from mixing

secondary colors: orange, violet, green•two primary colors mixed together

tertiary colors:•a primary and a secondary colored mixed

the pigment wheel

the process wheel

gives us three basic primaries—•luminous, bright yellow •intense magenta—red leaning toward violet •cyan—blue tending toward green

results in purer mixed hues

standard employed in color printing and photography

the process wheel

the munsell wheel

partitive color system

based on 5 primary hues—”principal colors”—yellow, red, green, blue, and purple

primaries based on “afterimage” perceptions—derive from hues that we see in nature

the munsell wheel

afterimage

the munsell wheel

afterimage

the munsell wheel

afterimage:an optical reaction that occurs after we stare intensely at a hue and then shift our eyes to a white surface

second hue is termed the “afterimage”

munsell set up each afterimage as the complement to his principal hues

the munsell wheel

the munsell wheel

further systematized the color wheel into a 3D “tree” form

the munsell wheel

further systematized the color wheel into a 3D “tree” form—

•value shown in vertical axis—innermost vertical axis is neutral•horizontal “branches” measure saturation or relative purity of hue—pure hue located at outside edge

the munsell wheel

the munsell wheel

the munsell wheel

the munsell wheel

the munsell wheel

the light wheel

based on the additive color systemprovides information about light rays and transparent color

primary colors: red, green, bluesecondary colors: yellow, cyan, magenta

the light wheel

when all primaries are combined, white results

total absence of light results in black

because light is being added to light, more color rays mixed the lighter they become

the visual wheel

leonardo da vinci

•study of complementary colors•greatly influenced Renaissance painting•preceded the partitive color concept•followed by more scientifically accurate munsell wheel

the visual wheel

primary colors: red, yellow, green, blue

secondary colors: orange, yellow-green, blue-green, violet

tertiary colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green-blue, green-blue-green, green-yellow-green, yellow-green-yellow

the visual wheel

complementary colors?

specific color wheel choice depends on the effects of color and imagery desired

in the art medium employed

participation activity: color wheels

…create a color wheel using any medium that you wish—paint, paper, ink, fabric, light/transparency, etc… that clearly depicts your assigned color theorist’s ideas about color…be prepared to include this color wheel in your theorist presentation