Understanding Color

Unit 3

Chapter 9

Learning Objectiveand FCS Standards

Learning Objective: Students will identify how color impacts the design of clothing, define various terms used in the language of color, analyze and recreate the color wheel, and contrast various color schemes used in design.

FCS Standards:9.B

Color and Clothing

The human eye sees as many as six to seven million colors!!

Color used in clothing can draw your attention away from or to certain areas of the body.

It can emphasize a feature-like your eyes.

It can create illusions in height and size.

The Impact of Color

As a Symbol Traffic lights, holiday colors, a bride wearing

white, Bearcat Red, White, and Black, the U.S. flag.

Temperature Associated with Nature

• Warm Colors (red, orange, yellow) can actually make us feel warmer.

• Cool Colors (blue, green violet) can make us feel cooler

• White-reflects light• Black-absorbs light

The Impact of Color

Movement Warm colors tend to stand out more, while cool

colors recede or move away.• Traffic signs are a noticeable yellow, red, or orange.

Mood Warm colors express excitement and action. Cool colors give a sense of calm and relaxation. Grey and Black imply level-headedness and

solidity. This concept impacts what we wear and how we

decorate our houses.

The Language of Color

Hue: the specific name of a color.

Without light, there would be no color.

Pigments: substances that absorb some light rays and reflect others. When light strikes an object, you see only the

colors that reflect or bounce back to your eyes. If you are wearing a blue shirt, the blue rays are

being reflected back, all other colors are absorbed.

A ray of light is the source of all color Without light, color does not exist The longest wavelength is perceived as red and

the shortest as violet Pigments are substances that can be ground into

fine power and used for adding color to dyes and paints

Color can alter the appearance of form and space, affect our performance abilities, and change our moods

Basics about Color

Hue

Another name for color

Value Lightness or darkness of a color

Intensity

Brightness or dullness of a color

Tint

Color with white added to it

Shade

Color with black added to it

The Color Wheel A system that places colors around a circle and shows how

the colors relate to each other.

Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue The basic colors from which all other colors are made.

Secondary Colors: Achieved by combining equal amounts of two primary colors.

Intermediate or Tertiary: Achieved by combining a primary with a neighboring secondary color.

Complementary Colors: Colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.

Primary: Red, Yellow & Blue

Secondary: Green, Violet, & Orange (made by combining primary colors)

Tertiary: yellow-green, blue-green, red-violet, red-orange, and yellow-orange (made by combing secondary colors)

TERTIARY COLORS

When you mix primary colors with secondary colors, you get tertiary colors.

http://grace.studio-zoe.com/tuttheory.html

Neutral Colors

Black, White, and Gray are technically not true colors because they don’t have color pigment. Black absorbs all light rays. White reflects all light rays.

Sometimes tints and shades of beige are considered neutrals, but they aren’t true neutrals because they have a yellow or green base.

Color Schemes

Color Scheme: a plan for using a color or a combination of colors.

1. Monochromatic: uses the values and intensities of just one color.

2. Analogous: uses two or more colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.

3. Complementary: combines direct opposites on the color wheel.

4. Split-Complementary: one color used with the two colors on each side of its direct complement.

5. Triadic: three colors that are equally distant from each other on the color wheel.

6. Accented Neural: matching white, black, or gray with a smaller amount of a color.

Selecting Colors For You

It is best to evaluate color in natural light

Personal coloring consists of the color of your skin, hair, and eyes. Skin Tone-can have a warm or cool undertone. Skin with a

more yellow, gold, or peach cast has warm undertones. A blue or pink trace indicates cool undertones.

Hold colors underneath your chin and evaluate the changes. A good color accents your eyes or your hair and your complexion looks healthy and glowing.

Look on pg. 167 for more ideas.

More Ideas for Selecting Colors for You

Body Shape Warm colors seem to advance. Bright colors draw attention. Light colors add size. To minimize an area, you need the opposite effect.

Height An unbroken block of color gives the illusion of height. Broken blocks of color detract from height.

Emphasis Color can be used to emphasize certain areas and diminish

others. Generally your “favorite” colors tend to look good. You can

still wear other colors-they just have to be the “right” colors.

Pantone Fashion Color Report

Fall 2013