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In this video we will cover the absolute basics of color. From the color wheel, primary colors, complementary colors and much more.
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Color is by far the most powerful visual element.
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Let's break it down.
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Color is the way light reflects off an object.
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Color can define a shape, portray emotion,
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or even emphasize an object.
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Color is measured by hue, saturation, and value.
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When we name a color by description,
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we are defining the color's hue.
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An example of this would be red, blue, or green.
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Sensations are used to categorize hues,
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such as hot, warm, or cold colors.
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When a group of colors are of the same hue,
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as far as tints, tones, or shades are concerned,
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this is referred to as monochromatic.
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Monochromatic simply means "of the same color"
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or "one color," mono meaning "one."
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A tint is a mixture of color with white.
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A shade is a mixture of color with black.
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You can think of these as highlights or shadows,
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highlights being the tints and shadows being the shade.
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In the middle, right between tint and shade,
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we have tone.
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This is a mixture of grey, or tinting and shading at the same time.
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All colors are comprised of our primary colors:
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red, yellow, and blue.
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When we mix 2 pre-existing colors to form another color,
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this is called analog colors.
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These colors are secondary colors.
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Say if we were to take red and add yellow,
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we would get orange,
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orange being the analog color.
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On the color wheel, the colors that are directly opposite of each other,
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are called complementary colors.
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Complementary colors are of the highest contrast from one another.
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If we're looking for a great color scheme,
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we might want to get a triad color combination.
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Triad colors are 3 colors of equal distance
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from one another on the color wheel.
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An example of this would be green, pink, and light blue.
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Just like hue is a measurement of color,
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saturation is as well.
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Saturation refers to the intensity, strength, and chroma of the color.
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Colors that have high saturation are described as vibrant or bright.
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Colors that have low saturation are described as dull or pale.
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As you can see, saturation can be scaled,
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just like size, from low to high.
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As color decreases in saturation, it takes the appearance of grey.
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Chromatic colors are colors that are high in saturation,
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just like all of the colors in the color wheel.
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Neutral colors have minimal saturation.
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These would be warm and cool colors.
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Achromatic colors are colors that have no saturation whatsoever.
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This would be white, black, and grey.
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Our last measurement of color is value.
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Value refers to the lightness and darkness of a color.
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Value can also be measured by scale from white to black,
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thus, shades of grey between.
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The comparison of shades is the indicator of measurement
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and determines the value.
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Value comparisons are different than color comparisons.
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An example of this would be yellow to purple,
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or black to white.
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Value comparisons would be the white to black or black to white.
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And the color comparisons would be yellow to purple or vice versa.
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As you'll notice, the value scale is comprised of
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tints, shades, and tone.
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These can also be measured by keys.
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A high key refers to a very light-dominant design.
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An intermediate key refers to the mid-range value design.
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Lastly, a low key refers to a dark value design.
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The entire value scale is referred to as
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the total range of the design.
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Low scale is known as low range or low contrast.
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Whereas the opposite—high scale—is known as high range or high contrast.
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Just like size and texture, colors interact with one another in a design,
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specifically, with its neighboring color or colors.
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This is known as simultaneous contrast.
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It causes changes in your perception,
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whether it be hue, saturation, or value of the color.
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Lighter becomes darker, and darker becomes lighter,
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when in comparison.
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A similar effect to this is optical mixing.
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This is done when contrasting 2 colors to give the effect of 1 color.
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Your perception of the contrast evens the color out in comparison.
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As you can see, color is a very powerful visual element
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when it comes to design.
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Let's test your new-found knowledge in color with this quiz.
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