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LESSON 8 THEORY OF COLOUR SCHEMES

STRUCTURE

8.0 OBJECTIVES

8.1 INTRODUCTION

8.2 VALUABLE TIPS ON USES OF COLOUR AND COLOUR SCHEMES

8.2.1 CONTRAST 8.2.2 BLEND 8.2.3 ACCENT

8.3 ASSIGNMENTS

8.3.1 CLASS ASSIGNMENT 8.3.2 HOME ASSIGNMENT

8.4 SUMMING UP

8.5 POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

8.6 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

8.7 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

8.8 GLOSSARY

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8. THEORY OF COLOUR SCHEME

After studying in detail about the different concepts of colour harmonies and creating colour schemes using different harmonies in the last lesson, this lesson will help you to develop your skills of working out with colour schemes efficiently and effectively. In the next lesson, you will be introduced to the psychological aspects of colour and colour schemes.

8.0 Objectives

After going through this lesson you will be able to:

• Understand the theory of devising the colour scheme

• Follow the tips on the uses of colour and colour schemes

8.1 Introduction

Before embarking on the practical assignments, here are some tips on the uses of colour and colour schemes will be given in this lesson to enable you to effectively choose and combine colours for designs using perfect colour schemes along with their exact hues and shades. You should try to apply your theoretical knowledge by drawing several types of borders and colouring them using effective colour schemes.

8.2 Valuable Tips on the Uses of Colour and Colour Schemes

It is essential that every student of Textile Designing and Printing remembers the following tips while working on colour schemes and colour harmony.

• Always choose colours that are personally pleasing.

• It is always advisable to let one colour dominate (Fig. 8.1).

Fig. 8.2 Red with its tints

and shades

Fig. 8.1 Dominating Red on a Black background

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• Colours should be used with their tints and shades (Fig. 8.2).

• Choose subtle and calm colours (analogous and neutral colour schemes) for a restful atmosphere.

• Use vibrant colours (complementary and split complementary colour scheme) for liveliness and cheer (Fig. 8.3 and 8.4).

• Do not be afraid of colour. Experiment and you will be surprised by the results. Make your own colour combinations and combine them before you use them in your design.

• When using a single colour on a large area, think, because single colour in a large area is very intense.

• Colours should harmonize with the theme of the design. For example, you cannot use a complementary colour scheme for the design of a nightwear garment.

• Colours chosen should be definite and not washy.

• Generally dark colours are used in small areas of a design and dull tones on the large areas.

• To create a harmonious natural shade of a colour without changing its hue, add just a touch of the complementary colours.

• To dull your colour without changing its hue, add a small quantity of equal value grey (mixture of equal quantities of white and black) to your colour.

• To lighten a colour value, “tint it” by adding white to it (Fig. 8.5).

• To darken a colour value, “tone it” by adding black (Fig. 8.5).

Fig. 8.4 Complementary colour scheme Fig. 8.3 Split complementary colour scheme

Fig. 8.5 Value of Orange Fig. 8.6 Intensity of Red with its value

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• Add black or white to any hue to reduce intensity and change value (Fig. 8.6).

• Add a lighter value grey (more white and less black) to a colour to reduce intensity and create depth.

• Add an equal value grey to reduce intensity without changing value of colour.

• Mix direct complements together to reduce intensity, darken the value and create a naturally harmonious hue.

The use of colours helps to achieve the following three effects:

8.2.1 Contrast

Here different colours are used as foils or backgrounds to flatter each other (Fig. 8.7 and 8.8).

8.2.2 Blend

Here various shades and tints of one colour are used (Fig. 8.9 and 8.10).

8.2.3 Accent

Here gradations of one colour and one sharp contrasting colour for shock value are used. This contrast effect may be obtained by use of complementary colours (Fig. 8.11).

Fig. 8.7 Contrast of Red and Green Fig. 8.8 Contrast of Blue and Orange

Fig. 8.10 Blend of Yellow Fig. 8.9 Blend of Blue

Fig. 8.11 Blend

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Self-check Questions

1. Fill in the blanks:

i) Always choose colours that _________ personality. ii) Choose _____ and _____ colours for a restful atmosphere. iii) The vibrant colours are meant for ____ and ____. iv) To reduce intensity, mix ______ ____ to the colour. v) To darken a colour value, ‘tone’ it by adding _______. vi) To lighten a colour value, “tint it” by adding _______ to it. vii) Grey is a mixture of equal quantities of _______ and ________. viii)Generally dark colours are used in _______ areas of a design. ix) In a _________ various shades and Tints of one colour are used.

Activity

1. Make three geometrical borders and colour them showing- contrast, Blend, Accent.

Materials required for this activity are:

• Paper (half imperial, white drawing paper)

• Poster colours

• Compass

• Pencil and eraser

• 6” ruler

• Paint brushes - numbers 2 and 4

• Small container for water

• A small rag

8.3 Assignments

8.3.1 Class assignments

i) Draw, 3” wide, two different types of borders. Colour them with three or four different colour schemes.

8.3.2 Home assignments

i) Using black water colour, make 6” wide border for a white saree in achromatic colour scheme.

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8.4 Summing Up

You have in this lesson studied how to maximize your talent and knowledge in selecting colour schemes for which a number of tips are given.

Possible Answers to Self-check Questions

i) please ii) Subtle Calm iii) Liveliness Cheer iv) Direct Complement v) Black vi) White vii) White Black viii) Blend

8.6 Terminal Questions

1. What kind of colours will you use if you have to have a restfull composition

2. Which are vibrant colours?

3. How will you dull a colour?

4. What will you do to lighten the value of a colour?

5. What will you do to darken the value of a colour?

6. How will you reduce the intensity of a colour without changing its value?

7. Define the terms (a) contrast (b) blend and (c) accent.

8.7 References and Suggested Further Reading

1. Chijiiwa, H. 1987. Colour Harmony: A guide to creative colour combinations. Rockport Publishers, Rockport.

2. Mullick, P.L. 1981. Elements of Home Science. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi.

3. Stockton, J. 1984. Designer’s Guide to Colour-2. Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

4. Sutton, T. and Whelan, B.M. 2005. The Complete Colour Harmony. Rockport Publishers, Rockport.

5. http://www.tigorcolor.com

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8.8 Glossary

1. Liveliness Full of life

2. Cheer Happiness

3. Intense Deep

4. Tint Made

5. Washy Diluted