How do we see color?

• Color originates in light. Sunlight, as we perceive it, is colorless.

• Light goes from the source (the sun) to the object (the apple), and finally to the detector (the eye and brain).

1. All the" invisible" colors of sunlight shine on the apple.

2. The surface of a red apple absorbs all the colored light rays, except for those corresponding to red, and reflects this color to the human eye.

3. The eye receives the reflected red light and sends a message to the brain.

• Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1706

• Since then scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept.

• The color wheel fits together like a puzzle - each color in a specific place.

• Being familiar with the color wheel not only helps you mix colors when painting, but in adding color to all your art creations.

12 colors make up the color wheel

Color Schemes:

• Color Schemes are a systematic way of using the color wheel to put colors successfully together.

• The plans for organizing colors

Basic Color Schemes:

• Complementary

• Warm

• Cool

• Analogous

• Monochromatic

Complementary Color Scheme

Complementary colors are opposite on the color wheel.

If placed next to each other in a painting they make each other appear BRIGHTER –

high contrast

There are 3 Pairs of complementary colors:

Warm Color Scheme

• A color scheme that includes "warmer" colors, like orange, yellow, and red.

Warm Colors

• Warm colors are found on the left side of the color wheel.

• They are colors found in fire and the sun.

• Warm colors make objects look closer in a painting or drawing.

Cool Color Scheme

• A color scheme that includes "Colder" colors are blue, violet, and green

Cool Colors

• Cool colors are found on the right side of the color wheel.

• They are the colors found in snow and ice

• Tend to recede in a composition.

Analogous Color Scheme

The analogous color scheme is 3-5 colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel.

This combination of colors provides very little contrast.

Analogous Color Scheme

Monochromatic:

• “Mono” means “one”, “chroma” means “color”…

• Monochromatic color schemes have only one color and its values (tints and shades)

This painting has a monochromatic color scheme - blue and the values (tints and shades) of blue.

The Neutrals:

• Not considered colorsbut achromatic

• They can be usedwith any color scheme

• Black, Grey, Brown,and White are NEUTRALS

Painting Values:

• When using paint you can add black or white to a color to make hundreds of more colors from the basic 12 colors of the color wheel.

Tints are lightened colors. Always begin with white and add a bit of color until the desired tint is obtained.

white + color = tint

Shades are darkened colors. Always begin with the color and add just a bit of black at a time to get the desired

shade of a color.

color + black = shade

There are 3 main types of colors:

1. Primary

2. Secondary

3. Intermediate

Primary colors are NOT mixed from other colors and they generate all other colors.

• Red

• Yellow

• Blue

There are 3

Primary ColorsPrimary Colors

Secondary ColorsSecondary Colors

• By mixing two primary colors, a secondary color is created.

• There are 3

• Red + Yellow = Orange

• Yellow + Blue = Green

• Blue + Red = Violet

• Intermediate, or Tertiary, colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary.

• There are 6

Tertiary/Intermediate ColorsTertiary/Intermediate Colors

•red-orange•yellow-orange•yellow-green

•blue-green•blue-violet•red-violet

Remember you always write the Primary color first !