Module 4: Color and Value Instructor: Brenda Taylor

In this module you will learn about two very important elements of art. This module will explore the properties of color and value.

 Color is one of the most powerful of elements. It has tremendous expressive qualities.  Understanding the uses of color is crucial to effective composition in design and the fine arts.  The word color is the general term which applies to the whole subject - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black and white and all possible combinations thereof.  Hue is the correct word to use to refer to just the pure spectrum colors.  Any given color can be described in terms of its value and hue.

 Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color.  It is an important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that it defines form and creates spatial illusions.  Value creates interest in an artwork when used to create contrast and emphasis.

 Primary colors  Secondary colors  Tertiary colors  Complementary colors Know these categories: -Primary & Secondary -Warm & Cool -Complementary -Natural & Arbitrary -Tints and Shades

 Primary colors-red, blue, yellow. Make all the other colors. Cannot be made.  Secondary colors-orange, green, purple. Made by mixing primary colors. Orange=red and yellow, green=blue and yellow, purple=red and blue.  Tertiary colors –yellow-green, blue-green, blue- violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange. Made by mixing a primary with an adjacent secondary. Always list the primary first.  Complementary colors-opposite each other on the color wheel. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple. Creates the greatest contrast when used beside each other.

 Warm and cool - Colors are divided into two categories: cool and warm.  Cool colors are shades of blue, green, pink, purple, violent and indigo.  Warm colors are shades of yellow, orange, brown, red and shocking pink. Tints – colors created by adding white Shades – colors created by adding black

 Arbitrary color - Color that has no realistic or natural relation to the object that is depicted, as in a blue horse, or a purple cow, but which may have emotional or expressive significance.  Natural color – the occurrence of the color in nature, for example: green leaves, brown dirt, blue sky.

 Value  Transition  Abrupt Value Change  Broken Value Change  Highlight  Light  Shadow  Core of the Shadow  Reflected Light  Cast Shadow

 Value - light and dark  Transition - gently moving from dark to light (circle)  Abrupt value changes –quick, dramatic changes in value (box)  Broken value changes – used to create texture on a 2D surface (crumpled paper)

 Highlight – brightest spot on the object where the light strikes the surface with greatest intensity.  Shadows – darker values that appear to recede from the viewer.  Shadow Core – the area of the shadow that is furthest away from the light.  Reflected light – light that has hit a surface and bounced back onto another surface.  Cast Shadow - creates the illusion that the object is a solid object that has gotten in the way of the light, casting a shadow on the surface it is sitting on.

 Follow the instructions that are in this section to draw a circle and shade it to look like a sphere.  Look at the 4 short movies for visual directions.

 Enter Artie's Art Games site (  Follow the instructions to experiment with color and learn how altering color can change a picture.  Watch the animation ( _value_tint.cfm) showing the difference between tinted and shaded colors. _value_tint.cfm

 Color Harmonies: Combinations of color that can be defined by their positions on the color wheel  In this section, you will research and learn about the following color harmonies, or color schemes: 1. warm 2. cool 3. complementary 4. analogous 5. monochromatic 6. split-complementary 7. triadic Assignment to be Posted in the Forum: Your assignment for this section, after you have researched the listed terms: Create a series of designs, or patterns, and fill each with a different color harmony.

 You will experiment using color at the Color Vision & Art website (  Follow the instructions to complete the exercise and answer the required questions in your sketchbook.  You will visit the Color + Design Blog ( gogh-and-the-colors-of-the-night/) to explore how Post-Impressionist artist, Vincent Van Gogh, used brilliant combinations of color to create his famous paintings. gogh-and-the-colors-of-the-night  You will also be required to anwer questions on this section.  Remember that although you don’t turn these answers in for a grade, they will be helpful with the test at the end of this unit.

 Your Assignment:  First, find 2 different works of art from the internet which use color to convey a mood. -Make sure that each image you choose has an obvious color harmony. -Make sure the color harmony and mood of each image is obviously different from the other.  Next, start a new thread in the discussion board (by clicking below) titled, Color and Mood and post both images.  Finally, explain what color harmony is exhibited in each and how this color harmony affects the mood of each image you have posted; find 2 other students' posts and dispute their findings.

This assignment is for EXTRA CREDIT. It is not required. If you choose to do this, it to me.... I will give you 20 extra credit points!CREDIT

 Be sure to review the checklist to make sure you did everything that was expected of you for this module. Next….  Take the quiz in this section. You may take it as many times as you like. The highest score will be recorded.