WHITE LIGHT?  The white light from the sun is made up of different colors.  White light contains all the colors of the visible spectrum. 

In a famous experiment over 300 years ago, Isaac Newton demonstrated that color is a property of light. When a beam of light is passed through a glass object, called a prism, the light divides into the seven colors of the rainbow. Each of these colors represents a different ray of light. All seven rays – a small fraction of the total number of light rays – make up what is known as the spectrum. For reasons not fully understood, only the rays of the spectrum are visible to the human eye. Newton created a color circle to show the spectrum. Today we use a color wheel.

Color is a property of Light Color is a property of Light. The rainbow is made up of all the colors of the visible spectrum. The colors of the visible spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.   We can also see these colors by using a prism. When white light passes through a prism, it is bent.  Each color is bent differently.  Red is bent the least, violet is bent the most.  The white light spreads out into its colors.  Each color of the visible spectrum can be seen.

A common list identifies six main colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

Hue is another word for color "Hue" is what we call any color that can be plucked, in a pure state, out of the light spectrum.

People with normal vision not only see different hues, but have different names for them. In addition to the hues of the spectrum, an infinite number of hues can be created through intermixing.

At this point we will be discussing pigmented color. This is the contemporary color wheel

The 3 Primary Colors are YELLOW RED BLUE

Secondary colors are ORANGE VIOLET GREEN

Yellow + Red = ORANGE

RED + BLUE = VIOLET

YELLOW + BLUE = GREEN

these colors are made up of Intermediate Colors these colors are made up of one primary and one secondary color

Complementary Colors Complementary Colors are those which are opposite to each other on the color wheel. Complements are red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and violet. Complementary colors neutralize each other when mixed together in equal amounts - making a neutral gray. When a small amount of one color is mixed into its complement, the resulting color is a less intense, more pleasing version of that color.

Analogous Colors Analogous colors are colors that are adjacent or next to “neighbors” to one another on the color wheel. An analogous color scheme is one in which only three adjacent colors are used. The theory is that colors work well or harmonize together. Usually one of these colors is dominant, or used more than the other two, in the painting.

Monochromatic a color scheme that uses one color and all of the tones (values), tints, and shades that can be derived from it.

Value Value is the lightness or darkness of anything Value is an element of art in itself as well as a color property As a property of color value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, as it has to do with the addition of white or black.

Tints & Shades When you add white to a specific color, blue for example, the resulting color is referred to as a tint of the original color. When you add black, the slightly darker color is called a shade. In this manner you can make a tonal (value) scale of colors by adding different amounts of either white or black to the original color.

Intensity The brightness or dullness of a color Another way to describe intensity is Saturation

COLOR INTERACTIONS Colors rarely appear in isolation COLOR INTERACTIONS Colors rarely appear in isolation. They are affected by other colors. A particular color can look different when placed side by side with, or on top of, another color. Its hue, value, or intensity can be affected, depending on the combination.

HUE INTERACTION Which of the smaller squares appears more orange?

A patch of yellow-orange appears more orange on top of a square of yellow. On top of a square of orange, it appears more yellow.

VALUE INTERACTION Which pink square is darker?

A light colored square appears darker on a light background than it does on a dark background

Which of the smaller squares appears to be of brighter intensity?

A medium bright blue will appear brighter on top of a neutral than it does on top of a bright blue?

Warm & Cool Colors Reds, oranges, and yellows are warm colors Blues, greens, and violets are cool colors. Reds and yellows make us think of such things as blood, fire, and the sun. blues, greens and violets remind us of sky, water, trees, grass, and shade. Whatever the reasons, the use of warm colors in a design is likely to excite us, while cool colors are likely to have a quieting effect.