THE POWER OF COLOR Visual Elements Color
Visual Elements 2. Color the element of art derived from reflected light has the strongest effect on our emotions creates the mood or atmosphere of an artwork 3 qualities: hue, value, and intensity
Hue a particular wavelength of spectral color to which we give a name colors of the spectrum a color as it is named in the color wheel
The color wheel shown here is based on twelve pure hues and can be divided into primary, secondary, and intermediate hues or colors. Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue cannot be produced by an intermixing of other colors Secondary colors – orange, green, and violet resulted from the mixture of two primaries Intermediate colors – red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red violet are formed by combining a primary color and a secondary color
Warm colors and cool colors The difference between warm and cool colors may come chiefly from associations.
Warm colors - vivid and energetic - appear to expand and advance Cool colors - give a soothing and calm impression - appear to contract and recede
Value relative lightness or darkness of a hue changes through additions of white and black lighter version (+white) – tint darker version (+black)- shade
Blue in a range of values. Shade Tint Range of values from black to white
Intensity relative purity of a color refers to the brightness (high) or dullness (low) of a hue also called chroma or saturation
Red in a range of intensities. Adding white/black/gray or another color to a pure hue reduces intensity. Red in a range of intensities. High Low Gray
Mixture of different colors appear duller and darker since pigments absorb more and more light. Subtractive color mixture
Combination of the light primaries (red-orange, green, blue-violet) produces lighter colors. Additive color mixture
Tonality refers to the overall effect of a work of art when one color and variations of it seem to dominate the whole also referred to as color scheme, which are color groupings that provide distinct color harmonies
Color Schemes/Color Harmonies 1. Monochromatic composed of variations of the same hue pure hue is mixed with black and/or white
Color Schemes/Color Harmonies 2. Complementary involves colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel Complementary colors -Side by side: contrast strongly and intensify each other -Mixed: form neutral grays
Color Schemes/Color Harmonies 3. Analogous combines colors next to each other on the color wheel
Symphony in Grey and Green (c. 1866-72). James Whistler.
Color Schemes/Color Harmonies 4. Triadic composed of any three colors equidistant from each other on the color wheel
Optical Effects of Color Afterimage - an image which persists or remains in negative after the original stimulation has ended - results from the excitation and subsequent fatigue of the retina due to prolonged exposure to a visual form
Optical Effects of Color Pointillism – dots (points) of pure color are placed next to each other -attributed to Georges Seurat - color sensations from small patches of different pure colors placed close together forming a new color
A Sunday on La Grand Jatte (1884-86). Georges Seurat.
Detail from A Sunday on La Grand Jatte (1884-86). Georges Seurat.
Lucas (1986-87). Chuck Close.
Lucas (1986-87). Chuck Close. Detail.