1. Elin’s problem?
Elin has a design task to complete for homework, she needs to produce full colour drawings of her designs She has three bottles of paint at home red, yellow and blue. How can she produce the full range of colours, that she might need to complete her design task?
Jot some notes down to advise her.

2. Colour wheel as a tool to help us use colour effectively
In this unit we are going to look at how the colour wheel can be used as a tool, to help us understand how to use colour effectively.
We are going to investigate the colour relationships of :
primary, secondary & tertiary colours
complementary colours
harmonious colours
monochromatic colours
warm and cool colours
associations we have with colours.

3. Strategies for effective use of colour.
Some people find using colours easy and you may have heard it said that “someone has an eye for colour combinations”.
A range of strategies have been devised, which will help you to decide which colours can give you the effect you are looking for.

4. The Colour Spectrum
Pure white light is made up of 7 visible colours can you name them?
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Who discovered this concept?
Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 found that a beam of light can be separated into the same range of colours found in the natural rainbow.
His experiments showed that light can be combined to form different colours. For example combining blue and yellow light produces a green light.
How did he create the colour wheel?
Sir Isaac Newton bent the colour spectrum into a circle.
This is now recognised as the colour wheel and is used as a tool for understanding colour relationships.

5. What are secondary colours? What are the three primary colours ?
Colour wheel
What are secondary colours?
What are the three primary colours ?
red yellow blue are known as primary colours and they are the only colours not made from other colours.
If an equal amount of a primary and a secondary colour is mixed together, a tertiary colour is produced.
If an equal amount of 2 primary colours are mixed together, a secondary colour is produced:
green purple orange

6. Colour relationship - complementary colours
What are complementary colours? (sometimes known as contrasting colours)
Complementary colours are diagonally opposite one another on the colour wheel.
What are the complementary colours of orange and red?

7. Colour relationship - complementary colours
Which is the most noticeable square?
From the word bank below select two words that you think describes the most noticeable square.
vigour, dull, impact, calming, exciting, energy, boring, colourful.
The purple and yellow squares are the only complementary colour combination. They work well together and catch your attention first. Complementary colours enhance and contrast each other, adding excitement and energy to the colour combination.

8. Proportion of colour Which colour do you see first? A A B C B C
As mentioned complementary colours work well together and make one another stand out.
However, care needs to be taken when using complementary colours together Study the blocks below and answer the following questions. A A B C B C
Which colour do you see first?
In A your eyes were competing to look at both colours.
In B and C your eyes are drawn to the larger proportion of colour.
As a general rule, one complementary colour should dominate and the other should be used in a smaller proportion.

9. Colour relationship - harmonious colours
What are harmonious colours?
Harmonious colours are found next to each other on the colour wheel.
Colours which are next (adjacent) to each other on the wheel go well together and create harmony.

10. Using harmonious colours
How can we make sure that we use colours that work together?
One strategy to remember is that every colour is part of the colour next to it.
Think of harmonious colours as ‘families’ of colours next to each other.
Harmonious colours are also known as analogous colours.

11. Using harmonies colours together – red ‘family’ colours
One way of finding which colours are harmonious is to select a primary colour e.g. red, and the three colours either side of it.
These colours have been used here, what do you think of the effect?
Colours which are next (adjacent) to each other on the wheel go well together and create harmonious effect.

12. Using harmonies colours together – yellow ‘family’ colours
Select the primary colour yellow and three colours either side.
These colours have been used here, what do you think of the effect?

13. Using harmonies colours together – blue ‘family’ colours
Select the primary colour blue and three colours either side.
These colours have been used here, what do you think of the effect?
As these colours are next to each other, they should work well together.

14. Using harmonies colours together – blue ‘family’ colours
Select the primary colour blue and three colours either side.
These colours have been used here, what do you think of the effect?
As these colours are next to each other, they should work well together.

15. Colour relationship - monochromic colours
The 12 colours that are found in the colour wheel are also known as hues.
Within each colour or hue there is a lightness and darkness.
To show this lightness and darkness, the colour wheel has more rings.
Two larger rings for darker shades.
hue
Two smaller rings for lighter colours known as tints.

16. tint = white + Hue + black = shade tint hue shade
Colour relationship - monochromic colours
A monochromic colour is one colour or hue with black or white added to it.
What is the difference between a shade or a tint?
tint = white +
Hue
+ black = shade
Recap
tint
hue
shade

17. Colour relationship - monochromic colours
As monochromic colours are tints and shades of a single colour, their appearance is more peaceful and subtle.
The advantage of monochromic colour schemes is that they are easier to use, and the result is visually pleasing.
The disadvantage is that the colour scheme lacks contrast and is not as vibrant or energetic.

18. Colour relationship – which one?
Look at the graphic illustration below and decide which colour relationship they use: primary, secondary, tertiary, harmonious, complementary, monochromic.
primary
monochromic
complementary
harmonious

19. Warm and cool colours? Do you agree?
Which colours do you consider to be warm or cool?
Do you agree?
Another way to check which are cool and warm colours:
Cold colours appear to recede into the distance away from the viewer.
Warm colours appear to come forward towards the viewer.

20. Task – use the face opposite to show the effect of warm and cool colours in images The left should show the effect of cool colours and the right, warm colours.
How does the colouring affect the appearance of each side of the face?
Click to view both sides of the faces in cold and warm colours

21. Colour interaction
Look at the squares below and quickly answer the following questions: A B C D
Q 1. Which is the brightest red square?
Q 2. Which is the dullest red square?
Q 3. Which is the larger red square?

22. Colour interaction
Answers: All the squares are the same size and same shade of red was used throughout , but appear differently because: A B C D
Red appears more brilliant on a black background.
White has a neutral effect.
The red appears flat and lifeless when combined with orange.
Turquoise makes the red look brighter.
Q1 & 2
Q 3 The red square appears larger on the black than any other of the coloured backgrounds.
Designers often experiment with colours to see the effects of colour combinations before making a final decision.

23. Expression through colour
See if you can match the colours to the associated emotions on the right hand side.
Black
nature
death
cold
royalty
anger
energizes
‘girlie’
warmth
brightness
nature
death
cold
royalty
anger
energizes
‘girlie’
warmth
brightness
Green
Blue
Purple
Red
Orange
Pink
Yellow
White

24. Expression through colour
power, self confidence, death, mysterious, sophisticated, rebellion
Black:
Green:
soothing, calm, relaxing, well-being, health, luck, life, growth, nature, jealousy, envy, positive, success
cold, tranquillity, peace, fresh, strong, light, friendly, calming, importance, intelligence
Blue:

25. Expression through colour
anger, conflict, danger, love, blood, heat, fire, success, respect, power, importance, speed
Red:
healing, peaceful environment, royalty, delicate, mystery, excitement
Purple:
energizes, warmth, nature, earth, enthusiasm, flamboyant, good health, mentally stimulating, autumnal
Orange:

26. Expression through colour
Pink:
Yellow:
White:
soothing, “girlie”, relaxing to the body, creativity
warmth, brightness, energizes, stimulates the brain, nature, spring, happiness, friendship, hazard
brightness, cleanliness, lightness, purity, peace.

27. Expression through colour
Colour is considered to be the most useful and powerful design tools that we have. People respond to different colours in different ways. Colours can be used to represent moods or feelings How does each of the following photographs make you feel?
excitement and daring
Calm & relaxed
Cheerful & energetic
Dull, mysterious & cold
vibrant and patriotic
peaceful, relaxed & fresh

28. Colour wheel = recap Name the primary colours.
Name the secondary colours.
How do you make a tertiary colour?
What is a contrasting colour?
What is contrasting to green?
What are monochromic colours ?
What are harmonious colours?
What are the six colours harmonious to blue ?