OUGD404 - Systematic Colour

1) Introduction to colour principles

• Colour theory was investigated initially in the 1700's - Artists worked with scientists.

• Eye perceives colour on different wave lengths
• Lower wave length - blue
• Higher wave length - red

• Eyes contain rods & cones - rods convey shades of grey - cones convey colour

• Primary - can't be made by other colours - can be mixed to create any colour
• Secondary - mix two primary colours together evenly
• Tertiary - uneven mixing

• In the optical world - RGB not RYB - can not perceive yellow
• CYMK - CYM give colour - K gives tone

• Subtractive colour - CYM secondary's are RGB - print
• Additive colour - RGB mixed becomes white - secondary colours are CYM - screen

• Complementary colours
• Yellow - violet
• Orange - blue
• Red - green

2) Dimensions of colour

• Chromatic value - Hue, Tone, Saturation

• Hue relates directly to colour
• Hue affected by saturation

• Increase luminance - tint - adds white
• Shades & tints have lower chromatic value

• Eye changes colour by the surroundings - makes it look darker/lighter depending on the colours around it.

• Pantone - agreed set of colours - universal - adobe has a built in version.

From the coloured objects we had to bring in, we got into groups and created the range of colours, making a colour wheel/spectrum around the room.

We then had to choose out one which represented each of these:

• Darkest
• Purest
• Lightest
• Redest
• Bluest
• Saturated
• Desaturated

Darkest - Cadbury Milk Tray - Pantone - DE195-1-U C100 Y80 M0 K40

Purest - Tissue paper - DE 176-1-U C80 Y100 M0 K0

Lightest - Ribbon - 259C 20%

Redest - Ribbon - 208C 80%

Bluest - Leaflet - 2776C 80%

Saturated - Ribbon - 2597C 80%

Desaturated -Box - DE174-1-U C70 Y100 M0 K20

3) Colour & Contrast

Itten's 7 contrasts

• Contrast of Tone
• Contrast of Hue
• Contrast of Saturation
• Contrast of Extension
• Contrast of Temperature
• Complementary Contrast
• Simultaneous Contrast

Contrast of Tone

• Formed by the juxtaposition of light and dark values. This could be monochromatic.
• Based on the principle that each colour has a toned value
• White & black as readable as each other on a mid-tone background as they are equal length away - same with colour

Contrast of Hue

• Formed by the juxtaposing of different hues. The greater the distance between hues on a colour wheel, the greater the contrast.
• Will always see the relationship between tone & hue working

Contrast of Saturation

• Formed by the juxtaposition of light and dark values and their relative saturations.

Contrast of Extension

• Formed by assigning proportional field sizes in relation to the visual weight of a colour. Also known as the contrast of proportion.
• Darker colours are heavier colours
• Brighter colours are lighter colours
• Mid-tone colours (red)
• Visual balance - yellow & purple - relationship means different amount of balance affects readability
• Colour has a special quality

Contrast of Temperature

• Formed by juxtaposing hues that can be considered ‘warm’ or ‘cool’. Also known as the contrast of warm and cool.
• Blue - cool
• Red/orange - warm

Complementary Contrast

• Formed by juxtaposing complementary colours from a colour wheel or perceptual opposites

Simultaneous Contrast

• Formed when boundaries between colours perceptually vibrate.
• Fundamental impact on our ability to read text

In pairs we had to choose items from the bag of colour items and explore these seven categories, and then do one experiment and present it to the class.
In the session we decided to look at how the same coloured items changed our perception of their colours when put up against each other.
Red:

 Green:

We also looked briefly into how other coloured affected the item as well.

 For our presentation we decided to experiment with one item, a red envelope, and see how different colours affected it.

On Yellow

• Darker tone
• Different hue
• More saturated
• Warmer temperature
• high extension
• Not a very noticeable amount of complementary contrast

On Green

• Darker tone
• Different hue
• More saturated
• Warmer temperature
• High complementary contrast
• Red makes green look more blue/cool around edges

On Red

• Darker tone
• Same hue
• More saturation
• Warmer temperature - makes background go towards violet
• Not hard to look at
• No complementary contrast

On Orange

• Darker tone
• Different hue - not too substantial
• Similar saturation
• Warmer temperature
• Orange makes red more violet
• Not much of a complementary contrast

4) Subjective Colour

• Having yellow on violet works - doesn't always work on reverse though.

• Colour seems to change because of surroundings - middle bar looks very yellow on second one due to green background - back to yellow again on third.

• Mid-tone grey on colours - stands out more on a lighter grey. Violet is a mid-tone so doesn't stand out as much - easiest to read on orange & green rather than blue & violet.