To de defined - Color theory

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The colorwheel

A color wheel is a way to visualize how primary and secondary colors transition into each other. The simplest color wheels consist of six color segments: three primary and three secondary colors.

Although most people may not realize it, there are two well-known color mixing systems. The primary colors depend on the color mixing system used.

Printing primaries; in color printing, cyan, magenta, and yellow are considered primary colors.
Painting primaries; In painting, red, blue, and yellow are commonly considered primary colors.

Color Wheel in Printing

When using printing inks, color mixing occurs scientifically, starting from the "true" primary colors. The true primary colors, from light to dark, are yellow, cyan (a sky-blue tint), and magenta (a very bright pink). Mixing two primary colors results in the true secondary colors, from light to dark: green (from yellow and cyan); red (from yellow and magenta); and blue (from cyan and magenta). The true pairs of complementary colors are opposite each other: yellow-blue; cyan-red; and magenta-green. Since the primary colors are lighter than the secondary colors, the circle does not transition evenly from light to dark. Mixing inks at the points of an equilateral triangle, randomly rotated around the center of the circle, theoretically produces the color black. However, in practice, more brownish tones are likely to emerge. Therefore, besides magenta, cyan, and yellow ink, black ink is always used.

Color Wheel in Painting.

The traditional color wheel depicted here consists of six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The primary colors red, yellow, and blue form a triangle. The same applies to the secondary colors orange, green, and purple. Complementary colors are positioned opposite each other. Red is opposite green, yellow is opposite purple, and orange is opposite blue. However, this still widely used system is scientifically incorrect; it is a result of the historical development of color theory. In the 18th century, when color theory became a subject taught in academies, there were only two relevant lightfast saturated pigments available: vermilion and ultramarine. However, these had the wrong hues. Nevertheless, for the artist, achieving a desired color can only be done through conscious or unconscious application of the scientific system. This poses few problems in practice because the terms "red" and "blue" are loosely used. For example, if a painter wants to mix orange, they will take a red from the tube and mix it with a warm yellow. However, if they want to make purple, the painter, relying on intuition and experience, will instead choose a bluish "red" (actually a tint leaning towards magenta, such as carmine), and mix it with a blue that already leans towards purple.

Classification of Colors.

Colors can be divided into three groups:

Primary colors. In the color spectrum, three primary colors can be distinguished: red, blue, and yellow. All other colors can be obtained by mixing these three colors.
Secundary colors. Colors that result from mixing two primary colors are called secondary colors. Colors opposite each other on the color wheel have opposing properties and are therefore called complementary colors.
Tertiary colors kleuren.Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color.

Johannes Itten's Color Wheel

Johannes Itten's color wheel includes primary and secondary colors, as well as six tertiary colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, and yellow-green, totaling twelve colors. He names the primary colors as red, yellow, and blue. The secondary colors resulting from the mixing of two primary colors are orange, green, and violet. Tertiary colors, resulting from mixing a primary and a secondary color, are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, and yellow-green. However, Itten's color choices are not entirely correct concerning the selection of primary paint colors. Optimal mixing is not possible with the complementary.

Gerritsen's Color Wheel

Another well-known color wheel is Gerritsen's, based on primary lights, containing six colors. The primary colors are red, blue, and green (blue is also called violet). The secondary colors resulting from mixing two primary colors are magenta-red, cyan-blue, and lemon-yellow. Tertiary colors result from mixing a primary and a secondary color. Gerritsen's chosen colors offer optimal possibilities for explaining color theory and achieving maximum results when mixing colors.

Color Characteristics

To describe colors clearly, they are designated with color characteristics. Apart from hue, which refers to the "colors of the rainbow," other attributes include saturation (the opposite of grayness) and intensity (brightness).

Hue); A color is described by its hue (color type). This is the color we perceive, the color of the color; for example, red.
Intensity; This is the brightness of a color, indicating how much a color can reflect light conspicuously.
Saturation; This indicates how pure a color is. A pure color has its fullest, strongest, and most expressive color character. The more gray, white, or black present in the color, the less saturated it is.

Descriptions of Colors.

Besides color characteristics, there are other ways to describe color:

Warm and cool colors; Colors lying in the red part of the circle, such as red, orange, and yellow, are called warm colors, while the rest, such as green, blue, and purple, are called cool colors. Mixing a bit of a cool color like purple into a warm color like yellow will create a cooler shade of yellow. Similarly, adding a warm color to a cool color can give the cool color a warmer effect. The concepts of warm and cool are relative.
Pastel colors; Colors mixed with white become lighter, called pastel colors. These emit a soft and refined character.
Muted colors; Colors mixed with black become darker, called muted colors. They often appear somber.

Color Contrasts

Colors also influence each other, creating color contrasts. Color contrasts arise when two or more colors are present side by side, resulting in a difference known as contrast. The purer the colors, the stronger the contrast. Choosing two colors from a circle that are far apart creates a significant color contrast. Some types of color contrasts include:

Color - against - color Color - against - color Kleur tegen kleur contrastcontrast

contrast: This includes all combinations where two colors of any difference are juxtaposed. The simplest color contrast arises from placing the purest colors with their greatest purity next to each other. Just as the greatest light-dark contrast arises between black and white, the greatest color contrast arises from the primary colors, such as red, yellow, and blue, or cyan, magenta, and yellow.

color characteristics Color Characteristics To describe colors clearly, they are designated with color characteristics. Apart from hue, which refers to the "colors of the rainbow," other attributes include saturation (the opposite of grayness) and intensity (brightness). Hue); A color is described by its hue (color type). This is the color we perceive, the color of the color; for example, red. Intensity; This is the brightness of a color, indicating how much a color can reflect light conspicuously. Saturation; This indicates how pure a color is. A pure color has its fullest, strongest, and most expressive color character. The more gray, white, or black present in the color, the less saturated it is. Description of colors Descriptions of Colors. Besides color characteristics, there are other ways to describe color: Warm and cool colors; Colors lying in the red part of the circle, such as red, orange, and yellow, are called warm colors, while the rest, such as green, blue, and purple, are called cool colors. Mixing a bit of a cool color like purple into a warm color like yellow will create a cooler shade of yellow. Similarly, adding a warm color to a cool color can give the cool color a warmer effect. The concepts of warm and cool are relative. Pastel colors; Colors mixed with white become lighter, called pastel colors. These emit a soft and refined character. Muted colors; Colors mixed with black become darker, called muted colors. They often appear somber. Color Contrasts Colors also influence each other, creating color contrasts. Color contrasts arise when two or more colors are present side by side, resulting in a difference known as contrast. The purer the colors, the stronger the contrast. Choosing two colors from a circle that are far apart creates a significant color contrast. Some types of color contrasts include: Color - against - color Color - against - color Kleur tegen kleur contrastcontrastcontrast: This includes all combinations where two colors of any difference are juxtaposed. The simplest color contrast arises from placing the purest colors with their greatest purity next to each other. Just as the greatest light-dark contrast arises between black and white, the greatest color contrast arises from the primary colors, such as red, yellow, and blue, or cyan, magenta, and yellow. Licht donker contrastLight - dark contrast: These are combinations of light and dark colors, e.g., yellow-blue. This is also referred to as the "regular contrast." Light-dark contrast can occur between two colors, such as yellow and purple, but also between different nuances or tones of one color. The light purple color in the middle is the same in both blocks. In the top block, the purple appears much lighter due to the light-dark contrast than in the bottom block. Koud warm contrastWarm-cool contrast: Red, orange, and yellow are the warm colors; blue-green, blue, and purple are the cool colors. The warm-cool contrast is caused by some colors, especially those in the color wheel around the color red, giving a warm impression. Other colors, surrounding the color blue, give a cold impression. The warmth of a color in a painting can be enhanced by the warm-cool contrast by placing a cooler color next to it. In the example next to this one, the middle color in the warm red area gives a cool impression. If the same color is surrounded by a cold blue color, the impression is much warmer. Additionally, due to atmospheric perspective, a warm color appears to come forward, creating a difference in depth perception between the two examples next to each other. In the top figure, the center recedes, while in the bottom figure, the center appears to come forward. Complementair contrastComplementary Contrast: The strongest color contrast exists between complementary colors, between red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange. The yellow color in the middle of the red appears less intense than the green color. An attempt has been made to keep the tone value (brightness) of the green and yellow equal, as shown in the lower block. The reason the green stands out more is because it is the complementary color of red.d. Simultaan contrastSimultaneous Contrast: This concerns the mutual influence of colors, especially in a nearly complementary combination. Simultaneous contrast means that if a particular color is strongly present, its complementary color always appears as an afterimage. In the examples below, the gray within the red block has a greenish hue, while the gray in the purple block exhibits a yellowish hue. It is important when viewing these blocks to cover up the other colors on this page as much as possible and to stare at the middle of the gray areas in the blocks for a long time. Kwaliteits contrastQuality Contrast: This refers to contrasts between colors of clearly different quality; grayscale or saturation. This is the contrast between bright, saturated colors, and dull, murky colors. Below is an example of a block of pure magenta in the middle and less intense, grayish magenta around it. Kwantiteits contrastQuantity Contrast: Quantity contrast means that a strong and exciting contrast difference can arise by using colors in very different quantities. For example, by applying two small blue areas in a large orange field, as shown next to it.

Light - dark contrast: These are combinations of light and dark colors, e.g., yellow-blue. This is also referred to as the "regular contrast." Light-dark contrast can occur between two colors, such as yellow and purple, but also between different nuances or tones of one color. The light purple color in the middle is the same in both blocks. In the top block, the purple appears much lighter due to the light-dark contrast than in the bottom block.

Warm - cool contrast: Red, orange, and yellow are the warm colors; blue-green, blue, and purple are the cool colors. The warm-cool contrast is caused by some colors, especially those in the color wheel around the color red, giving a warm impression. Other colors, surrounding the color blue, give a cold impression. The warmth of a color in a painting can be enhanced by the warm-cool contrast by placing a cooler color next to it. In the example next to this one, the middle color in the warm red area gives a cool impression. If the same color is surrounded by a cold blue color, the impression is much warmer. Additionally, due to atmospheric perspective, a warm color appears to come forward, creating a difference in depth perception between the two examples next to each other. In the top figure, the center recedes, while in the bottom figure, the center appears to come forward.

Complementary Contrast: The strongest color contrast exists between complementary colors, between red and green, yellow and purple, blue and orange. The yellow color in the middle of the red appears less intense than the green color. An attempt has been made to keep the tone value (brightness) of the green and yellow equal, as shown in the lower block. The reason the green stands out more is because it is the complementary color of red.d.

Simultaneous Contrast: This concerns the mutual influence of colors, especially in a nearly complementary combination. Simultaneous contrast means that if a particular color is strongly present, its complementary color always appears as an afterimage. In the examples below, the gray within the red block has a greenish hue, while the gray in the purple block exhibits a yellowish hue. It is important when viewing these blocks to cover up the other colors on this page as much as possible and to stare at the middle of the gray areas in the blocks for a long time.

Quality Contrast: This refers to contrasts between colors of clearly different quality; grayscale or saturation. This is the contrast between bright, saturated colors, and dull, murky colors. Below is an example of a block of pure magenta in the middle and less intense, grayish magenta around it.

Quantity Contrast: Quantity contrast means that a strong and exciting contrast difference can arise by using colors in very different quantities. For example, by applying two small blue areas in a large orange field, as shown next to it.

Harmony of Colors:

Color harmony means that the combination of chosen colors is found to be beautiful. Although this is a subjective concept, many people still find the same things beautiful. From the color systematics, we can conclude that a combination is beautiful if it is built on a systematic coherence. These are the combinations we assemble according to a color wheel. This theory is mainly used in floral art but can also serve as a guideline for color choice in painting.

Monochrome Harmony: This consists of only one hue and a number of its nuances, all in yellow, for example. We also call this ton sur ton or tone on tone.
Analogous Harmony: If we choose a combination that is slightly further apart than in monochrome harmony, we call this an analogous or adjacent harmony.

The monochrome and analog combinations are also called "on color", in analogy, this is only the case if the colors are close together.

Duet (bichromatic combinations): If we choose two opposite colors, we call this a complementary duet.
Triad (trichromatic combinations): If we choose three colors equidistant in the circle, we call this a regular triad. If we choose a combination where one or two of the colors are just next to the regularly chosen colors, we call this an irregular triad.
Tetrad: If we choose four colors equidistantly, we call this a regular tetrad. If we choose a combination where one or more of the colors are just next to the regularly chosen colors, we call this an irregular tetrad.
Polychrome Harmony: Here we combine multiple color tones. Handy here is the help of the schemes of the duet, triad, tetrad, and more, we also call this color chords or color harmonies.
Achromats: These are all nuances between white and black. They are the grays or the non-colors. We also call it neutral colors.

Book recommendation:

This "Kleurenleer" by Johannes Itten is an abridged edition - without reproductions of the paintings - of his famous book "The Art of Color" (published in Dutch under the title "Kunst en kleur"). This study edition provides the entire color theory. It is a very useful book intended for artists, teachers, and students of art and design schools, and for all those interested in color. Color Theory, by Johannes Itten. Paperback, Cantecleer Publisher ISBN10: 9021300583 ISBN13: 9789021300580

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