FRUITPORT HIGH SCHOOL

ADVANCED COLOR THEORY

A JACOBSON PRODUCTION
 Color Basics a Review from 2D ART

•
 Why Color?
Color Theory is a science and art unto itself. Some artists
and designers spend their entire careers as color
consultants. The principles are simple to understand, but in
painting, they are pretty darn complicated in practice. As
the saying goes, “If painting were easy, lots of people would
be doing it.” In math we learn first to count, then to add and
subtract, and eventually we get to calculus. If we use that
as a metaphor, we could say portraiture is trigonometry and
color theory is arithmetic.
 Why Color?

So, the foundation for this painting course is to learn

how to mix and use color.
Your charts will help you see which colors don’t work
together, and should keep you from learning that
lesson for the first time in the middle of an important
painting!
There are times when you need a muted color and
times you want bold, clean, vibrant color. With your
reference charts you will be able to see right away
what color you want, and how to get it.
 THE COLOR WHEEL
We will start by making a color wheel.
A color wheel is also called a color circle is a visual
representation of colors arranged according to their
chromatic relationship. It begins with the primary colors
that are equidistant from each other.
 THE COLOR WHEEL

• Primary Colors
Are:
Red
Blue
Yellow
• They make up all
other colors you see
• And they can not be
made.
 THE COLOR WHEEL
Secondary Colors: are
made by mixing equal
amounts of two primary
colors.
Orange (red + yellow)
Violet (red + blue)
Green (yellow + Blue)

•
 THE COLOR WHEEL
TERTIARY COLORS
Definition: is also called intermediate color is formed
when a primary color is mixed with an adjacent
secondary color - for instance, blue (a primary) is
mixed with violet (a secondary) to produce blue-violet

•
 THE COLOR WHEEL

Intermediate Colors
Also called the Tertiary
colors. They are the
"two-name colors"
yellow orange, red
orange, yellow green,
blue green, red violet,
and blue violet. They are
created by mixing a
primary to its closest
secondary.
 3 PROPERTIES OF EVERY
COLOR

Color Properties allow us to define

colors. The more we know about
color properties, the better we can
adjust colors to our needs.
 3 PROPERTIES OF EVERY COLOR

• HUE
• VALUE
• INTENSITY
 SO…
Turn and think then talk to your neighbor.

WHAT ARE THE 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR?

Be ready to share with the class

 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
HUE
• The color itself
• The name of the
basic color in a
color scheme.
• Example: Blue
could have
variations: sky
blue, light blue,
navy blue royal
blue, aqua, dark
blue……
 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
VALUE
• Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue.
 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
: VALUE
• Values can be made darker by adding black to a
color called a shade.
• Values can be made lighter by adding a white to
a color called a tint.
 PROPERTIES OF COLOR
: VALUE
• TONES: made by adding grey to a color.

AA neutral mixture of Grey, no matter how light or dark, will

tone down the intensity of any color. As a general warning,
be careful with how much Grey you mix in. Too much Grey
dulls the color so much, it becomes impossible to get the
brilliance back
 PROPERTIES OF COLOR:
INTENSITY is also called saturation
• Intensity is the brightness or dullness of a hue.
• Colors are bright when they are purer in hue and lighter
in value.
• When painting we want to avoid using pure hue right out of the bottle
because it is often too intense .
 SO… Let's check what is still in your head…..
What did you hear about Saturation and
Intensity?
 3 PROPERTIES OF COLOR:
INTENSITY
• There are 3 ways to make a color
less intense or dull
1. Darken with a black and shade the color
2. Mix in a tone and gray the color
3. Mix in the colors complementary color

INTENSITY if also called SATURATION

Knowing how to dull a color is important skill

you will have to master so KNOW this Slide!
 Take a moment to check your notes…..

Take 30 seconds……...
QUICK Write down two
WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A COLOR LESS INTENSE?

Turn and talk to your neighbor-share your answers

What one did they have that you did not have?
 Color Temperature
Understanding color temperature and learning how to control
the temperature of the colors you mix can improve
dramatically the quality of the paintings.
Controlling temperature you’ll be able to:
● Create depth
● Create a sense of sunlight
● Define relationships between different objects and parts
of the same object
● Establish a specific mood for your painting
 Color Temperature

Each color, depending on its temperature, can be

associated with a mood. You can learn to
manipulate temperature and trigger certain
emotions associated with your painting in a way
that allows you to infuse your artwork with a very
specific feeling or perception.
Color Temperature

Warm colors are

generally considered
exciting and
energizing, but also
homely and earthy. A
painting that is
predominantly warm
shines with glow and
radiance.
 Color Temperature

Cool paintings can be more

calming, soothing, and
meditative. At the same
time a cool color scheme
can convey a sense of
coolness and stillness. In
some cases cool colors can
be associated with a sad
feeling.
 Color Temperature

When you paint red-violet next to red, then the

red-violet appears cooler, because it contains
some blue
 Warm Colors Advance and Cool Colors Recede.
● In painting, we are facing the tough challenge of trying to
represent a 3D scene on a 2D surface.
● For a successful representation of depth in your painting,
consider that warm colors advance and cool colors recede.
● This is a very important understanding when you are
painting distance.
 Atmospheric Perspective
In general, as objects are more distant from us, the
atmospheric perspective influences their color. Objects in the
distance become:

● Cooler
● Duller
● Lighter in value

Apply these three rules to your distant objects, and even

yellows at the horizon will read right to the viewer, because
even being yellow, they’ll be a cooler, duller, and lighter yellow
than closer objects
 Atmospheric Perspective
Go to: Video
https://da.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-
basics/tools-understanding-art/v/what-is-atmospheric-
perspective
What color shows more depth in a painting?
 MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEMES

Monochromatic colors are all the

colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a
single hue.
 MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEMES

The monochromatic
color scheme uses
variations in lightness
and saturation of
a single color within the
Color Wheel. This color
scheme gives the feeling
of simplicity, elegance,
and cleanliness. Claude Monet, Rouen and Paris, 1894
 MONOCHROMATIC COLOR
SCHEME & POLYCHROMATIC

The term monochrome refers to the use of one

color or various shades of one color in a single
form. Polychrome refers to the use of many colors
in one form.
Color Schemes
Color Harmonies
 THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME
• Colors that are opposite each other on the color
wheel are considered to be complementary colors
(example: red and green).
• The high contrast of complementary colors creates a
vibrant look especially when used at full saturation.
• This color scheme must be managed well so it is not
jarring.

•
 THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME

• Complementary color
schemes are tricky to
use in large doses, but
work well when you
want something to stand
out.
• Complementary colors
are really bad for text
 THE COMPLEMENTARY COLOR SCHEME
• If you mix complementary colors you will dull a color make
it less intense. If you keep mixing them you can produce a
neutral color like brown or gray.

•
 SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

The split-complementary
color scheme is a variation of
the complementary color scheme.
In addition to the base color, it uses
the two colors adjacent to its
complement. This color scheme
has the same strong visual contrast
as the complementary
color scheme, but has less
tension.
 SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

Once again a Split Complementary Color scheme has the base

color, and uses the two colors adjacent to its complement.

The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good choice for

beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.
Split Complementary Color
 ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES
• Analogous colors are next to each other on the
color wheel. These colors will have a common
base color. For instance: blue, blue-violet, and
violet. Another example is yellow-green, green,
and blue-green.
 ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES
• To select an analogous color scheme simply choose any color as
your main Mother Color. Then select two or three colors on
either side of it. They all share similarities at their root and will
be fairly easy to harmonize.

=
 ANALOGOUS COLOR SCHEMES

• They usually match well and create serene and

comfortable designs.
• Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and
are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
 TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME
• A triadic color scheme uses
colors that are evenly spaced
around the color wheel.

• Triadic color schemes tend to

be quite vibrant, even if you
use pale or unsaturated
versions of your hues.
 TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME
• To use a triadic harmony successfully, the colors should be carefully
balanced - let one color dominant and use the two others for accent
TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME
RECTANGLE COLOR SCHEME
 Square Color Scheme
Also called double complement

Square Tetrad – Two pairs of equidistant

complimentary colors that are at the points of a
square
COLOR QUIZ REVIEW
WHAT COLOR SCHEME HAS TWO COLORS ON
EITHER SIDE OF ITS COMPLEMENT?
WHAT COLOR SCHEME HAS TWO COLORS ON
EITHER SIDE OF ITS COMPLEMENT?

Split –Complementary color

This is a group of colors that
are NOT equal distance on the
color wheel. They can create
contrast- put the create slightly
less contrast than true
complementary colors. It is best
to use one of these colors as
a base color and the others as
accent colors.
WHAT COLOR SCHEME HAS CLOSELY RELATED
COLORS THAT ARE ADJACENT EACH OTHER ON
THE COLOR WHEEL?
WHAT COLOR SCHEME HAS CLOSELY RELATED
COLORS THAT ARE ADJACENT EACH OTHER ON
THE COLOR WHEEL?

Analogous- also called

related colors- share the
same hue.
WHAT COLOR SCHEME ARE A GROUP OF THREE
COLORS SPACED EQUAL DISTANCE ON THE
COLOR WHEEL?
 WHAT COLOR SCHEME ARE A GROUP OF THREE
COLORS SPACED EQUAL DISTANCE ON THE
COLOR WHEEL?

The twelve –color

wheel has a primary
triad, secondary
triad, and two
intermediate triads.
WHAT ARE THE THREE PROPERTIES OF COLOR?
WHAT ARE THE THREE PROPERTIES OF COLOR?
WHAT IS POLYCHROMATIC
COLOR?
 WHAT IS POLYCHROMATIC
COLOR?

Polychrome refers to the use of many colors in one

form.
WHAT IS A MONOCHROMATIC
COLOR SCHEME?
 WHAT IS A MONOCHROMATIC
COLOR SCHEME?

The term monochrome

refers to the use of one
color or various shades
of one color in a single
form.