Exploring the Origins and Evolution of the Color Wheel
Scientist have always been intrigued by color from Aristotle to Sir Isaac Newton and German scientist Johann Goethe. Goethe considered his 1810 study on color theory his most important work.
Color is used to express emotions, status, and to tell stories since man first picked up a piece of charcoal to draw on a cave wall. I guess you can say we have been using color to express ourselves since the beginning of humankind.
We look at lead today as a dangerous heavy metal, but once it was used for writing and drawing. Lead was once so highly prized that individuals were willing to endanger their lives to steal it.
In the sacred ceremonies and symbols of certain religions, color has always played a significant role. Among the Aboriginal people of Australia, Red and Yellow Ochre hold a sacred status, with ochre being applied to boys' chests as a ritual marking their transition to manhood.
For a period spanning several centuries, the color purple was prohibited for individuals not belonging to a specific social class.
Color is linked to emotional concepts for us, and the meaning of colors can vary across different countries.
For instance, the color red can represent blood, passion, love, danger, and aggression.
In marketing, color is important for establishing expectations and conveying the key characteristics of a product. Identifying brand packaging is greatly facilitated by color, which is considered one of the key elements.
Sir Isaac Newton is recognized for the arrangement of colors. He formulated a theory for the color wheel by observing white light reflecting off a prism. He observed that light reflected a range of colors.
Color serves as a toolbox for artists, designers, and creatives to tell a story and evoke emotions in those who appreciate and purchase their art. Color often plays a key role in selling artwork. Understanding color and its properties is crucial for effectively conveying our work, as ninety percent of a person's purchasing decision is influenced by color.
Understanding the color wheel and its terms
The Color Wheel is divided into three sets and comprises twelve colors.
Primary Colors: Yellow, Red, and Blue
Yellow It is the only color that closely resembles a true spectrum color.
Red Due to the presence of trace minerals, red does not exhibit a pure spectrum color and can potentially create issues when combined with other pigments. Most artist have two colors of red on their palettes because of this.
Blue Similar to red, it does not display a pure spectrum color and can cause problems when mixed with other pigments. These colors cannot be obtained through the combination of other pigments.
The Secondary Colors: Orange, Violet, and Green
Orange is created by mixing Yellow and Red.
Violet is made of a mixture of Red and Blue.
Green a mixture of Yellow and Blue.
Combining two Primary Colors creates Secondary Colors. In mixing the Secondary Colors you want to mix the two to produce the clearest Secondary Color you can mix. Start with the lighter color and mix the darker color into the lighter till your color is in between the two Primary Colors used.
The Tertiary (sometimes called Triadic) Colors:
Yellow-Orange is a mixture of Yellow and Orange and sits between the Primary Color Yellow and the Secondary Color Orange on the Color Wheel.
Red-Orange is a mixture of Primary Color Red and Secondary Color Orange and sits between Secondary Color Orange and Primary Color Red.
Red-Violet is the mixture of Primary Color Red and Secondary Color Violet. Red-Violet sits between Primary Color Red and Secondary Color Violet.
Blue-Violet is a mixture of Primary Color Blue and Secondary Color Violet.
Blue-Green is a mixture of Primary Color Blue and Secondary Color Green.
Yellow-Green is a mixture of Primary Color Yellow and Secondary Color Green on the Color Wheel.
Creating a Tertiary Color involves mixing a Primary Color with a Secondary Color.
To begin understanding how to mix colors, the first step is to grasp the concept of the Color Wheel. The second step involves being able to recognize the three characteristics of color: Hue, Value, and Intensity (which are sometimes referred to as Chroma or Saturation).
Characteristics of Color
Hue:
Every color can be identified by a three-part description.
In order to identify the color, we start by naming the Hue which involves recognizing the fundamental origin of the color.
In order to name a color, you need to determine the hue first by recognizing the fundamental source of the color (one of the 12 hues on the color wheel).
Value:
The Value Scale shows the range of lightness or darkness from white to black. By using a Gray Scale, you can compare the color to determine its lightness or darkness.
The value scale begins with pure white and ends with pure black. To practice, instead of starting with white, you can start with the purest form of color (a hue on the color wheel). By adding white to the hue, you create Tints. As you add more white, you will progress towards the halftone. The halftone is achieved by mixing the hue with white and black. Tones can also be easily created by adding gray (without the need to mix white and black) to the hue. Moving down the value scale, you can create Shades by adding more and more black until you reach the darkest shade of the color.
Intensity:
It represents the level of brightness or dullness of a color.
How bright or dull is the color compared to an intensity scale ranging from the most vivid color achievable (a pure color hue) to the least vivid color achievable.When looking at the color wheel, the hues are the outer colors on the wheel. Hues loose their intensity when mixed with white, gray, or black, or when mixed wiwth their complementary color (the opposite on the color wheel.)
Understanding the three characteristics of a color - the Hue (one of the twelve hues on the color wheel), the Value (lightness or darkness), and the Intensity (brightness or dullness) will equip you with the knowledge needed to create the desired color blend.
To be able to mix any color, you must first learn how to percieve the color in order to identify the hue, the value, and the intensity. The color is then mixed based on this recipe.
The simplest terms for the three characteristics or attributes of color are Hue, Value, and Intensity. Although there are many other terms used, this contributes to the complexity of understanding color. Here are some variations used:
Value is sometimes termed as shades, tints, luminance, and luminosity.
Intensity is also expressed as chroma, chromaticity and saturation.
Gray scale hues as neutrals and achromatics.
Learning how to Utilize the Color Wheel to Develop Color Schemes
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are color pairs that are positioned opposite each other on the Color Wheel.
Complement means to enhance or perfect something. Every pair of complements includes all three primary components.
Primary Color Yellow and its complement, Secondary Color Violet (a mixture of red and blue)
Primary Color Red and its complement, Secondary Color Green (a mixture of yellow and blue)
Primary Color Blue and its complement, Secondary Color Orange (a mixture of yellow and red)
It's important to remember that Tertiary Colors and their complements also adhere to this principle. Every set of Tertiary Colors consists of three Primary Colors. Likewise, every set of complements includes all three primary colors.
Split Complementary Colors
In a split complementary color scheme, two colors are used that are located opposite each other on the color wheel, with these two colors positioned on each side of the complementary color.
Yellow, for instance, has violet as its complementary color. Its split complementary colors include red-violet and blue-violet.
Analogous Colors
Analogous Colors are colors that are adjacent on the color wheel, like orange, red-orange, and red. Typically, Analogous Colors consist of three hues, but a fourth and fifth color can be included, such as yellow-green and yellow, while avoiding the addition of yellow-orange. The inclusion of yellow-orange disrupts the analogous sequence because the orange in yellow-orange is opposite to blue on the color wheel.
Color Wheel Lesson
Below under Freebie you will find several free Printables for the Color Wheel and the Gray Value Scale.
To create a wide range of colors, you only need three tubes of paint: Yellow, Red, and Blue. If you are new to painting or for the sake of convenience, here is a color list that can be used for acrylics, oils, and watercolors. If you are using chalk paints, consider comparing them to an acrylic color guide to match the spectrum colors needed for this exercise. While the focus is on creating clear colors from the primary colors that closely resemble true spectrum light, feel free to use your preferred shades of yellow, red, and blue to see if you prefer the outcome. If you are satisfied with the results, organize your color wheel based on these color choices.
Primary Colors:
Yellow: You will have to choose, these are the ones listed to be closest to true spectrum yellow. Look on the paint label for the mineral number PY73.
Cadmium Yellow Pale
Cadmium Lemon
Arylide Yellow
Red: Cadmium Red medium
Blue: Ultramarine Blue
With these three colors plus Titanium White and Mars or Carbon Black you can create endless colors by mixing.
If you're not into mixing all of these colors with a limited palette from above here is the list of Secondary Colors. You may want to purchase.
Secondary Colors:
Cadmium Orange
Alizarin Crimson If you cannot find this color try Alizarin Crimson Hue.
Cobalt Violet
Permanent Green
These colors represent a spectrum that closely resembles true colors. While not everyone may agree with these specific colors, they are the result of my research. Your personal application of color in your craft may not be affected by this, but if you are interested in understanding how colors are named, their hue, and values, you may consider trying these exercises.
To create the twelve colors on the color wheel, you will mix your Tertiary Colors from the Primary and Secondary Colors.
In order to make your shopping easier, I will include a paint list in the Printable. With this color list, you can mix any color you want. The guidelines for the Color Wheel Exercise and the Gray Scale Value Exercise will be part of the Freebies.
To conclude this extensive topic on Color Theory
Given the extensive nature of the topic, mastering the fundamentals of utilizing a small set of color tools can help you save time, money, and boost your confidence when incorporating color into your chosen craft.
Color communicates with us in various ways. There is a rich history behind colors, stemming from the origins of minerals, their value, and the individuals who have enriched our world with a spectrum of colors. Our world would appear rather drab without color. Would the sun illuminate our world differently? It's challenging to envision.
Having retired from my previous job and now delving into a world of my own creation, I finally have the time to contemplate how the history and significance of color impact our contemporary existence. I trust that this nugget of information, which you might not have had the opportunity to explore, will inspire new avenues in your creative pursuits. Make sure to refer to the Tips and Books section below. I have included some intriguing books for those eager to delve deeper into the realm of color.
Freebie:
There are a couple of Color Wheel printables to choose from. Choose the one you feel works best for you.
The gray scale terminology on the left side is randomly selected, while the other terminologies are interchangeable.
Tips/Books
Imagining a world devoid of color is a challenging task. Have you ever pondered the origins and history of color, beyond the mere act of opening a pot of paint? If you have a keen interest in history or are fascinated by the origins and evolution of colors, I have some recommendations for you to delve into.
Victoria Finlay's book, "Color: A Natural History of the Palette," delves deep into history and may not appeal to all readers due to its density.
Kassia St. Clair's book "The Secret Lives of Color" delves into the fascinating exploration of how humans have interacted with color throughout history, spanning various aspects such as fashion, politics, art, and war. Through vivid storytelling, she sheds light on the diverse cultural experiences of humanity over time.
Betty Edwards' book, "Color: A Course in mastering the art of mixing colors," delves into the practical aspects of mastering color through learning color mixing techniques. It offers fundamental insights
into perceiving color, utilizing it effectively, and blending different hues.
What I'm Working On
I must admit that delving into the topic of Color Theory, conducting research, outlining the blog, trying to make it simple to understand, and then drafting the content before formatting it for my blog consumed a significant amount of my time. Do I regret it? Not at all, because the knowledge I have gained about color, its manipulation, and application in my artwork has been invaluable. The process of
creating this blog has taught me a great deal, and I am confident that what I have learned will enhance my artistic skills. Although I feel like I haven't produced as much art as I typically do at this point in the year, I believe that by expanding my understanding of color and honing my drawing skills, my artwork will continue to progress. I trust that you will find the information provided beneficial and applicable to your own creative endeavors.
Currently, I am creating a few small collage artworks and I have transformed a pair of antique gold lovebirds into pink and white through up-cycling. At this point, I am
contemplating whether to reintroduce a touch of gold into them.
Hey there! Don't forget to take a moment to appreciate the little things around you. Whether it's sipping on a cup of coffee or enjoying a glass of wine in the evening. I like to relax in my garden or chill on my cozy front porch with a good book. Take it easy and enjoy the company of friends!
New on My Website
My website is always lacking in terms of uploading my artwork and other items on time. Here are a few of the items that are currently available.
Stay tuned for the announcement of when my newly updated website will be launched. I can't wait to share it with you.
Inspirational Quote
Guidance from a sunflower
Be bright, sunny, and positive. Know your roots. Spread seeds of happiness. Rise, shine and hold your head high. Keep growing. Even on the darkest days, stand tall and find the sunlight.
Unknown
Hugs my friend till next time
Comments