Color Theory Is a Term Used to Describe the Collection of Rules and Guidelines Regarding the Use of Color in Art and Design, As Developed Since Their Early Days
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Prepared by KHUSHBOO KUMARI SINGH GUEST FACULTY Date09.05.2020 WOMEN’S COLLEGE SAMASTIPUR MOB:7250281076 TOPIC: COLOUR THEORY LECTURE SERIES 1 COLOUR THEORY Color theory is a term used to describe the collection of rules and guidelines regarding the use of color in art and design, as developed since their early days. Color theory informs the design of color schemes, aiming at aesthetic appeal and the effective communication of a design message on both the visual level and the psychological level. In the visual arts, color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination. There are also definitions (or categories) of colors based on the color wheel: primary color, secondary color, and tertiary color. Although color theory principles first appeared in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c. 1435) and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1490), a tradition of "colory theory" began in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy over Isaac Newton's theory of color (Opticks, 1704) and the nature of primary colors. From there it developed as an independent artistic tradition with only superficial reference to colorimetry and vision science. Color theory refers to the visual impact of color and the way colors mix. Color theory can be very complicated, but we will break it down into easier to understand portions and discover how color theory has developed over many years. The earliest reference to color theory is thought to be written by Leone Battista Alberti in 1435. Leonardo da Vinci also refers to color theory in his journals in the late 1400s. Color theory during this time revolves around the idea that there are three primary colors - red, blue, and yellow - and that these three colors, when mixed together in specific ways create all other colors. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first color wheel when he expanded the theory in his 1704 work, Opticks. Here Newton says that the source of color was light and that white light, when passed through a prism, created a spectrum of colors ranging from red to violet. He viewed color as a closed system or wheel that contained the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Color theory during the 18th century expanded into the sensory and psychological effects of color. Johann Wolfgang Goethe developed a color wheel that described the psychological effect of each color. Blues give a feeling of coolness while yellows create a feeling of warmth. For Interior Designers, the psychological effects of color are a key component when choosing interior finishes. Later, color theorists expanded color theory to include color as it relates to pigments - inks, dyes, and paints, rather than light. There are more variants when dealing with pigments because pigments may vary in hue, value, and chroma. Hue referring to the actual color - red, blue, or orange, value referring to the lightness or darkness of a color, and chroma referring to the intensity of a color. These color theories are still in place today and still refer to red, blue, and yellow as the primary colors. There are two schools of thought when dealing with color theory - Additive and Subtractive. Additive color theory refers to the behavior of color as it pertains to light - primary colors mix to create white light. Subtractive color theory refers to the behavior of color as it pertains to the mixing of pigments like ink, paint, or dye - primary colors mix to create black. COLOUR WHEEL A color wheel or color circle is an abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc. Some sources use the terms color wheel and color circle interchangeably; however, one term or the other may be more prevalent in certain fields or certain versions as mentioned above. For instance, some reserve the term color wheel for mechanical rotating devices, such as color tops, filter wheels or Newton disc. Others classify various color wheels as color disc, color chart, and color scale varieties. COLOUR WHEEL WITH PRIMARY SECONDARY AND TERTIARY COLOUR .