"In the visual arts, color theory is the body of practical guidance for color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination."
The study of colors and their relationships with one another. It includes the color wheel, color schemes, and color psychology.
Hue: The color name or identity, such as red, blue, or green.
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.
Saturation: The intensity or purity of a color.
Color Wheel: A circular arrangement of colors, used to show the relationship between hues.
Primary Colors: Red, blue, and yellow: The colors from which all other colors can be mixed.
Secondary Colors: Orange, green, and purple: The colors created by mixing two primary colors.
Tertiary Colors: Colors created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.
Complementary Colors: Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel and create the strongest contrast.
Analogous Colors: Colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel and create a harmonious effect.
Warm and Cool Colors: Warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows evoke feelings of warmth, while cool colors such as blues, greens, and purples evoke feelings of calmness and serenity.
Monochromatic Colors: Colors that are variations of a single hue, by changing the value or saturation.
Color Harmony: When colors are used in a way that is pleasing to the eye and creates a sense of balance and unity.
Color Contrast: The difference between colors in terms of hue, value, and saturation.
Color Psychology: The study of how colors can impact mood, behavior, and perception.
Color Mixing: The process of creating new colors by combining different hues, values, and saturations.
Color Schemes: Preselected combinations of colors used for a specific purpose, such as branding or interior design.
Color Systems: Methods of organizing and standardizing colors, such as Pantone or RGB.
Color Blindness: A condition in which someone lacks the ability to distinguish certain colors or combinations of colors.
RGB Color Theory: RGB stands for red, green, and blue, and this color theory is used for creating colors on digital devices like computer monitors, TVs, and smartphones. It involves mixing these three colors in various proportions to create any color desired, with white being the result of equal proportions of all three colors, and black being the absence of any color.
CMYK Color Theory: CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black), and this color theory is used for printing. This color model involves using four colors (CMYK) to create full-color images. These four colors are mixed in different proportions and applied to paper to create a wide range of colors.
Color Wheel/Primary Color Theory: The color wheel is a circular diagram representing the colors of the spectrum, organized in a certain way to help designers understand color relationships. The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow, and all other colors are derived from these three.
Color Harmony Theory: Color harmony theory involves the idea that certain color combinations are more pleasing to the eye. Some examples of color harmonies include complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel), analogous colors (colors that are next to each other on the color wheel), and triadic colors (three colors that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel).
Color Perception Theory: This theory explores the psychological and physiological effects that colors can have on people. It includes exploring how colors are perceived differently by different people, how colors can influence emotions and mood, and how different color combinations can create different reactions in people.
Warm and Cool Colors Theory: Colors can be categorized into warm and cool colors depending on their physical properties and the psychological responses they elicit. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are considered to be energizing and stimulating, while cool colors like blue, green, and purple are considered to be calming and relaxing.
Psychological Color Theory: This theory explores the emotional and psychological responses that different colors can elicit in people. Colors can be associated with different emotions, personalities, and cultural meanings.
Color Symbolism Theory: Different colors can have different meanings and can be used for symbolic purposes in design. For example, red can symbolize love, passion, and danger, while green can represent growth, health, and nature.
Color Contrast Theory: This theory explores how different colors placed next to each other can create visual contrast and interest. It includes exploring concepts like complementary colors, contrasting hues, and using light and dark shades to create depth and contrast.
Color Mixing Theory: Color mixing theory explores how colors can be mixed together to create new colors. This process involves mixing pigments or dyes in various proportions to achieve the desired color. Both subtractive color mixing (used in printing) and additive color mixing (used in digital displays) are explored in this theory.
"Color terminology based on the color wheel and its geometry separates colors into primary color, secondary color, and tertiary color."
"The understanding of color theory dates to antiquity."
"Aristotle (d. 322 BCE) and Claudius Ptolemy (d. 168 CE) already discussed which and how colors can be produced by mixing other colors."
"The influence of light on color was investigated and revealed further by al-Kindi (d. 873) and Ibn al-Haytham (d.1039)."
"Ibn Sina (d. 1037), Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274), and Robert Grosseteste (d. 1253) discovered that contrary to the teachings of Aristotle, there are multiple color paths to get from black to white."
"More modern approaches to color theory principles can be found in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c. 1435) and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1490)."
"A formalization of 'color 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."
"It developed as an independent artistic tradition with only superficial reference to colorimetry and vision science."
"Color theory is the body of practical guidance for color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination."
"Color terminology based on the color wheel and its geometry separates colors into primary color, secondary color, and tertiary color."
"The understanding of color theory dates to antiquity."
"Aristotle (d. 322 BCE) and Claudius Ptolemy (d. 168 CE) already discussed which and how colors can be produced by mixing other colors."
"The influence of light on color was investigated and revealed further by al-Kindi (d. 873) and Ibn al-Haytham (d.1039)."
"Ibn Sina (d. 1037), Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274), and Robert Grosseteste (d. 1253) discovered that contrary to the teachings of Aristotle, there are multiple color paths to get from black to white."
"More modern approaches to color theory principles can be found in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c. 1435) and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1490)."
"A formalization of 'color 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."
"It developed as an independent artistic tradition with only superficial reference to colorimetry and vision science."