Elements of Design- Colour

Colour is one of the most powerful elements of design. There are basically two theories that explain how colors work and interact. The light, or additive theory deals with radiated and filtered light. This theory’s principles suggest that the perceived color results from the mixing of different colors of light. Principles of color addition have important applications to color television, color computer monitors and on-stage lighting at the theaters. The pigment or subtractive theory deals with how white light is absorbed and reflected off of colored surfaces. A colored pigment, blue for instance, absorbs most of the frequencies of light that are not blue, reflecting only the blue light frequency. Because all colors other than the pigment colors are absorbed, this is also called the subtractive color theory. We will be investigating from the pigment theory perspective here.

Dimensions of Color

Hue is the name of the color (eg Red, Blue). Each hue is a different wavelength of light.

Value is the lightness or darkness of a hue (eg. Light blue, navy blue etc.). A lighter colour is also known as ‘tint’. To achieve this white has to be added. A darker colour or a ‘shade’ could be achieved by adding black to it.

Intensity is how bright or dull a colour is (eg: black and grey). Intensity is brightest at its full purity. To reduce intensity of hue with least alteration in value, a small amount of its complement is added.

Colour Wheel

One way of arranging the colours in the solar spectrum is the Colour wheel.

The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. They are called primary because they are not mixtures of other colors. Rest all colours could be derived from mizing these three colours in different proportions.

Mixing any two primary colors results in a secondary color.

Tertiary colours- These are made by mixing a primary colour with an adjasant secondary colour. Example red-orange, red violet, yellow-green, yellow orange, blue-violet, and blue green.

Colour Schemes

Colour schemes are descriptions of color relationships. Some of them are:

Achromatic: Black, white and the grays in between. There are no possible color contrasts.

Monochromatic colour scheme is based on one hue. This is like achromatic, but with one dominant hue-a single spoke of the color wheel. Red, black and white is a common example.

Analogous are hues lying near each other on the colour wheel, red-orange, red-purple.

Complementary colours are placed directly across from each other on the colour wheel. Example: Orange & Blue, Yellow & Violet, Red & Green, etc. They are used together provide extreme contrast. More harmonious effects can be achieved by using colors that are close together on the color wheel.

Double complementary or Split complementary colour scheme is  two adjacent hues and their complements.

Triad is formed when three hues equally spaced on color wheel are taken together (eg: red, yellow and blue).


Discord is where opposite colours are together and one is a tint, so that the original tone of the hue is different.

Colour Temperature

Warm Colours & Cool Colours - Another way to organize color is by color "temperature." Colors are either "warm" or "cool." If we divide the color wheel vertically through the center, splitting yellow and violet, the red, orange side is warm and the blue green side is cool. 

Red, Orange and Yellow are considered 'warm colours'. They give a feeling of advancement. 

Blue , Green and Violet are considered 'cool colours'. They tend to recede.

Metamerism

Metamerism is the phenomenon that occurs when a color appears to change when viewed in different light sources. The colors that are most likely to have metameric problems include taupes, mauves, lilacs, tans, celadons, grey/blues, greys, etc.


Colour Standards

By standardizing the colours, different manufacturers in various locations can all reference a particular standard for colour, which is numbered. This makes sure that colours match without direct contact with one another. The most common colour standards in the fashion industry are by Scotdic, Colour Solutions, Pantone, etc.