The Color Wheel

1. The Color Wheel

2. History of Color • Colors are often symbolic. • Let’s talk about what role color has played in different times in history.

3. In China… • Yellow has religious significance and is still the Imperial color today!

4. In Greece and Rome… • Red was believed to have protective powers. • Purple was restricted to use by nobility.

5. The Egyptians • Adorned walls of tombs and temples with brilliant colors of blue, tangerine, and green.

6. In the Italian Renaissance… • Colors were vibrant reds, greens, golds and blues.

7. In the Rococo period… • Tastes became very feminine, colors became less vibrant.

8. In 18th Century England… • There was great elegance. Colors were rich, showing a strong Chinese influence in the use of red and gold.

9. During the Victorian era… • There was great Eclecticism known for it’s abundance of “things”. • Colors were mostly dull reds, greens, browns, and mauves.

10. In the Early 20th Century… • Colors were Monochromatic. There were sleek surfaces and strong contrasts with black, gray, silver, brown, beige and white.

11. In the 1920’s… • All-white interiors became popular which gave way to delicate pastels with bright accents.

12. In the 1950’s.. • Light colors were preferred. • However, American interest turned to Mexico and a shift to bright colors with bright contrasts.

13. And in the 1990’s… • Regal gold, blue, and red were used. Southwestern remained popular and Victorian was being revived. • Ivy league also becomes popular with forest greens and cranberry reds.

14. Where does color come from? • A ray of light is the source of all color. • Without light, color does not exist. • Light is broken down into colors of the spectrum. You can often see a variety of colors in a bright beam when you look at something like a rainbow.

15. Color • Color can alter the appearance of form and space. • Color can affect our performance abilities and change our moods.

16. Pigments • Pigments are substances that can be ground into fine powder and used for adding color to dyes and paints. • Pigments were originally derives from animal, mineral, and vegetable sources.

17. Examples: • Purple from shellfish • Red dye from the dried bodies of scale insects

18. The Color Wheel • The color wheel is a basic tool we use when working with colors. • It is based on the standard color theory known as Brewster/Prang.

19. In addition to the traditional color wheel, there are two color systems that are useful when more detailed colors are required. • The Munsell system: • Has 5 principles hues and 5 intermediate hues. A numbering system helps designers identify the exact hue they need. • The Ostwald system: • Made from pairs of complementary colors. The color circle has twenty-four hues.

20. The Color Wheel • There are 12 hues in the spectrum of color. • They are divided into three categories…

21. The Primary Colors • Red, Yellow, and Blue • These colors cannot be combined from mixing any colors together.

22. The Secondary Colors • Green, violet, and orange • Made by combining the Primary colors together.

23. The Tertiary Colors • Yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange. • Made by combining a primary and a secondary hue. • Named by the Primary color first.

24. COLOR What color is your personality?

25. Laid back and carefree Somewhat sheltered and innocent, or you wish you were Words that describe you are shy, romantic, and feminine Gentle, almost to the point of being weak You have a calming effect on those around you and people who need a friend seek you out PINK

26. Want to be part of the action and are quite impulsive Outspoken, quick-tempered and intense In a crowd you are dynamic and noticeable Be careful you can become overbearing Emotional, exciting and athletic You give your opinion whether others agree with you or not You live life to the fullest RED

27. Intellectual and drawn toward the new and modern. High spirited, cheerful, and idealistic Vivacious, extroverted and comedic You have strong opinions and can be stubborn You live by high standards and give sound advice YELLOW

28. You are unique Friendly and get along well with others Radiate warmth and inspire those you are with You tend to be social and drawn to groups of people You are the hearth of the home and grateful for family and friends ORANGE

29. You expect to be happy most of the time Your personality is light, good and pure You have a sense of innocence about you You seek perfection and expect others to do the same, which sometimes make you appear cold WHITE

30. You are cautious, conservative and sensitive to the needs of others Your basic need for harmony often thrusts you into the role of peacemaker Words that best describe you are business-like, calm, and capable You are a loyal, trustworthy friend, but expressing your emotions in a relationship is difficult for you BLUE

31. You are fresh, friendly and natural You are persistent, well balanced and stable The environment is important in your life and you like things basic to the point of being simple As a friend you are frank, sensitive, affectionate and loyal GREEN

32. You are sensitive and need loving care and adoration form others, but you maintain your independence Showing emotion difficult for you and others perceive you as self-centered You have excellent taste and a mature outlook BLUE/GREEN

33. You are creative! You consider yourself unique and you set yourself apart from others You are an artist at heart Scheduling and mundane tasks bore you You can frequently be found daydreaming and would actually prefer fantasy to reality While you seek cultural events and luxury, you do not put yourself out to serve humanity Many inventors claim purple as their favorite color PURPLE

34. You are likely to be seen as stable and unchanging You are self-disciplined, conscientious and dependable You like the rugged outdoors and the ultra natural You are warm, comfortable, intimate and accepting BROWN

35. You are sophisticated, mysterious and dramatic You are dignified and keep to yourself You may be unhappy with how things are, but aren’t quite certain how you can change existing circumstances A young child who chooses black exclusively may be depressed BLACK

36. Clue in on Color

37. Blue • Cool Color • Moves away from you • Suggests respect, responsibility, authority • Needs a relief color • Tranquilizing • Elongate time • Favorite color • Poor color around food

38. Red • Hot, exciting, stimulating • Highly emotional • Raises blood pressure, pulse and heart rate • Cellular reaction in heart and lungs • Stimulate appetite • Pay more • Lose track of time • Separate gender responses

39. Yellow • Requires the most visual processing • Cheerful, warm, inviting • Stimulate memory • “Value for Money” • Loss of minor muscle control in elderly • Loose your temper quicker • Baby’s cry more

40. Green • Peaceful, relaxation, serenity • Easiest for the eye to see • Fastest adjustment time • High socio-economic status • Natural • Cool color closest to warm

41. Black • Mysterious • Positive and negative effects • Dignity, solemnity, formality • Mourning, sorrow, depression • Power, strong authority when combined with white • Limited positive response in décor • Reinforces the color it touches, powerful accent

42. White • Delicate, refined • Symbol of purity, chastity, cleanliness • All white feels empty or forced • Soften edges between colors • Encourages precision • Clarity, openness and brightness

43. Gray/Grey • Work longer • Creativity • More artistic • Chameleon • Needs accent colors • Strong prejudice against grey

44. Brown • Homelike, masculine • Warmth, snug, secure • Universal • Solidity • Listener • Positive food associations • Less intensive behavioral response • Needs natural associations and less yellow for a positive response.

45. Violet • Stronger versions are called purple • Uncertainty • Royalty, dignity • Women generally accept universally • Tire of the fastest • Seen as artistic and expressive

46. Pink • Sweet • Can be calming • Intensifies when applied • Feminine • Good accent clothing color

47. Orange • Declassifying • Informality • Stimulating • Inexpensive • Good around fast food • Shares some qualities of red, slightly reduced

48. Color Vocabulary

49. Hue • red, yellow, blue, green, or any combination of • White, black and gray possess no hue

50. Neutrals • Black • White • Gray