ELEMENT OF DESIGN - COLOR

COLOR

    Color is often deemed to be an important element of design as it is a universal language which presents the countless possibilities of visual communication. Hue, saturation, and brightness are the three characteristics that describe color.

    Color refers to the visual response of the eye, it has the strongest emotional power of all the elements. Combining colors and creating harmony with them can be one of the most pleasurable parts of florist.

    Color is very subjective. Many color schemes have been created to help designers keep order and control viewer emotions. When shopping for clothes, color may be the first thing that attracts you to a particular garment. The range of colors is almost limitless. Some are light; other are dark. Some are bright; others are dull. Understanding the properties of color can help you choose colors that will best enhance your features

For example, a complementary color scheme includes colors that are opposite one another on a color wheel, making a bold statement and evoking excitement.

COLOR WHEEL

        The color wheel shows the relationship among colors or hues. It includes the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.

 PRIMARY COLORS (red, yellow, blue),

• Each color is a pure hue.

• No other colors can be combined to make any of them.

    • They are placed equal distances from each other on the color wheel, forming a triangle.

    • All other colors are made from them

SECONDARY COLORS (green, orange, purple)

• They are located evenly between the primary hues on the color wheel.

    • Mixing equal amounts of two primary hues forms the secondary colors.

        Red + Yellow = Orange

        Red + Blue = Violet

        Blue + Yellow = Green

TERTIARYCOLORS (vermilion,magenta,violet,teal,chartreuse,amber).

    •Combining equal amounts of a primary and secondary hue form a tertiary color.

    •They are located between the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel.

    •These colors are red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and red-orange.

        orange + red = vermilion

        red + purple = magenta

        purple+ blue = violet

        blue + green = teal

        green + yellow = chartreuse

        yellow + orange = amber

  

primary color

secondary color

teritory color

WARM AND COOL COLOR

Draw a line through the center of the wheel, and you’ll separate the warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) from cool colors (blues, greens, purples).

Warm colors are generally associated with energy, brightness, and action, whereas cool colors are often identified with calm, peace, and serenity.

When you recognize that color has a temperature, you can understand how choosing all warm or all cool colors in a garment or on your logo can impact your message.

QUALITIES OF COLOR

HUE, VALUE AND INTENSITY

    Color has three properties or qualities. They are hue, value and intensity.

Hue – Hue is the name of a color, such as red, green, or blue.

Value -The lightness or darkness of a color. Each color has a wide value scale from light to dark. Different values form when white or black is added to a color. 

Tints: A subcategory of value. A tint is a hue to which white has been added. A tint is made by adding white to a hue.

For example, red + white = pink.

Shades: A subcategory of value. A shade is made by adding black to a hue A shade is a hue to which black has been added.

For example, red + black = burgundy. Finally,

Intensity

    The brightness or dullness of a color. A bright color is more intense than a dull color. Adding more of the dominate color makes a color more intense. Adding some of the color’s complement will make the color less intense 

COLOR SCHEMES

    Appealing combinations of colors form color schemes. Designers often base fabric and clothing designs on these time tested color schemes

COMPLEMENTARY COLOR

Colors located opposite one another on the color wheel. They have the greatest contrast and look brightest when used together.

for example - Red and green; Yellow and Violet; Blue and Orange;

Because there’s a sharp contrast between the two colors,

SPLIT COMPLEMENT COLOR

    This color scheme uses three colors. It uses one color plus two colors next to its complement. Creates a very flattering look to the design.

DOUBLE COMPLEMENT COLOR 

This color scheme uses four colors. It consists of two sets of direct complements. One of the colors should be dominate and can create a fun look

ANALOGOUS COLOR

    Two to Four Colors are next to one another on the color wheel. They are closely related and always blend.

for example - red, orange and yellow,

Autumn leaves in yellows, oranges, and reds are a great natural analogous color scheme.

MONOCHROMATIC COLOR

Monochromatic color scheme are derived from a single base hue and extended using its shade, tone and tints.

TRIADIC COLOR

A triad uses three colors that form an equal-lateral sided triangle on the color wheel. Commonly it is your primary and secondary colors. Triadic color are evenly spaced around the color wheel and tend to be very bright and dynamic.