Some (Brief) Notes on USE OF COLOUR

Primary Colours Red Yellow Blue Primary colours cannot be made by mixing together any other colours

Secondary Colours Made by mixing two primary colours together Red + Yellow = Orange Yellow + Blue = Green Blue + Red = Purple All other colours known as Tertiary colours

Tints and Shades Colour + white = tint Colour + black = shade

Colour Mixing Two types Subtractive is the physical mixing of pigments – eg mixing paints Additive is the mixing of coloured lights (without the presence of black). The primary colours here are red, green and blue. This is how computer monitors mix colours.

Colour Wheel The colour wheel is a visual representation of colour theory: Colour Theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious colour combinations. Colour relationships can be visually represented with a colour wheel — the colour spectrum wrapped onto a circle.

Colour Schemes A successful colour scheme needs a great deal of consideration and planning At one extreme (ie there is too much unity) is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged (under-stimulation) At the other is a visual experience which is too chaotic (over-stimulation) Colour Harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order – it is a dynamic equilibrium There are many theories for Colour Harmony – some basic examples follow:

Colour Schemes Analogous colours are any three colours which are side by side on a 12 part colour wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colours predominates.

Colour Schemes Complementary colours are any two colours which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow-green in the leaves and several variations of red-purple in the orchid. These opposing colours create maximum contrast and maximum stability.

Colour Schemes Other Colour Schemes include: Monochromatic - uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single colour. Can look clean and elegant - colours go well together, and can produce a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues. Split Complementary - a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a colour and the two colours adjacent to its complementary. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary scheme.

Colour Schemes Other Colour Schemes include: Triadic - uses three colours equally spaced around the colour wheel. This scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and colour richness. Not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious. Tetradic (double complementary) - the most varied because it uses two complementary colour pairs. Hard to harmonize - if all four hues are used in equal amounts, it may look unbalanced, so you should choose a dominant colour or subdue the colours.

Colour Context How colour behaves in relation to other colours and shapes is a complex area of colour theory. Compare the contrast effects of different colour backgrounds for the same red square. Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless; in contrast with blue- green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square appears larger on black than on other background colours.

Colour Context Observing the effects colours have on each other is the starting point for understanding the relativity of colour. The relationship of values, saturations and the warmth or coolness of respective hues can cause noticeable differences in our perception of colour. Notice how the small purple rectangle on the left appears to have a red-purple tinge when compared to that on the right. They are both the same colour (see below) – this shows how three colours can be perceived as four colours.

Colour Use Use of colour will invoke both a psychological and physiological reaction in your users For example, red causes the human heart beat and blood pressure to rise and to aid the interconnection of brain neurons. It has also been shown that people working in a red environment work faster, but they also make more mistakes. It increases restlessness and nervous tension. Also, red is commonly regarded to increase appetite. Effects on eyes red=greatest fatigue blue=least fatigue Effects on body red=most exciting green=most restful blue=most cheerful

Colour Temperatures Colours are divided into warm, cool or neutral colour temperatures. Warm colours Red Orange Yellow magenta and yellow-green hues Have the ability to advance text and images to the foreground and tend to speed up our perception of time. Considered harmonious, yet lack in visual variety and are often dull and boring unless used in combination with other colours.

Colour Temperatures Cool colours Sea Green, Violet, Blue, light blue and cyan Known to slow down the perception of time, but can make designs appear slick and professional Cool colours, especially blue, tends to recede into the distance making them more suitable for backgrounds. Without variety the cool colour design can seem very dull and boring. Neutral colours Black, White, Grey and Brown are all considered neutral colours, but questionable whether this is true

Colour Meanings It is very important to remember that the appropriate use of colour is dependent on cultural and temporal issues Symbolic colour varies from culture to culture. Eg Black in the UK is a funeral colour, whereas in India it is white A bride may wear white in Europe, but red in China. Colour symbolizes eras of time. Certain colours are more popular at different times.

Colour Psychology There has been a great deal of work done on this recently – many argue that some colours can have universal meanings, eg: Red (energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination, passion, desire, love). It brings text and images to the foreground, and is used as an accent colour to stimulate people to make quick decisions Orange (enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, attraction, success, encouragement) - very effective for promoting food products and toys See the links on the module website for more information

And one more thing to think about….. Web Safe Colours Or “Browser Safe Palette” For more info, see presentation on images and web safe colours