1. Why study color? It is the most important element of a design
It is one of the few visual design elements that people notice

2. Properties of Color Hue: property that gives a color a name (ex: red)
Value: measurement of the amount of light reflected from an object
Intensity: brightness or concentration of a color

3. Color Wheel
A tool to use to understand the uses of color.

4. The Color Wheel Contains three categories of colors
Primary Colors: red, yellow, and blue; all other colors can be mixed from the primary colors
Secondary Colors: orange, green, violet; mixture of equal amounts of two primary colors
Tertiary (Intermediate) colors: made by mixing a primary color with the adjacent secondary color (ex: red-orange). When naming, the primary color is always named first.

5. Color Wheel Primary Color – natural colors; red, yellow, & blue
Secondary Colors – equal mixture of two primary colors;
Red & Yellow = Orange
Yellow & Blue = Green
Red & Blue = Purple/Violet

6. Color Wheel
Tertiary color – equal mixture of a primary and secondary color. Example: red & orange = red-orange
Value – brightness or darkness of a color.
Chroma – Measure of brightness or dullness.

7. Psychological Effects of Color
Warm Colors: red, orange, yellow
associated with sun, heat, and fire
evoke warm and happy feelings
warm colors will dominate when in an arrangement
Cool Colors: blue, green, violet
associated with grass, water, ice
create restful, soothing feelings
fade into background of a design

8. Color Wheel
Tint – Add white to make a color brighter, pink is a tint of red

9. Color Wheel
Shade – add black to make a color darker, burgundy is a shade of red.

10. Color Wheel
Tone – add gray to make a color dull; dusty rose is a tone of pink.
Color Harmonies – combinations of color that are pleasing to the eye.

11. Color Principles
Monochromatic – one hue with its tints, shades and tones, ex. Red, pink, mauve, burgundy.
Analogous – three or more hues that are next to each other on the color wheel. Ex. Yellow – green, yellow & yellow – orange.

12. Color Principles
Complementary – two colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Ex. Red and green.
Split-Complementary – any color with the two colors on each side of its complement. Ex. Yellow with blue-violet and red-violet.

13. Color Principles
Triadic – three colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel. Ex. Yellow, red and blue.
Polychromatic – three or more unrelated colors, select tints, shades & tones.

14. What influences color selection?
Seasons or holidays
Special Occasions (ex: weddings)
Symbolism
Favorite Colors
Existing Colors