1. How We See Color

2. Color is derived from Reflected Light.
White light from the sun is actually a combination of all colors.
When light passes through a prism, a wedge-shaped glass, the beam of light bends and separates into bands of color, called the Color Spectrum. A Rainbow is a natural example of the color spectrum, because light passing through water causes the same effect.

3. Hue: name of a color in the color spectrum
Color has 3 properties:
Hue: name of a color in the color spectrum
Value: lightness or darkness of a color
Intensity: the brightness or dullness of a hue
The color wheel organizes the hues of the color spectrum. It is actually the spectrum bent into a circle.
We will be working with a 12-color wheel which consists of :
3 Primaries
3 Secondaries
6 Intermediates

4. The color wheel helps us organize the hues into specific families.
Color Families
The color wheel helps us organize the hues into specific families.
Keith Haring. Red- Yellow Blue- 21
The first family is the PRIMARY COLORS: Red, Yellow and Blue.
You cannot make these colors, but through combinations of them and with black and white you can produce EVERY other color.

5. R + Y = ORANGE Y + B = GREEN R + B = VIOLET
The next color family is the SECONDARY COLORS:
The primaries mixed in equal parts create the secondaries:
R + Y = ORANGE
Y + B = GREEN
R + B = VIOLET
Vincent Van Gogh. Irises, St. Remy, c. 1889

6. The third color family is INTERMEDIATE or TERTIARY COLORS and are created by mixing a primary with it’s secondary.
R + O = RED-ORANGE
R + V = RED-VIOLET
B + G = BLUE-GREEN
B + V = BLUE-VIOLET
Y + G = YELLOW-GREEN
Y + O = YELLOW-ORANGE
Reiko Hervin. Hot Romance. Watercolor

7. Another color family is created by the COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Another color family is created by the COMPLEMENTARY COLORS. These colors are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Robert Holman. La Sera I
When COMPLEMENTARIES are placed closely together in a composition they create the strongest contrast of a hue. Artists use them in Optical Illusion artwork to create “visual vibration.”

8. The color family ANALOGOUS COLORS are created from colors of a common hue that sit side by side on the color wheel usually 3-4 hues. Analogous colors are related. ANALOGOUS COLORS are commonly used to create a design that ties one shape to the next through a common color.
The color family WARM/COOL COLORS are created by splitting the color wheel in half diagonally. They are used to create temperature or mood in artwork. WARM COLORS seem to move toward the viewer and COOL COLORS seem to recede, or move away.

9. Analogous Color Painting
Edward Hopper. Girl At Sewing Machine. c
Warm Color Painting
Analogous Color Painting
Cool Color Painting
Student Work.
Michele Hausman. Summer Cool. .

10. Color Value LIGHT = WHITE = TINT ABSENCE OF LIGHT = BLACK = SHADE
Adding white to the hue lightens it, adding black to the hue, darkens it.
Richard E. Adams. Animal Interior Still Life. Acrylic Painting

11. Now, it’s your turn to practice!
Using the color wheel handout, a scrap of paper, and ONLY red, yellow, and blue paint; paint the color wheel mixing primaries to make the secondaries and intermediates.
Next, use white to create TINTS of all colors. CLEAN YOUR PALETTE!
Last use black to create SHADES of all colors.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO MIX GRAY WITH ANY COLORS!