1. Color Relativity and Josef Albers

2. Local Color vs. Relative Color
Local Color – Actual color on the surface of an object at full light.
Relative Color – Local color as affected by light or surrounding hues.

3. How does the idea of relativity relate?
Chevereul – The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colors 1839
Afterimage (successive contrast) – after saturating the eye with a color and looking away, the eye will balance itself by creating an afterimage of that color’s complement even when the hue is not present.

6. Other findings: Simultaneous Contrast:
Using the idea of “afterimage,” simultaneous contrast refers to how a surrounding color affects a local color by forcing it’s complement.

7. Contrast Reversal
Much like afterimage, however an entire design reverses color when the eye looks away to a blank area.

8. Josef Albers
German Painter and Educator in the Bauhaus and later in the United States.
Interaction of Color 1963 – outlines specific exercises in color for students focusing on aspects of color interaction.

9. Principles of Color Interaction (Can function separately or simultaneously)
Light/Dark Value Contrast
Color will appear darker on a lighter ground and lighter on a darker ground
Complementary Reaction or Effect
When the eye “seeks” the complement of the dominant color in the relative color
Subtraction
The dominant color subtracts itself from the relative color
Equation based: YO-O=Y, BV-V=B, etc.

10. Light/Dark Shift:

11. Complementary Shift:

12. Subtraction:

13. Make 2 Colors Appear Similar:

14. Make 2 Colors Appear Similar: