COLOR CHEAT SHEET! Simons Arts123 The following information has been collected from a number of websites. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=059-0wrjpau Karen Kavet http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-schemes.html (has tips, pros, cons) http://www.worqx.com/color/shade_tint.htm PRIMARY = RED, YELLOW, BLUE SECONDARY = MIX CONTIGUOUS PRIMARIES TOGETHER = ORANGE, GREEN, VIOLET TERTIARY (Mix PRIMARY + SECONDARY) CUT the wheel vertically IN HALF: WARM (right) AND COOL COLORS (left)
SUBTRACTIVE AND ADDITIVE COLOR MIXING RYB = SUBTRACTIVE REFLECTION PHYSICAL MIXING. A COLOR IS CREATED BY LIGHT (Roy G. Biv = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) REFLECTING OFF OF SOMETHING. I.E.,THE MATERIAL LOOKS RED COZ IT IS SOAKING UP OR SUBTRACTING ALL THE LIGHT WAVELENGTHS EXCEPT THE RED AND REFLECTING THE RED BACK AT US. BLACK IS THE ABSORPTION OF ALL COLORS. WHITE IS THE REFLECTION OF ALL WAVELENGTHS. SO WHEN WE MIX COLORS OR PHYSICALLY PUT THEM SIDE BY SIDE, THEIR HUE IS DUE TO SUBTRACTION OF WAVELENGTHS. RGB = ADDITIVE EMISSION. HOW LIGHT WORKS EMITTED DIRECTLY FROM A SOURCE I.E., A COMPUTER SCREEN, A LIGHT BULB, A RED OR YELLOW LIGHT SOURCE, ETC. ABSENCE OF COLOR = BLACK. R+G+B = WHITE (secondaries for this are cyan, magenta, yellow) COMBINE RGB+CMY = WHITE
Example of additive mixing: also: FILTERS PLACED OVER LIGHT SOURCES CAN COMPLETELY CHANGE THE OBJECT ANALAGOUS COLORS THAT ARE NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER ON THE COLOR WHEEL
Pros: Cons: Tips: The analogous color scheme is as easy to create as the monochromatic, but looks richer. The analogous color scheme lacks color contrast. It is not as vibrant as the complementary scheme. 1. Avoid using too many hues in the analogous scheme, because this may ruin the harmony. 2. Avoid combining warm and cool colors in this scheme. MONOCHROMATIC ALL THE SAME HUE BUT SHADES ARE MADE BY ADDING WHITE OR BLACK Pros: The monochromatic scheme is easy to manage, and always looks balanced and visually appealing. Cons: This scheme lacks color contrast. It is not as vibrant as the complementary scheme. Tips: 1. Use tints, shades, and tones of the key color to enhance the scheme. 2. Try the analogous scheme; it offers more nuances while retaining the simplicity and elegance of the monochromatic scheme.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS THAT ARE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER COMPLEMENTS = SAME VALUE BUT OPPOSITE HUES = IF WE DESATURATE THE COLOR THEY ARE THE SAME SHADE OF GRAY Pros: Cons: Tips: The complementary color scheme offers stronger contrast than any other color scheme, and draws maximum attention. This scheme is harder to balance than monochromatic and analogous schemes, especially when desaturated warm colors are used. 1. For best results, place cool colors against warm ones, for example, blue versus orange. 2. If you use a warm color (red or yellow) as an accent, you can desaturate the opposite cool colors to put more emphasis on the warm colors. 3. Avoid using desaturated warm colors (e.g. browns or dull yellows). 4. Try the split complementary scheme; it is similar to the complementary scheme but offers more variety.
HUE NAME OF COLOR SATURATION AMOUNT OF INTENSITY VALUE OR LIGHTNESS - HOW LIGHT OR DARK THE COLOR IS
TINTS = ADDING WHITE SHADES = ADDING BLACK
REVIEW: Split complementary color scheme Examples: The split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary scheme.
Pros: Cons: Tips: The split complementary scheme offers more nuances than the complementary scheme while retaining strong visual contrast. The split complementary scheme is harder to balance than monochromatic and analogous color schemes. 1. Use a single warm color against a range of cool colors to put an emphasis on the warm color (red versus blues and blue-greens, or orange versus blues and blue-violets). 2. Avoid using desaturated warm colors (e.g. browns or dull yellows), because this may ruin the scheme. Triadic color scheme Examples: The triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining balance, and color richness. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious. Pros: Cons: Tips: The triadic color scheme offers high contrast while retaining harmony. The triadic color scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme. 1. Choose one color to be used in larger amounts than others. 2. If the colors look gaudy, try to subdue them.