The use of Color
At the end of the 19th century a group of painters abandoned the use of colour as we know it was used in earlier periods.. This group of artists were influenced by Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin. Led by Henri Matisse, they were known as the Fauves, or "the wild beasts." They used brilliant hues not to describe objects, but made colour the subject of painting itself. A painting in the "Fauvist Manner" was one that related color shapes; rather than unifying a design with lines. This turn from tradition brought an integrity to color which was regarded on its own merit and was used from the painting tubes without much mixing. Using colour is not at all mystical, but some basic ideas must be made clear if we want to use it without fear and drive it to the directions we have in mind.
Color Basics
Colour is the characteristic of light described by a color name. It is a fact that color is light, and light is composed of many colours—the ones we see in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Objects absorb certain wavelengths and reflect others back to the viewer. We perceive these wavelengths as colour.
A colour is described in three ways: by its name, how pure or desaturated it is, and its value or lightness. Although pink, crimson, and brick are all variations of the color red, each hue is made different by its saturation, intensity, and value.
Ιntensity, saturation and luminance/value are inter-related terms and have to do with the description of a color.
Saturation: The degree of purity of a hue, that is how red is a red for example, Ταor if it is broken with another colour.
Intensity: The brightness or dullness of a hue. One may lower the intensity by adding white or black.
Luminance / Value: A measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those hues with a high content of white have a higher luminance or value.
Shade and tint are terms that refer to a variation of a hue.
A hue produced by the addition of black.
Tint: A hue produced by the addition of white
Color Combinations
Color combinations may pass unnoticed when pleasing, yet offend dramatically when compositions seem to clash. One outcome we seek in the final form or composition, is a successful use of color.
We determine whether or not we are successful by critically assessing the visual balance and harmony of the final composition—balance and harmony are achieved by the visual contrast that exists between color combinations. Planning a successful color combination begins with the investigation, and understanding, of color relationships.
Using a color wheel and a template, the relationships between colors are easy to identify.
Monochromatic Relationship Colors that are shade or tint variations of the same hue.
Complementary Relationship Those colors across from each other on a color wheel.
Analogous Relationship Those colors located adjacent to each other on a color wheel.
Triad Relationship Three hues equally positioned on a color wheel
