Color and You

What Can Color Do?

• Draw attention away from a certain area of your body

• Emphasize a special feature

• Create an illusion of height and size

Colors Can Suggest Symbols & Communicate Feelings

• Colors can suggest coolness or can appear hot

• As symbols, colors are used for–Holidays–Ceremonies (funerals,

weddings, baby showers)–Representing countries and

groups

Colors and Temperatures• Colors suggest temperatures because they are

associated with nature

• For example:– Red, orange and yellow are associate with the sun and fire,

therefore they are WARM colors– Blue, green and violet are associated with calm water, and

clear skies, therefore they are COOL colors

Choosing color can be practical as well as psychological….

• White clothing reflects sunlight• Back clothing absorbs sunlight

Colors and Movement

• WARM colors attract attention

• WARM colors attract attention (red flags)

Which Stands Out More?

Colors and Mood

• Cool Colors express relaxation

• Warm Colors express excitement

The Language of Color

The more precise way to describe colors is with the specific names that identify them. These are called hues.

Sir Isaac Newton

In the mid 1600’s Newton discovered that light is the source of all color. He passed sunlight through prisms, bending light rays and produced a rainbow of colors.

The Color Wheelis a system that organizes hues into a logical

pattern

Fabric Color Wheel

Primary Colors

Secondary Colors

Combine equal amounts of 2 primary colors

Intermediate Colors

Combine a primary and secondary color

Complementary Colors

Are two colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel

ValueIs adding black or white to a color.– If you add white you have a TINT– If you add black you have a SHADE

Baby Blue- TINT Navy Blue- SHADE

Intensity

The brightness or dullness of color

Neutral Colors

Black and white are neutral colors because they do not have color pigment

Gray is also a Neutral.

What’s a Color Scheme?

A plan for using color

or a combination of colors to either decorate a room or put together an outfit

Monochromatic Color Scheme

Mono means one Chromatic means color Monochromatic uses value and intensities of

one color

Analogous Color Scheme

2 or more colors NEXT to each other on the color wheel (blue green and yellow)

Complimentary Color Scheme

These colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. It is a very bold color scheme. The effect can be softened by using different values and intensities.

Complementary

Another Complementary Color Scheme

Split Complimentary Color Scheme

One color used with 2 colors on each side of its compliment

Triadic

Are 3 colors equal distance on the color wheel