null

Designing with Color helps

readers develop an understand-

ing of color and the principles

of design through guided obser-

vation and engaging activities.

The visual approach of this text/

workbook provides a system

of eye training for students who

aspire to become designers or

artists. Part One of this two-part

text presents color, the most

immediately noticeable element

of design. Part Two follows with

the elements and principles of

design and demonstrates how

color and other design elements

are combined in nature and

the visual arts. Students have

opportunities to apply their

learning in each chapter by com-

pleting four types of activities—

warm-up, style, interest, and

satellite—resulting in finished

projects they can record with

photos preserved in their books

for future reference.

F e at u r e s

With more than 700 full- ■■

color photos and illustrations,

examples in each chapter

demonstrate how color is used

in a variety of media including

advertising, animation, fashion,

fine arts, graphic design,

illustration, industrial design,

interior design and architec-

ture, and photography.

The appendix to Part One, ■■

Some Historical Background

on the Theory and Practice of

Color and Design, highlights

key points in the understand-

ing and application of color

from ancient to modern times.

Key terms and concepts ■■

introduced in each chapter are

defined in a comprehensive

glossary.

™xHSLFQDy678592zv*:+:!:+:!ISBN: 978-1-56367-859-2

C O l O r a n D D e S i g n

chris dorosz jr watson

concepts and applications

with

designing color

dorosz watson

designing color

with

colordesigning with

b

DW.FM.indd 1 9/13/10 7:57:16 PM

Chris Dorosz | JR WatsonAcademy of Art University

F A i r c h i l d B o o k s | N e w Y o r k

concepts and applications

colordesigning with

DW.FM.indd 3 9/13/10 7:57:16 PM

Vice President & General

ManaGer, Fairchild education &

conFerence diVision:

elizabeth tighe

executiVe editor:

olga t. Kontzias

assistant acquisitions editor:

amanda Breccia

editorial deVeloPMent director:

Jennifer crane

deVeloPMent editor:

sylvia l. Weber

creatiVe director:

carolyn eckert

Photo researcher:

avital aronowitz

Production director:

Ginger hillman

senior Production editor:

elizabeth Marotta

coPyeditor:

nancy reinhardt

ancill aries editor:

noah schwartzberg

coVer desiGn:

carolyn eckert

coVer art:

© Beverly au, Va-Photography

text desiGn:

carolyn eckert

text coMPosition:

Barbara Barg Medley

director, sales & MarKetinG:

Brian normoyle

unless otherwise credited,

all illustrations are courtesy of

Jr Watson and chris dorosz.

copyright © 2010 Fairchild

Books, a division of condé nast

Publications.

all rights reserved. no part of this

book covered by the copyright

hereon may be reproduced or

used in any form or by any means—

graphic, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording,

taping, or information storage and

retrieval systems—without written

permission of the publisher.

library of congress catalog card

number: 2008940707

isBn: 978-1-56367-859-2

Gst r 133004424

Printed in china

tP15

DW.FM.indd 4 9/13/10 7:57:16 PM

For MJ, lP, and GJW | JrW For cliff, ruth, and Mike | cd

DW.FM.indd 5 9/13/10 7:57:17 PM

viii

Preface | xi

acknowledgments | xii

introduction | 1 1 the Purpose of this Book 1 how to use this Book 2 learning through activities 2 Gathering supplies 3 taking Photos 3 creating your own color and

design resource

P a r t o n e c o l o r

1 local color vs. symbolic color | 66 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

7 objective and subjective uses of color10 how the eye sees color19 activities

2 the color Wheel | 22 22 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

22 Primary colors 24 subtractive color 24 additive color 25 secondary colors

26 tertiary colors 27 the structure of the color Wheel 35 activities3 Value, saturation, and temperature | 38 38 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

39 Value 42 Value creates Form 45 Value creates composition

and Focal Point 46 Value creates Mood 47 saturation 50 temperature 51 Mixing colors 61 activities4 analogous colors | 64 64 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

75 activities5 complementary colors | 78 78 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

78 Vibrating Boundaries 80 desaturation 82 simultaneous contrast 84 optical Mixing 93 activities

extended contents

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Ex

tE

nd

Ed

Co

nt

En

ts

ix

6 color Proportion | 96 96 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

96 dominant colors 97 accent colors 98 analogous split-complementary Palette 107 activities7 light temperature | 110 110 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

121 activities

a P P e n d I x t o P a r t o n e :

some historical Background on the theory and Practice of color and design | 124 124 ancient Greece 125 rome and the Middle ages 126 the renaissance 129 the science of color 129 sir isaac newton 129 J. c. Maxwell 130 Michel eugène chevreul 131 a Break with the Past 132 color-Matching systems 132 albert Munsell 133 Pantone

P a r t t w o d e s I g n

8 two-dimensional space | 138 138 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

139 Figure and Ground and the Picture Plane 140 cropping 149 activities

9 three-dimensional illusion | 152 152 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

152 Ways to create the illusion of deep space

154 Position on the Picture Plane 154 Perspective: diminishing scale and

overlapping 154 use of diagonals 154 atmospheric Perspective 155 dividing the Picture Plane into

three Zones 156 applying the Method of creating three-

dimensional space 165 activities10 three-dimensional Form | 168 168 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

168 Volume and Mass 170 texture and surface quality 170 designer’s use of texture and

surface quality 170 Varieties of surface quality 181 activities11 unity and Variety | 184 184 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

193 activities12 emphasis | 196 196 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

196 contrasts 198 optical center 204 areas of emphasis 205 activities

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x

13 Balance | 208 208 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

208 Balance and symmetry 209 symmetry 209 near-symmetry 209 radial symmetry 210 asymmetry 210 the Focal Point 210 central Focal Point 210 law of thirds 211 Golden ratio 219 activities14 Movement | 222 222 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

231 activities15 rhythm | 234 234 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

234 Visual rhythm 234 line quality 247 activities

16 non–Focal Point design | 250 250 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

250 Ways to create a non–Focal Point design 252 repitition 252 Motif 252 tessellation 252 ambiguity 253 approaches to Positive and

negative space 253 clear-cut Positive/negative 253 Positive/negative reversal 253 interspace 263 activities17 Message of color and shape | 266 266 V o c a B u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e P t s

268 creating associations 281 activities

Glossary | 285index | 293

Ex

tE

nd

Ed

Co

nt

En

ts

DW.FM.indd 10 9/13/10 7:57:19 PM

xi

it happens every semester: after a few weeks of

school, just before midterm usually, students will

come to class and excitedly report that they’ve started

dreaming in color.

almost everyone eagerly testifies to developing a

visual awareness and sensitivity to seeing color

beyond the classroom—in formal designs on a cereal

box, the latest lady Gaga video, or in serendipitous

street scenes like a woman in a red coat walking in

front of a green billboard.

Why not take things a step further, then, and create

a textbook with activities that develop this excitement

and awareness of the everyday world with the study of

color and design?

What makes this book unique is that, from the

very start, it focuses on color, with the intention of

stimulating the reader and demystifying the initially

intimidating theory behind it. the foundation color

and design course continues to be the basis of

a student’s knowledge of color in all succeeding

classes. We hope to continue this tradition but also

to expand upon it by making it relevant and exciting to

today’s student by consistently presenting examples

from a wide range of visual- and applied-arts majors.

unlike other books and curriculums on color and

design, the first seven chapters comprising Part one

focus on the basics of color and color schemes.

starting with color intention in design, moving on to

the color wheel and the three components of color

(value, saturation, and temperature), we then continue

with color schemes and color proportion, ending Part

one with a look at light temperature. the appendix to

Part one briefly surveys the historical development

of color theory and systems of color identification.

after this introduction to color, Part two begins with

three chapters that discuss color in two- and three-

dimensional space. next, this part presents the five

principles of design—unity and variety, emphasis,

balance, movement, and rhythm—with a chapter for

each, along with a chapter on nonfocal point design.

the final chapter summarizes color theory and design

principles, exploring the expressive power of shape

and color.

even though we envision this book as providing a

complete course that any color and design teacher

could adopt, it could also supplement an already-

existing curriculum or simply serve as a fun, informative,

and valuable resource for the casual reader.

preface

DW.FM.indd 11 9/13/10 7:57:20 PM

acknowledgments

First, thanks to the team

at Fairchild Books for their

expertise: Bria duane, olga

Kontzias, sylvia Weber, erin

Fitzsimmons, carolyn eckert,

Barbara Barg Medley, avital

aronowitz, elizabeth Marotta,

Ginger hillman, and noah

schwartzberg. thank you for

seeing the potential in our concept

for this book and supporting our

vision along the way.

we also appreciate the

recommendations of the following

reviewers of our proposal and

manuscript, selected by the

publisher: Wendy Beckwith,

laroche college; catherine

darlington, iadt-chicago;

linda davisson, art institute of

Washington; Betsy Gabb,

university of nebraska; elizabeth

hart, savannah college of art

and design; sally s. hawthorne,

art institute of york; and carolyn

rotertson, FidM-los angeles.

thanks to the following, who

test drove the assignments,

the results of which appear

on the workbook pages: Paule

dubois-dupuis, christine Kirouac,

Gary Markle, Val nelson, Katje

richstatter, scott saraceno, thom

sevalrud and Kevin taylor. also

thanks to cliff edwards and Katje

richstatter for proofreading and

editorial assistance.

xii

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colordesigning with

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+ +

110

light temperature7

How a color is lit can drastically affect how it looks.

Have you ever had to hold your socks up to a light

to see whether the colors match? Without the clarity

of sunlight, the local or true nature of a color can be

deceiving. Even with the light from the sun, a color

might look warmer than it actually is. A house painted

light pink might work well in a clear sunny climate like

the south of France but may not make sense in the

cool light of a prolonged winter in central Canada.

With this in mind, we can further enhance the mood

already established by a design’s color palette or

completely change it by dramatizing temperature

through warm light effects and cool light effects.

Here is a simple formula to help understand how to

observe the influence of light temperature on color:

cool light effects

desaturate

•

•

local color

saturate

•

•

simultaneous contrast

value identity

•

•

warm light effects•

V o c a b u l a r y a n d K e y c o n c e p t s

Local color Light temperature or its

complement: warm? cool?

Value identity: highlight?

midtone? shadow?

DW.Ch.7.indd 110 9/13/10 2:13:00 PM

cool light effects

desaturate

•

•

local color

saturate

•

•

simultaneous contrast

value identity

•

•

warm light effects•


table table

shadow shadow

1

23

1

23

1 = + +

2 = + +

3 = + +

table = + +

shadow = + +

1 = + +

2 = + +

3 = + +

table = + +

shadow = + +

DW.Ch.7.indd 111 9/13/10 2:13:00 PM

neutral yellow orange red violet blue green

white

yellow

orange

red

violet

blue

green

light temperature Influence

DW.Ch.7.indd 112 9/13/10 2:13:28 PM

Lig

ht

te

mp

er

at

ur

e

113

Thinking about warm and cool is

the key to understanding the

effect of light temperature. Even though

local colors are not evident in this 1960s

travel poster, the use of different color

palettes and values for the two halves of

day and night sell the qualities of the light

Las Vegas is best known for . . . warm

sunny days and the cool neon lights of

evening.

Virgin America has introduced mood lighting on its planes. The windows are tinted to

minimize strong daylight in the cabin, and in flight, the lighting also shifts and changes.

Here, cool light is used to relax and soothe passengers.

[left]

TW

A L

as V

egas

pos

ter,

1960

s. Il

lust

rato

r Dav

id K

lein

, Lib

rary

of C

ongr

ess,

Prin

ts &

Pho

togr

aphs

Div

isio

n. [r

ight

] Virg

in A

mer

ica.

DW.Ch.7.indd 113 9/13/10 2:13:45 PM

114

co

Lo

r

In her installation,

Glow House, artist

Kelly Mark has placed 50

televisions throughout a

house all set to the same

channel. Reflected light from

the flickering televisions gives

the impression that the house

has been gutted to create a

vast illuminated space. The

color of light changes

depending on the program

playing. For instance, horror

movies pulse a blue light

whereas adult movies pulse

pink. Commercials produce

the effect of fireworks!

Glo

w H

ouse

© K

elly

Mar

k,

ww

w.k

elly

mar

k.co

m

DW.Ch.7.indd 114 9/13/10 2:13:57 PM

Consideration in lighting

fashion and clothing not

only applies to advertising like this

store window, runway shows and

print ads, but is also a basic

consideration in choosing fabrics

for a garment. Understanding light

temperatures informs these

choices, as a textile looks different

under the different lighting

conditions where the garment may

be worn.

For instance, a gown will most

likely be seen in the evening,

usually under indirect and artificial

light, while a bathing suit will

probably be worn in the direct,

warm light of the sun. What kinds

of fabrics and colors are usually

found in garments made for

dancing or wearing to nightclubs?

How does this relate to light

temperature?

In this window display, the

influence of warm light is clearly

seen on the environment, while

a cooler violet light accentuates

the mannequin and dress, also

enhancing the mood.

© S

aks

Fifth

Ave

nue

New

Yor

k, D

ecem

ber o

f 200

8.

DW.Ch.7.indd 115 9/13/10 2:14:09 PM

116

co

Lo

r

Lighting is the finishing touch to any room, and sometimes may

be the starting point. Under the influence of natural light, the

traditional surfaces of wood and oil paintings come to life in this Madrid

industrial club.

In the Madrid Airport [opposite page], artificial lighting enhances the

textures and materials, giving dimension to a modern arrangement of

polished marble, glass, and steel.

[this

pag

e] im

ageb

roke

r /A

lam

y. [o

ppos

ite p

age]

Pau

l Pre

scot

t /A

lam

y.

DW.Ch.7.indd 116 9/13/10 2:14:41 PM

Lig

ht

te

mp

er

at

ur

e

117

DW.Ch.7.indd 117 9/13/10 2:15:02 PM

Lig

ht

te

mp

er

at

ur

e

121

activities

Try on sunglasses. Try

lenses with different

tints—warms like oranges, browns,

and pinks, and cools like blues

and greens.

How does the world look?

Which temperature do you prefer?

With the different glasses on,

look at your color wheel. What

happens to the warm and cool

colors when viewed through the

different lenses?

Which of these lighting

conditions might apply

to your (potential) major—sunlight,

moonlight, TV light, digital display

light, fluorescent light, headlights,

fridge light, streetlight, flashlight,

spotlight, stage light, nightlight,

theatrical/nightclub lights,

candlelight, firelight, sunrise, or

sunset? Take pictures of how

at least four of these examples

influence local color.

Find an object in your

neighborhood like a tree

or mailbox that is surrounded by

the light-colored pavement of a

sidewalk or road (even better, if

it is winter, surrounded by snow).

Take a picture including the

object, cast shadow, and ground

at sunrise, midday, sunset, and

dusk. What color would you

assign to the light for each of

these times? How do the local

colors change? Describe the

effects of simultaneous contrast.

Are they captured in your

pictures?

Purchase a colored

light bulb at your local

hardware store. Think of the

psychological associations of

color in making your choice. Take

a picture of your room, desk, or

other area in your home. Then,

at a time of day without strong

sunlight, or at night, try the colored

bulb in the same area where you

took the picture before. Use the

colored light bulb as your only

light source. What has happened

in terms of VST? Take a picture.

[top

right

and

left]

Pho

tos:

Chr

istin

e K

iroua

c.

DW.Ch.7.indd 121 9/13/10 2:16:05 PM

your projects attach your snapshots here

DW.Ch.7.indd 122 9/13/10 2:16:05 PM

DW.Ch.7.indd 123 9/13/10 2:16:05 PM

196

emphasis12

There are always “colorful” characters riding the

bus or subway. You may have even taken public

transportation today to get to class or work and

have a story to tell: a woman with a pink Mohawk

or a man talking extremely loudly. These people

would have caught your attention because they

were in contrast to the less-colorful and quieter

people around them.

Similarly, we use contrast in design to draw the

viewer’s attention to a particular place, called the

focal point or area of emphasis, which catches

the eye and engages the viewer. It is possible to

have more than one area of emphasis, although

they usually vary with diminishing contrast as will

be discussed in the next few chapters.

On this page is another way to create a focal

point or area of emphasis, by breaking a pattern.

area of emphasis• contrast• focal point• optical center•


ContrastsHere are some common examples of

contrast (see chart on facing page):

large—small

flat—3D

thick—thin

many—few

soft—hard

smooth—rough

light—heavy

motion—rest

value: high—low

saturation: bright—muted

temperature: warm—cool

translucent—opaque

shape: organic—geometric

chromatic—achromatic

line

direction

DW.Ch.12.indd 196 9/13/10 6:51:45 PM

area of emphasis• contrast• focal point• optical center•


large–small flat–3d thick–thin many–few

soft–hard smooth–rough light–heavy motion–rest

value: high–low saturation: bright–muted temperature: warm–cool translucent–opaque

shape: organic–geometric chromatic–achromatic line direction

DW.Ch.12.indd 197 9/13/10 6:51:46 PM

198

de

sig

n

Optical Center

A viewer will naturally

look first in the center of

a design or of any picture plane,

like a blank piece of paper or

television or movie screen. Painter

Tomma Abts places the focal point

equidistant from the vertical and

horizontal edges, with converging

lines leading to the optical center.

Cou

rtesy

the

artis

t, gr

eeng

rass

i, Lo

ndon

and

Gal

erie

Dan

iel B

uchh

olz,

Col

ogne

and

“B

oros

Col

lect

ion,

Ber

lin”

Ert,

Tom

ma

Abt

s, 2

003.

DW.Ch.12.indd 198 9/13/10 6:51:54 PM

em

ph

as

is

199

As a chip in a tiled floor

is immediately obvious,

breaking a pattern is another way

to create an area of emphasis.

Animation artist Michel Ocelot

draws the viewer’s attention to

particular areas of a scene with

simple figures on complex

patterned backgrounds.

© P

hoto

s 12

/Ala

my.

DW.Ch.12.indd 199 9/13/10 6:52:03 PM

200

de

sig

n

[above] In this

photograph, all

components of color, value,

saturation, and temperature are

contrasted in the area of

emphasis. In addition to size and

shape contrasts, we as viewers

tend to look at a human presence

in an image before that of an

inanimate object—even though

this is a doll!

[below] Quick recognition of

location, roads, and

movement are crucial in developing

a clear GPS system (especially one

to use while driving).

A driver’s location and path are

usually represented in bright red

as this color will advance, whereas

secondary road systems are denoted

with cool colors to recede visually.

DW.Ch.12.indd 200 9/13/10 6:52:28 PM

em

ph

as

is

201

Old and new collide, creating a strong line of emphasis where they

meet in this postmodern addition to the Royal Ontario Museum in

Toronto. How many contrasts between the two styles can you name?

[opp

osite

pag

e, to

p] C

ourte

sy J

ean-

Pie

rre

Kha

zem

Lla

ma

5 fr

om L

lam

a pr

ojec

t, 20

00. [

oppo

site

pag

e, b

otto

m] S

IRIU

S T

rave

l Lin

k™ N

avig

atio

n sy

stem

in th

e 20

10 L

inco

ln M

KZ

. [th

is p

age]

Roy

al O

ntar

io M

useu

m (R

OM

), de

sign

ed b

y D

anie

l Lib

eski

nd. P

hoto

© O

leks

iy M

aksy

men

o, 2

007.

DW.Ch.12.indd 201 9/13/10 6:52:40 PM

260

de

sig

n

Wall coverings and fabric patterns generally don’t have a focal point. They are meant to create

visual interest and harmony, but they also often serve to allow certain features of a room, such

as a fireplace, painting, or accent color, to be the focal point.

Lind

a Fl

oren

ce, d

etai

l of M

orph

us D

amas

k fr

om th

e S

crat

chca

rd C

olle

ctio

n, 2

005.

© w

ww

.lind

aflo

renc

e.co

.uk.

DW.Ch.16.indd 260 9/13/10 7:23:33 PM

no

n–

Fo

ca

l P

oin

t d

es

ign

261

In the living room [left] Billy Baldwin designed for legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland (she referred to it as her “Garden in Hell”), the non–focal

impulse is extended from the pattern of the walls and fabric into the mementos and clutter of the room to create a lived-in, slightly disorienting

experience. The use of vibrant red on nearly every surface does not provide a resting place for the eye. Though there is great variety in the types of

elements in the room, they are of similar size. There are areas of equal value contrast, but they repeat often enough to become a motif in this non–focal

point interior.

In Vreeland’s bedroom [right], the fabric and wallpaper pattern is the same as in the living room, but in blue. Similar displays of mementos and small

objects follow the style of the living room.

Pho

togr

aphs

by

Ric

hard

Cha

mpi

on. ©

197

7 C

ondé

Nas

t Pub

licat

ions

.

DW.Ch.16.indd 261 9/13/10 7:23:45 PM

262

de

sig

n

[left] All-over non–focal

point balance is used to

varying degrees in the animation of

Lars Arrhenius, where he explores

ideas of navigation through city

systems. In this animated short,

non–focal point balance is well

suited to some scenes as the

multiple narratives of residents

from an apartment block overlap.

[top] The mid-century

modern style of illustrator

Charley Harper frequently uses

the concepts of motif and

repetition to set up rhythm and a

strong graphic quality. Notice here

how he creates a positive/negative

reversal with equally weighted

light and dark trees to play with

and de-emphasize the hidden owl. [left]

© L

ars

Arr

heni

us s

till 2

of 1

3 fr

om H

abita

t 200

3. [r

ight

] Bar

k E

yes,

Cha

rley

Har

per,

1985

.

DW.Ch.16.indd 262 9/13/10 7:24:07 PM

null

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