TGJ3M – Colour Theory

Colour can be said to differ in three significant ways: hue, value and saturation.

Hue Hue is what makes one colour different from another. In effect it is the generic name for the colour –

red, say, as opposed to blue.

Value/Tone Value, also known as tone, is the relative lightness or darkness of a colour. A colour with added white is

called a tint and a colour with added black is called a shade.

Saturation/Chroma Saturation, also known as chroma, is roughly equivalent to brightness, or how much grey is mixed in.

Two colours can be of the same hue but be of different saturation.

Understanding Colour Systems When talking about colour, you should keep in mind that you can look at colour in a lot of different

ways. What that means is that there are a lot of different ways you can divide colour into and still get

more or less the same result. So when we are talking about primary and secondary colours you need to

remember that which colours we are talking about depends on which colour system (sometimes called

colour space) we are using.

The three most popular colour systems that are used today are called RYB (for Red, Yellow and Blue),

RGB (Red, Green and Blue) and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black)). There are a few other

systems too, such as HSV and LSV, but we are not going to cover these in this course. So in RYB, the

primary colours are red, yellow and blue, in RGB they are red, green and blue and so on. Which one you

should use depends on what you are designing for. RGB is what computer screens, TVs and projectors

use, so if you are designing something that is going to be shown only on those, using RGB is best. CMYK

is what printers use, so if you are designing a poster or a business card, CMYK is the best choice. RYB is

traditionally what painters and designers have been using and most sources that explain colour theory

will talk about RYB.

It is not the end of the world if you design your colour scheme in the “wrong” colour system, because

you can still change system in the program you are using. But you should be aware of that if you do,

your colours will look a little different and you might have to redesign your colour scheme. When you

hand in projects and assignments, you should include what colour scheme you used.

Understanding the Colour Wheel Understanding the colour wheel is very important for graphic design and you will be marked based on

how well you use the colour wheel in your projects. Keep in mind that the colour wheel is always

Primary colours (RYB) The primary colours are the colours you got to play with in elementary school (red,

yellow and blue). They are colours at their most basic; that is, the colours that cannot

be created by mixing other colours together.

Secondary colours (RYB) Secondary colours are the colours you get when mixing two primary colours together.

For example, if you mixed blue and yellow you would get the secondary colour green,

and if you mix blue and red you get purple.

Tertiary colours (RYB) Tertiary colours you get by mixing a primary colour and a secondary colour. So you

could mix the primary colour yellow with the secondary colour green and end up with

the tertiary colour yellow-green (or lime green).

Warm and Cool colours (RYB) Cool colours all come from shades of blue, also known as cool hues. The easiest way to remember what

cool colours are, is to think of what colours would best illustrate a cool temperature such as dark greens,

violets, light pinks, and so on. Warm colours, the opposite of cool colours, are based around hues of red,

orange, yellow, and so on.

Understanding the basic colour wheel combinations

Complementary colour schemes

Complementary colours are directly opposite from each other on the colour wheel. Because the colours

are directly opposite each other, they are at the highest contrast this creates a vibrant look especially

when used at full saturation. This colour scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring, generally by

using more of one colour and

accenting with the second.

In this example you can see that

a subdued version of each of the

colours on the colour wheel was

used. The rust orange and navy

blue pair incredibly well

together! Remember that you

can use any tone or shade of the

tones or shades on the wheel to

create looks that still apply the

basics of colour theory.

Split complementary colour scheme

The split-complementary colour scheme is a simple variation of the complementary colour scheme. In

addition to the base colour, it uses the two colours right next to its complementary colour. This colour

scheme has the same strong visual contrast as the complementary colour scheme, but with less tension.

This colour scheme is a good

choice for beginners, because it

always looks great!

This sweater uses the split

complementary colour scheme

to create a bright, happy

sweater. It isn’t overwhelming

because the designer has

balanced the colours by using

one main colour and the other

two colours as small accents.

Analogous colour scheme

Analogous colour schemes use 3-4 colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. They match

well and create serene and comfortable designs. Analogous colour schemes are often found in nature

and tend to be harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you have enough contrast when

choosing an analogous colour

scheme. Choose one colour to

dominate, a second to support and

the third colour as an accent.

In this example you can see how

using three very similar colours can

work incredibly well! Make sure

there is enough contrast between

colours if you’re using this colour

scheme for work with many small

details. If there isn’t enough

contrast it will be hard to see all the

details.

One way to prevent this is to convert the colours into grayscale. If you can still make out the details, it

should be okay. But if it looks like a gray mess, then you may have to make it less detailed or choose

another colour scheme.

Triadic colour scheme

A triadic colour scheme uses colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel. Triadic colour

harmonies tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your colours. For the

most success with this colour

scheme the colours should be

carefully balanced, let one colour

dominate and use the two others

for accent.

In this example you can see that

using the triadic colour scheme

the teal was chosen as the colour

to dominate and the fuchsia and

yellow were chosen to accent it.

To make sure the sweater wasn’t

overwhelmed by colour, the

designer chose to place their

colour pattern on a neutral base.

Tetradic colour scheme

The tetradic colour scheme uses four colours and is made up of two sets of complementary pairs. If you

drew lines to connect the colours in this scheme it would form a rectangle. This rich colour scheme

offers plenty of possibilities

for variation. You should pay

special attention to the

balance of colours. This

scheme tends to be difficult

to harmonize and requires

one colour to dominate or

subdue the other colours.

When using the tetradic

colour scheme you should

also pay close attention to

the balance between warm

and cool colours in your

design.

In this example you can see that the orange dominates the other colours with it’s vibrancy and causes

the other colours to slip into supportive roles. There is also a balance of warm and cool colours with

more of the cool purple and blue to bring down the intensity of the warm orange and yellow.

Monochromatic colour scheme

Monochromatic colour schemes are made from a single base hue, and extended using its shades, tones

and tints. As a result, the

monochromatic palette feels

more subtle and peaceful due

to a lack of contrast of hue.

The great thing about using a

monochromatic colour scheme

is that there are quite a few

different ways to add variation.

This sweater uses a different

texture in the same hue. If you

want to work with gradients,

this can be a really good colour

scheme to use.

Colours and Moods Different colours will create different moods. Below are some examples of how people typically respond

to common colours (based on western culture).

Readability When combining colour with text, it’s important to remember the readability

aspect. It’s true that we mainly deal with the black type on white paper/page

background, and that a black text on a light background is the easiest to read.

However, it doesn’t mean that colour and type don’t mix. When used well, colour

can add an emphasis to your message. Always pay attention to how well the colour

of your text contrasts with the background – how well can you read the text? Make

sure to ask a friend as well, just because you can read it doesn’t mean that your

friends can. Feedback is always important in design since it’s often hard to

objectively know whether something is really good or not.

Good Resources Vivien “DOs and DON’Ts – Colour.”<http://www.inspirationbit.com/dos-and-donts-colour/>2008. Web.

8 September 2014

Digital-Tutors. “Colour Theory for Graphic Design.” <http://blog.digitaltutors.com/understanding-colour-

theory-graphic-design/> 4 December 2013. Web. 8 September 2014

NHS Designs. “Graphic Design - Colour Theory.”

<http://www.nhsdesigns.com/graphic/colour/index.php/> Web. 8 September 2014

Lacie Lynnae. “The Colour Wheel: The Ultimate Guide to Colour Theory For Sweater Knitters.”

<http://30daysweater.com/colour-theory-for-knitters-colour-wheel/> Web. 2 February 2015

ColourLovers. “COPASO : Color Palette Software.”

<http://www.colourlovers.com/copaso/ColorPaletteSoftware> Web. 2 February 2015