Lecture 8 - Colour theory Systematic colour (part 1) - An introduction to colour theory

As practitioners it is vital that colour is introduced into our practice. To know about colour we need to ask what colour is. Isolated colour is always surrounded by other colours. We need to determine one from the other.

Physical > Physiological > Psychological

Colour is inextricably linked to light. Our interpretation is based on a wavelength of length. All light has the colours, but wavelength differentiates the colours. Black absorbs more light light than white, therefore it maintains its properties, rather than reflecting like white.

The eye contains two kinds of receptors:

• Rods - conveys black/white/grey
• Cones - Perceives the colour.

Cones:

• Type 1 - sensitive to red light/orange
• type 2 - sensitive to green
• type 3 sensitive to blue

If two types are simultaneously stimulated we see a mix of colours. For example, yellow.

Complementaries are the chromatic opposites. When mixing some opposites the colours cancel out one another, creating a dark grey colour.

Spectral colour

Colour modes - red, green, blue

RGB - is screen based colour mode - Additive colour

CMYK - cyan, magenta, yellow, black - subtractive colour

Chromatic value - Hue + tone = saturation