COLOR THEORY
Color is everywhere.
Imagine the world without any color.
How boring! Just about everyday
we pay attention to the colors around us, maybe even without realizing it. We choose colors when we decide what to wear.
We notice the colors in our environment. Look out the window: Is the sky a bright, clear blue today or
a dull, dreary gray? The food you put on your
plate can range from green broccoli, red pizza sauce, orange peppers, to purple
eggplant, not to mention the artificial colors found in sweets and drinks.
Color is often the first thing we notice about a work of art. Of the seven elements, color is often the most dramatic, the most striking, the most expressive element in a work of art. Color can evoke a powerful emotional response in you. Blue can be peaceful and calming, while red can be exciting and alarming. Think of your favorite color. Now, try to determine why you like that color? Why are you drawn to it? More than likely, you will describe or evoke an emotion in your answer. Is your favorite color a color that makes you feel happy and energetic? Relaxed and calm? Perhaps it reminds you of a special event, like a summer trip. In this unit, you will learn all about color. You will learn what color is and how artists use, organize and manipulate colors. You will have the opportunity to mix colors and to experiment with the properties of color. So... What is color?
You probably know the answer to that question, but perhaps you can not actually find the words to give a definition. The definition is easy. Color is an element of art that is caused by light reflecting to your eyes from an object.
How do your eyes do that? Your eyes have receptors that are sensitive to certain wavelengths of light. Different wavelengths produce different colors. White light, such as the light from the sun, is all the wavelengths together. When you brake a beam of light, by using prism, you can see the range of colors, called the color spectrum. Some people are missing receptors or have receptors that have trouble processing certain colors of light. When that is the case, this person might have difficulty seeing all the colors. This is called a color deficiency. |
The 7
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