Choose the right colors and color combinations for your projects
Color theory is the art and science of using color. Color Theory For Dummies explains, in simple terms, how colors relate to one another and how they can be combined to work together in an aesthetically pleasing way. An understanding of color theory can help you create art, decorate your home, design a beautiful wedding, and impress your friends at parties. With this book, you’ll learn how humans perceive color, how colors harmonize or clash with each other, and how you can apply these principles in your life and work to add a little, well, color to things.
• Discover the history and science behind how we see colors
• Understand how colors mix, match, and contrast so you can create better color combinations
• Learn how certain colors have the ability to affect how we feel and think
• Apply color theory to design, art, décor, photography, and beyond
Color Theory For Dummies simplifies and illuminates the world of color theory, outlining and defining color in a digestible and applicable way.
Author(s): Eric Hibit
Series: For Dummies
Edition: 1
Publisher: Wiley
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: Vector PDF
Pages: 288
City: Hoboken, NJ
Tags: User Experience; User Interface; Color; Art Studies; Interior Design; Painting
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Why Dummies?
Knowing the four c’s of color
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Opening Your Eyes to Color
Chapter 1 Your Color Journey
Color and the Power of Limits
Slowing Down to See Color
Where Color Begins
Appreciating the history of color
Talking about color
Why Is Color So Slippery?
Seeing color in context
Getting to know color contrasts
Dealing with dynamic color
A Colorist’s World
A limited palette is a powerful palette
Meaningful color
Ways of Working with Color
Getting systematic with color
Colorful mediums
My Colorful Part of Tens
Saying hello to a colorful crew
Getting your hands dirty with color
Chapter 2 History of Color
Early Humans and Color
Ancient Pigments and Dyes
Color in Sacred Art
Colorlessness in the Protestant World
Modern Color
Contemporary Color
Chapter 3 The Science of Color
Color in the Physical World
Defining light and color
Understanding why things are colorful
Subtractive and additive color models
Biological Aspects of Color Perception
The human eye
Photoreceptor cells
Color in the brain
The Subjectivity of Color Perception
Addressing “the dress”
Color vision deficiencies
Synesthesia
Other factors that affect color perception
Chapter 4 The Language of Color
Talking about Color with the Right Words
Value: Gray is not a color!
Hues: Colors from the wheel
Tints: Not just pastels
Tones: Dull is not boring
Shades: Black is beautiful!
The dimension of color: puce
Using Colorful Language
Getting creative with fancy color words
Describing color with adjectives
Developing your color vocabulary
Outliers and Oddballs
Fluorescent colors: Ack! My eyes!
Metallics: Color with shine
Part 2 Examining Color Relationships
Chapter 5 The Relativity of Color
Seeing How Value Changes with Context
Exercise #1: working with a dark gray
Exercise #2: working with a light gray
Seeing How Color Changes with Context
Exercise #3: the flushing effect
Exercise #4: simultaneous contrast
Exercise #5: light intensity
Exercise #6: flickering boundaries
Exercise #7: optical color mixing (Bezold effect)
Exercise #8: after image
Worksheet for exercise #1
Worksheet for exercise #2
Worksheet for exercise #3
First worksheet for exercise #4
Second worksheet for exercise #4
Third worksheet for exercise #4
First worksheet for exercise #5
Second worksheet for exercise #5
Chapter 6 Contrasts of Color
Distinguishing Opposites with Color
Contrast of Light and Dark
Contrast of Cool and Warm
Contrast of Complements
Contrast of Extension
Contrast of Saturation
Contrast of Hue
Chapter 7 Color Dynamics
Feeling a Color’s Weight
Watching Color Advance or Recede
Seeing Red and Blue: Chromostereopsis
Experiencing the Fluting Effect
Sensing Color’s Wetness or Dryness
Opacity: Hitting the Color Wall
Transparency: Seeing Through Color
Translucency: Obscuring with Color
Part 3 Coloring Your World
Chapter 8 Color Palettes
Building a Palette
Monochrome: seeing the power of one
Analogous colors: harnessing the power of three
Primaries and secondaries: palettes from the wheel
Complementary color: splitting the difference
Neutrals: using browns and grays
Working with Nature’s Colors
Gradation palettes
Flower-and-leaf color combinations
Autumnal color: blazing glory!
Forgetting Everything You Just Learned: the Intuitive Approach
Researching color
The power of your color limitations
Chapter 9 Using Color to Convey Meaning
Color and Consumer Culture
Color and company logos
Color and brand identity
Influencing Your Taste Buds with Color
Color and flavor associations
Color and taste preferences
Affecting Emotions and Mood with Color
Color and emotion
Color and mood
Getting Personal with Color
Color personality types
Color and group identity
Subjective color
Part 4 Color at Work
Chapter 10 Systems of Color
Understanding the Types of Color Systems
Standardization Color Systems
Werner’s color nomenclature
Munsell color system
Color-aid color system
Pantone color systems
Application Color Systems
Mary Gartside’s color blots
Sanzo Wada’s dictionary of color
Kandinsky’s color
Checking Out Digital Color Systems
RGB color system
CMYK color system
Chapter 11 Creating with Color
Painting with Professional Artist’s Paints
Oil paint
Oil mediums
Acrylic paint
Acrylic mediums
Watercolor
Differences in paint quality and cost
Paint compatibility
Color mixing
Painting with Other Kinds of Paints
Enamel
Spray paint
Interior Painting
Choosing interior colors
Painting a test square
Time to paint!
Drawing with Color
Color pencils
Acrylic markers
Pastels
Dyeing
Working with natural dyes
Working with synthetic dyes
Collaging with Color
Collaging with found images
Organizing by color
Painting paper à la Matisse
Cutting, tearing, gluing
Working with Color Digitally
Color work with digital photos
Altering color in Photoshop
Digital painting
Part 5 The Part of Tens
Chapter 12 Ten Colorful Careers
Marcie Bronkar, Textile Designer
Paul Bronkar, Film Colorist
Richard A. Chance, Illustrator
Jamie Drake, Interior Designer
Leatrice Eiseman, Color Specialist
Aura Friedman, Hair Colorist
Jay Jones, Garden Designer
Keisha Prioleau-Martin, Painter
Fanny Singer, Food Aficionado
Gabriele Wilson, Graphic Designer
Chapter 13 Tens Ways to Kickstart Your Color Creativity
Exercise #1: Building Your Color Vocabulary
Exercise #2: Mixing Cellophane
Exercise #3: Exploring Nature’s Colors
Exercise #4: Planting a Colorful Garden
Exercise #5: Expanding Monochromes
Exercise #6: Concocting a Food Palette
Exercise #7: Crafting a Color Blot
Exercise# 8: Creating a Personal Palette
Exercise #9: Adding Color to Your Home
Exercise #10: Making a Mood Board
Index
EULA
