Overview
This lecture covers fundamental color theory concepts, focusing on the color wheel, laws of color mixing, tone selection, and the hair color level system for hair colorists.
The Color Wheel & Law of Color
- The color wheel is a universal tool for understanding color relationships used in many creative professions.
- The law of color states color mixing outcomes are predictable (e.g., red + blue = violet).
- Primary colors are yellow, red, and blue, which cannot be created by mixing other colors.
- Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors: green (yellow + blue), violet (red + blue), and orange (red + yellow).
- Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary color with a secondary color (e.g., yellow-green, blue-violet).
- Neutral colors are made by mixing equal parts of all three primary colors, resulting in browns.
Tones and Color Selection
- Tone describes the warmth (reds, yellows, oranges, golds), coolness (blues, violets), or neutrality of a color.
- Warm tones often appear lighter; cool tones appear darker and may require formula adjustment.
- Neutral tones have balanced amounts of red, yellow, and blue.
- Visuals and clear consultation help clients understand and choose desired tones.
Neutralizing Unwanted Tones
- To neutralize unwanted tones, choose the complementary color directly opposite on the color wheel.
- Examples: Use violet to neutralize yellow, green to neutralize red, blue-violet to neutralize yellow-orange.
- Incorrect neutralization can cause unintended color results (e.g., yellow + blue = green).
Hair Color Level System & Dominant Pigment
- The level system ranks hair from 1 (black, darkest) to 10 (platinum, lightest).
- Level 1-4 are too dark to visibly show underlying pigment until lightened.
- Dominant pigment is the underlying color exposed during lightening (e.g., level 5 = red, 6 = red-orange, 7 = orange).
- Additional dominant pigments (yellow-green, green, blue-green) are found in artificial colors, not natural hair.
Tonal Bases in Hair Color Products
- Hair color products are labeled with level and tonal base (e.g., 5VR = level 5 violet-red).
- Each color line has its own system for naming/numbering tone and level.
- Understanding color theory and the color wheel is essential for selecting the correct tonal base.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Primary Colors — Yellow, red, and blue; basic colors that cannot be mixed from others.
- Secondary Colors — Colors made by mixing two primaries (green, violet, orange).
- Tertiary Colors — Colors made by mixing a primary with a secondary.
- Neutral Colors — Result from mixing equal amounts of all primary colors.
- Tone — The warmth, coolness, or neutrality of a color.
- Dominant Pigment — The underlying color remaining or revealed through lightening.
- Level System — A scale from 1 (darkest) to 10 (lightest) for hair color darkness/lightness.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice identifying levels and tones in various hair samples.
- Review the tonal base naming system of your chosen hair color product line.
- Prepare visuals to aid in client consultations about tone preferences.