Lecture: Color Theory

Presenter: Julian

Introduction

• Importance of color theory for artists and graphic designers
• Frequent questions about color theory
• Purpose of the video: to explain the basics of color theory

Hue

• Definition: What color the color is
• Example: Red to orange, orange to yellow, etc.
• Simple visual shift of colors

Saturation

• Definition: Intensity of the color
• Does not affect lightness or darkness
• Example: 100% saturated color vs. 0% saturated color (gray)
• Applies equally to all colors

Lightness

• Definition: How bright or dark a color is
• Tints and Shades:
  • Tint: Adding white to make the color lighter
  • Shade: Adding black to make the color darker
• Lightness does not affect hue or saturation

Color Groups (Color Schemes)

Monochromatic

• Use of one color in different tints and shades
• Example: Artwork made entirely out of reds

Analogous

• Colors next to each other on the color wheel
• Example: Yellow, orange, and red

Complementary

• Colors opposite each other on the color wheel
• Example: Orange and blue, green and red, yellow and purple

Triadic

• Colors forming a triangle on the color wheel
• Example: Orange, green, and purple

Meaning Behind Colors

• Red: Passion, danger, fire, heat
• Orange: Energy, creativity
• Yellow: Happiness, energy
• Black: Death, power
• Green: Nature, healing, medicine
• Blue: Calmness, wisdom
• Purple: Wealth (historically due to the cost of dye)
• White: Purity, peace

Warm and Cool Colors

• Warm Colors: Red, orange, yellow
• Cool Colors: Blue, purple, (green as neutral but can lean cool)
• Example: Warm green (with more yellow) vs. Cool green (with more blue)

Activity

• Task: Identify changes in given blue dots
• Participants to comment on:
  • Changes in the first dot
  • Changes in the second dot
  • Color scheme of third grouping

Closing Remarks

• Summary: Core elements of color theory
• Encouragement to apply learned concepts in artwork
• Invitation for feedback and suggestions for future content