Colour Theory

"Colour is the ultimate in art"

- Phillip Otto Runge, 1802

In art, colour is the mean of visual and sensuous expression, and colour theory is very important when it comes to being a make-up artist, as you need to know the different colours and how to mix, combine and use them to achieve different effects.  Colour can be understood through different ways, through colour theory, colour scheme and colour wheel.  Colour theory is the body of practical guidance to mixing colour and the visual effects of specific colour combinations.  Colour scheme is the choice of colours used in design for a range of media, and they are used to create style and appeal, and a colour wheel is an abstract organisation of colour hues in a circle that show the relationships between the different colours, such as primaries, secondaries and tertiaries.  There are different attributes that define all colours; lightness, saturation and hue.

ANON, (2010) The Wonderful Colour Wheel [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.printmag.com/design-inspiration/the-wondrous-color-wheel-part-1/

The colour wheel was invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 and is central to colour theory.  In the middle of a colour wheel is the primary colours; red, yellow and blue.  In between each primary colour are the secondary colours; orange, green and purple, and then the tertiary colours fall in between the primary and secondary colours.  Colour wheels are great for learning and using the power of colour, because where certain colours fall  in relation to each other depends on their colour harmony.  This means whether or not it is pleasing to the eye.  Below are different harmonious colour theories:

1                                                                     2                                                                  3

1. MONOCHROMATIC - These are different gradients of the same colour.  For example, the different gradients of red.

2. ANALOGOUS - These are three colours that fall next to each other on the colour wheel.  For example green, yellow-green and green-yellow.

3. COMPLEMENTARY - These are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, and are usually put together to make each other stand out.  For example blue and orange.

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4. SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY - This is a variation of the complementary scheme taking three colours; your first colour, and then the two colours either side of it's complementary colour.  For example purple, orange-yellow and green-yellow.

5. TRIADIC - These are three colours that are equally spaced around the colour wheel.  For example orange, green and purple.

6. TETRADIC - This involves four colours that are made up of two complementary colour pairs.  For example yellow, purple, yellow-green and purple-red.

References:

- ANON, (N.D.) Basic Color Theory [online] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory
- ANON, (N.D.) Color Theory Basics [online] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html

- ANON, (2012) Color Harmonies [online] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-harmonies.htm

Photo References:

1 - ANON, (2014) Monochromatic Colour Wheel [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: https://www.threadless.com/forum/post/990081/monochromatic_question/

2 - ANON, (N.D.) Color [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.webdesignref.com/chapters/13/ch13-15.htm

3 - ANON, (2013) Complementary Color [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/3711819/hudson-valley-ny--decorating-help-with-color-schemes---complementary

4 - ANON, (N.D.) Color Harmonies [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/briots-view/color_harmonies_4_cool_and_warm_dominance.shtml

5 - ANON, (N.D.) Color Theory [digital image] [viewed 13th Feb 2015]. Available from: http://www.purplewyrm.com/workshop/color-theory-2/ 

6 - ANON, (N.D.) Color Harmonies [digital image] [viewed 13th Fev 2015]. Available from: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/briots-view/color_harmonies_4_cool_and_warm_dominance.shtml