[TUT] The Color Theory

DJPieSlice

FS Member
Hello, fellow GFX'ers.

I decided that my second post should be a tut. Just 'cause I feel useful today.

So here goes:

One commonly over-looked aspect of art is it's color arrangements.

In this tutorial, we will discuss how to make colors inter-lock together, so that they're pleasant to the eye.


Intro:

Choosing colors is a very serious business. First you must consider the mood of the picture, then you must consider the amount of colors compared to the size of the picture, then you need to pick out another bunch of colors that will match, and etc.

Fortunately, humans have once again invented a tool to accelerate the process.

You have most-likely wandered upon this before, and you always thought that that poster in Art-Class is completely useless.

Well, lets think again.



Theliberty.jpg

I took the liberty of drawing a diagram on my floor :p
(Made by my Photoshop)​



Lesson 1: The Color Wheel

The Color Wheel is actually pretty simple. First, you've got 6 basic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Then usually you'll have extra "in-between" colors that are mixes of the basic colors.

Believe it or not, these colors have names! :eek:
They are also separated into categories:

PRIMARY COLORS:

Red, Yellow, and Blue.
As hard as this is to believe, those three colors can actually make up just about any color on the map. If you mix two Primary Colors, you'll end up with a Secondary color. As you can see, Red, Yellow and Blue are in a triangle formation, in the circle. Then the Secondary Colors come in between it.

SECONDARY COLORS:
These are colors you get by mixing Primary Colors. They are Orange, Green, and Purple. DO you see how Orange is in between Red and Yellow, and how Green is in between Blue and Green, and how Purple is in between Blue and Red?
If you can't notice the pattern here then I guess you have to go back to watching those cheeky Children Shows and what-not.


TERTIARY COLORS:
Tertiary Colors are a mix of certain amount of Primary AND Secondary Colors. There are practically countless Tertiary Colors, but here are a few examples: Yellowish-Blue, Greenish-Bluish, Shittish-Yellow, etc.



Complementary Colors:
These are pairs of colors. Such as Red and Green, Yellow and Purple, Blue and Orange.(They're both on the opposite sides of the Color Wheel)
But don't be fooled by the name. Just because they're called Complementary doesn't mean they match together. In fact, if you combine two of the opposite colors, you will be raped tonight.
They convey extreme contrast, because they are so opposite. (Like black and white).
But using Complementary colors is very useful when you're trying to make something stand out. (Example: I have a picture of grassy lands, and a piece of shit in the middle. If I want that turd to pop out from everything else, I would make it Red. That would also imply that the Owner of the shit had an ass problem)



Analogous Colors:

These are colors that match. These Colors are right next to each other on the Color Wheel.
Like Red, for example.
Purple is right beside red, therefore, Red Matches with Purple. Red is also beside Orange, so Red matches with Orange too.



Lesson 2: Other Crap

Besides that, there are other factors that you should know.
An colorful artistic piece always has a mood engraved into it.
There are a few colors that will convey these moods more efficiently.

Warm Colors: Colors such as red, yellow, and orange. These colors evoke warmth because they remind us of things like the sun or fire.

Cool Colors:
Colors like blue, green, and purple (violet). These colors evoke a cool feeling because they remind us of things like water or grass.

Neutral Colors:
Gray, Brown. These aren't on most color wheels, but they're considered neutral because they don't contrast with much of anything. They're dull and uneventful.

Value:
Usually refers to the amount of black in a color. The more black a color has, the darker its value.

Brightness:
Refers to the amount of white in a color. The more white a color has, the brighter it is.

Saturation:
Refers to the amount of a color used. When a color is at full saturation, it is extremely vibrant. When a color is "desaturated," a large amount of color has been removed. Desaturated colors tend to be close to being neutral because there is so much gray in them.













Well, that's about it. I hope you learned something today, and I hope I have proven myself worthy of your mighty blessings. (lol)
 
I learned a lot of this stuff in Art class, back in like 8th grade haha. But it is definitely a good refreshing and I do feel some people lose the sense of color in a lot of their "artwork" or designs.
 
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