AD 105 Quiz 2

color theory

the art and science of color interaction and effects

additive color

color created by combining projected beams of chromatic light. the additive color primaries are red, green, and blue, and the secondaries are cyan, magenta, and yellow

subtractive color

hue created when light is selectively reflected off a color surface

process colors

in four-color process printing, the subtractive primary colors: yellow, magenta, and cyan, plus black

what our perception of additive color is influenced by

the intensity of projected light

the light source

the surface quality of the illuminated object

the overall amount of light in the environment

color overtones

the secondary hue “bias” in a primary color

ex. alizarin crimson is red with violet overtones, scarlet is red with orange overtones

achromatic

a color such as black or white with no hue

color interaction

the way colors within a composition influence one another

simultaneous contrast

the optic alteration of a color by a surrounding color, the apparent change in a color when it is paired with another color

opponent theory

an explanation for the electric glow that occurs when two complementary colors are placed side by side

afterimage

in color theory, a ghostly image that lingers after the actual image has been removed

hue

the name of a color (such as red or yellow), which distinguishes it from others and assigns it a position in the visual spectrum

primary colors

colors from which virtually all other colors can be mixed

additive (light) color primaries

red, green, blue

subtractive (pigment) color primaries

yellow, magenta red, cyan blue

secondary colors

hues mixed from adjacent primaries

violet, green, orange

tertiary colors

a hue that is mixed from a primary color and an adjacent secondary color

temperature

the physical and psychological heat suggested by a color’s hue

value

the relative lightness or darkness of a color

tint

a hue that has been mixed with white

tone

a hue that has been mixed with black and white

shade

a hue that has been mixed with black

intensity

the purity, saturation, or chroma of a color

ex. fire-engine red is high-intensity, brick red is low-intensity

saturation

the purity, chroma, or intensity of a color

chroma

the purity, intensity, or saturation of a color

color harmony

use of compatible colors to help unify a composition

monochromatic

a color scheme based on variations in a single hue

analogous

a color scheme based on hues that are adjacent on a color wheel

ex. red, red-orange, orange

complementary

hues that oppose one another on a color wheel. when paired in composition these colors create contrast, when mixed they produce a wide range of browns

split complementary

a complementary color plus the two coolors on either side of its complement on the color wheel

triadic

describes a color scheme based on three colors that are equidistant on a color wheel

chromatic gray

a gray made from a mixture of various hues, rather than a simple blend of black and white

earth colors

colors made primarily from pigments found in soil, including raw and burnt sienna, raw and burnt umber and yellow ochre

disharmony

a combination of colors that clash with one another and appear to be jumping out of the picture

color key

a color that dominates an image and heightens its psychological and compositional impact