Color Theory

The art and science of color interaction and effects.

SYSTEMS

RGBRed Green Blue

ADDITIVE COLOR WE ADD COLORS IN ORDER TO GET WHITE

Color created from beams of light.

This system applies only to devices employing light

computer monitors:

television sets

theater stage lighting

Primary Color – ADDITIVE RGBLight!

This is how a computer translates color to a monitor.

RGBLIGHT

RED + GREEN = YELLOW

BLUE + GREEN = CYAN

RED + BLUE = MAGENTA

RED + GREEN + BLUE = WHITE

RGBLIGHT

FINAL QUESTION:

HOW DO YOU GET BLACK?

In LIGHTblack is the absence of color!

CMYKCyan Magenta Yellow Black

SUBTRACTIVE COLORWE SUBTRACT COLORS TO GET WHITE

Used in printing

CYAN + MAGENTA = BLUE

MAGENTA + YELLOW = RED

CYAN + YELLOW = GREEN

CYAN + YELLOW + GREEN = BLACK

CMYKPRINTING

CMYKPRINTING

FINAL QUESTION:

HOW DO YOU GET WHITE?

In PRINTINGWhite is the absence of color!

The CMYK Color System

If you look at a printed page with a magnifying glass you might see something like the illustration. Our eye mixes the colors

ANDY WARHOL

PRINTS THIS WAY

RYBRed Yellow Blue

SUBTRACTIVE COLORWE SUBTRACT COLORS TO GET WHITE

This is what we do in the art room on a regular basis!

This is how we mix colors with pigments and dyes: Paint, crayons, colored pencils, pastels etc.

Primary Color – RYB

Color that all other colors can be made from.These 3 colors that can not be made by mixing other colors from this system together.

Secondary Color – VGO

Color that is made by mixing 2 primary colors together.

Tertiary Color – RvRoYoYgBgBv

Color that is made by mixing 1 primary color with 1 of the secondary colors that is next to it.

Complete Munsen Color Wheel

How many colors are there?

Older computer systems may be limited to 216

A high quality printer is only capable of producing thousands

A monitor can display millions

How many colors could you make in paint?