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LESSON 4 THE COLOUR WHEEL

STRUCTURE

4.0 OBJECTIVES

4.1 INTRODUCTION

4.2 THE COLOUR WHEEL

4.3 THE VARIOUS COLOURS IN THE COLOUR WHEEL

4.3.1 PRIMARY COLOUR 4.3.2 SECONDARY COLOURS 4.3.3 SUB-SECONDARY COLOURS 4.3.4 TERTIARY OR INTERMEDIATE COLOURS

4.4 ASSIGNMENTS

4.4.1 CLASS ASSIGNMENTS 4.4.2 HOME ASSIGNMENTS

4.5 SUMMING UP

4.6 POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS

4.7 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

4.8 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

4.9 GLOSSARY

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4. THE COLOUR WHEEL

In Unit 1 of this course, you learnt about the importance of colour. This unit is devoted to the colour wheel and engages you in experimenting with different categories of colours in the colour system. The present lesson will cover the study of colour wheel and all the constituent classes of colours. In the next lesson we shall learn to draw the colour wheel. And in the last lesson of this unit we will experiment with various colour schemes.

4.0 Objectives

We hope that this lesson will provide you with:

• A better understanding of the whole colour system.

• The ability to identify the class to which a colour belongs, at a glance.

4.1 Introduction

You were told that colours can set a mood, direct the attention or make a statement and also energize or cool a person. Colour can be your most powerful design element, if you learn to use it effectively.

By using colours consciously and harmoniously we can create outstanding results. This lesson deals with the colour wheel and explains how colours can affect us mentally and physically. In short, by using the right colour scheme we can create an atmosphere of warmth, elegance or tranquility and can convey an image of playful youthfulness.

So, let us start with a brief study of a wheel that has all the seven colours and variety of lighter and darker shades, tints and tones of them arranged in a special manner according to a principle or a rule of the colour world with all of them having equal importance.

4.2 The Colour Wheel

The COLOUR WHEEL or THE COLOUR

CIRCLE is the basic tool for combining colours (Fig. 4.1).The first colour diagram was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.

The colour wheel is designed so that virtually any colour you pick from it will look good. Over the years,

Fig. 4.1 The Colour Wheel

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many variations of the basic design have been made, but the most common version is a wheel of 12 colours based on the RYB (RED, YELLOW, BLUE)

In this lesson, Colour Wheel, and Primary, secondary, and sub-secondary colours are discussed. Exercises are given to enable the students to create numerous colours by combining the Primary, secondary, sub-secondary and tertiary colours.

4.3 The Various Colours in the Colour Wheel

4.3.1 Primary colours

Red, blue and yellow cannot be produced by mixing other colours, so they are called the primary colours (Fig. 4.2). All colours are created out of combinations of these primary colours.

4.3.2 Secondary colours

By combining the primary colours, we get the secondary colours (Fig.4.3) – orange (yellow + red), green (blue + yellow), purple (red + blue).

4.3.3 Sub-Secondary Colours

These colours are created by mixing secondary colours (Fig. 4.4) - orange + green, green + purple and purple + orange.

4.3.4 Tertiary or intermediate colours

These colours are obtained by mixing Primary and secondary colours (Fig. 4.5).By combinations in this way, it is possible to make a colour wheel of an infinite number of colours.

Fig. 4.2 Primary colours

Fig. 4.3 Secondary colours Fig. 4.4 Sub-secondary colours

Fig. 4.5 Tertiary colours

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From times immemorial colour has been a strong universal and perpetual fascination for the human eye. Its appeal is progressively increasing. Primary colours being bright are loved by children and primitives.

Wherever the appeal has to be made to people of average intelligence, primary colours should be given prominence. Teenagers, who have developed advanced artistic sense, appreciate secondary colours; a limited use of secondary along with the liberal use of primary colour can be made to attract the attention of the common people. It is at the advanced stage of development of one's aesthetic sense and culture when one begins to cultivate a taste for tertiary and a wider range of combination of colour pattern. By mixing white in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary colours a number of mild tints are created which are meant for artists and people of advanced aesthetic sense.

Before learning how to make the colour wheel, it is important to know the materials required.

Self-check Questions

1. Who designed the colour wheel and when?

2. Name the three primary colours?

3. Name the three secondary colours?

4. Name the sub-secondary colours?

5. Fill in the blanks:

i) A combination of primary colours Yellow and Red produces _________colour.

ii) A combination of the primary colour Blue and Yellow produces ________ colour.

iii) A combination of the primary colour Red and Blue produces _________ colour.

Activity

1. In order to make the colour wheel the following activity has to be worked out in class.

• Materials Required:

o Cellophane paper in Red, Yellow and Blue. o Glue - fevicol, gum, wooden sticks 6’’ long and 12 in numbers.

• Method:

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o Take cellophane paper of the three primary colours. o Cut 7”x7” squares out of the three different colours. o Paste the 6” wooden sticks that you have got, on the 4 sides of the

square. o Try to overlap the primary colours, two at a time; you get secondary

colours. o Try to overlap them and see the different colours that you obtain, and

note.

4.4 Assignments

4.4.1 Class assignments

i) Write down your observations at each step of the activity you have completed in the class, and make a presentation of it.

4.4.2 Home assignments

ii) Collect at least two items of each type of colours - Primary, secondary and tertiary.

4.5 Summing Up

There are:

• Three primary colours - Red, Yellow, Blue.

• Three secondary colours - Green, Orange, Purple.

• Six tertiary or intermediate colours - yellow-orange, red-orange, blue-green, yellow-green, blue-purple and red-purple.

4.6 Possible Answers to Self-check Questions

1. Sir Isaac Newton in 1666

2. Red, blue and yellow

3. Orange (yellow + red), green (blue + yellow), purple (red + blue).

4. Orange + green, green + purple and purple + orange.

5. Fill in the blanks:

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i) Secondary ii) Green iii) Purple

4.7 Terminal Questions

1. Write about the colour wheel and the three classes of colours, viz primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

2. How does the liking of colours by the people vary for different age groups?

4.8 References and Suggested Further Reading

1. Chijiiwa, H. 1987. Colour Harmony: A guide to creative colour combinations. Rockport Publishers, Rockport.

2. Stockton, J. 1984. Designer’s Guide to Colour-2. Chronicle Books, San Francisco.

3. Sutton, T. and Whelan, B. M. 2005. The Complete Colour Harmony. Rockport Publishers, Rockport.

4. http://www.tigorcolor.com

4.9 Glossary

1. Aesthetic Pleasing, Relating to beauty

2. Version A written work (as a novel) that has been recast in new form

3. Variations Changes

4. Primary Basic, necessary

5. Secondary At the second level

6. Tertiary Third Level

7. Immemorial Beyond memory record

8. Perpetual Continuing forever or indefinitely

9. Prominence Relative importance