Formal Aspects

Colour is reflected light.
The colour of an object depends on the colour of the light source and which wavelengths of light the object reflects. An apple under white light reflects red colour and hence is seen as red.

 

 

Colour wheel: 
Primary Colours: Blue, Yellow and Red Primary colours can be mixed to make other colours.

 

 

Colour wheel and mixing of colours:
Secondary Colours: Green, Orange and Purple. Mixing of two primary colours results in secondary colours.

 

 

Colour wheel and mixing of colours:
Tertiary Colours:
Tertiary colours lie in between the primary and secondary colours. Mixing a primary and secondary colour results in a tertiary colour.

 

 

Colour wheel and colour combinations:
Complimentary Colours:
Complimentary colours lie on the opposite side of the colour wheel.
- makes for contrasting combinations

 

 

Colour wheel and colour combinations:
Analogous Colours:
Analogous colours are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.
- makes for harmonious combinations

 

 

Colour wheel and colour combinations: 
Triadic Colours:
Triadic colours are three colurs that are equally spaced on the color wheel.
- makes lively combinations

 

 

Colour characteristics:
Hue:
The quality which distinguishes one colour from another. It is the name given to the colours - blue, green, yellow, orange, red, etc.

 

 

Colour characteristics:
Value:
The quality of lightness or darkness of a colour. Adding white or black changes the value of the colour.

 

 

Colour characteristics:
Chroma:
The quality of brightness or dullness of a colour. It refers to the colour saturation or the measure of colour intensity.

 

 

Colour reproduction:
Additive: Red, Green, Blue (RGB). The additive colours RGB is created from emitted light and when combined results in white colour. Examples are colour reproduction on Televisions, Mobile screens, Computer monitors, etc.

 

 

Colour reproduction:
Subtractive: Cyan, Yellow, Megenta (CYM). Subtractive colour is created from light reflecting off a surface. Examples are in printing, painting, etc. The subtractive colours CYM when combined results in black colour represented as ‘K’ in CYMK (a commonly used abbreviation in printing).