Color theory

Understanding Colour Theory

Definition: Colour theory is a framework used in visual communication to mix colours and create colour schemes. It is designed to ensure that the colours used in any graphic project complement each other and stimulate a certain response in the viewer.
Primary Colours: Red, blue, and yellow. They are the base colours that can be combined to produce all other colours.
Secondary Colours: Created through the mixing of primary colours. These include purple (blue and red), green (blue and yellow), and orange (red and yellow).
Tertiary Colours: Mixing primary and secondary colours creates these. Examples include red-orange and yellow-green.

The Colour Wheel

The colour wheel is a visual representation of colours arranged according to their chromatic relationship.
Primary, secondary and tertiary colours are represented on this wheel, providing a useful tool to understand how colours relate to each other and can be combined.

Types of Colour Schemes

Monochromatic Colour Scheme: Uses different shades, tones and tints within a specific hue.
Complementary Colour Scheme: Makes use of colours directly opposite each other on the colour wheel.
Analogous Colour Scheme: Combines colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.
Triadic Colour Scheme: Uses colours that are evenly spaced around the colour wheel.
Split-Complementary Colour Scheme: Similar to the complementary colour scheme, but instead uses two colours adjacent to the complement.

The Role of Colour in Design

Colour and Mood: Colour can greatly affect the mood and emotional response of viewers. Each colour often has certain associations tied to it, for example blue can be calming, red can signify passion or anger, and green is commonly associated with nature and serenity.
Colour Harmony: Harmony in design creates a balanced, visually pleasing experience. This term refers to how colours interact with one another and are important to note when designing a successful, comprehensive design piece.
Colour and Branding: In brand identity, colour contributes to how a brand is perceived. Businesses often use colour to convey certain qualities or values, and stimulate a certain response from their audience.
Colour and Accessibility: Designers also need to consider accessibility when choosing colours. For example, making sure there is adequate contrast between text and background colours can help those with visual impairments.

Understanding Terms Related to Colour

Hue: Refers to the dominant colour family.
Saturation: Refers to the purity of a colour. A fully saturated colour is a pure colour without any addition of black, white or grey.
Brightness: This term describes how much white or black is present in a colour. Light colours have high brightness, while dark colours have a low brightness.
Shade: The result when black is added to a colour to darken it.
Tint: The result when white is added to a colour to lighten it.
Tone: This refers to a colour that has had both black and white (grey) added to it.