Tutorial Tuesday: The Basics of Color Theory
Color theory is one of the most basic elements of design. Whether you're studying graphic design, interior design, or fashion design, color helps us process visual information. For example, have you ever seen a presentation or a graphic where the colors were either too similar or too different? Have you seen designs that use too many colors or too little? If the color scheme of something doesn't work, it's less likely to help and more likely to hinder. Instead of understanding the message it's trying to convey, you might ignore it in favor of something more appealing. Therefore, basic color theory is important to people who design anything and everything - clothes, websites, public spaces, and more.
Historically, color theory only stretches about as far back as the 18th century. It was originally based on the basic primary colors - red, yellow, and blue. People used to believe these colors could make any other color when combined. Today's color models are based on RGB (red, green, blue) and CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow) because of developments in things like paint and photography. However, painters and other types of artists still use RYB. Printing relies on CMYK, while computers and televisions use RGB.
UNDERSTANDING THE COLOR WHEEL
While color theory didn't really exist until the 18th century, the color wheel was first published in 1665. It shows the relationships between colors of a specific model, the most well-known one being the RYB model. It helps us visualize how one color relates to another, whether they're next to each other, across from each other, or have very little in common with each other.
Simple color wheels show the basic colors, or hues, of a color model. More complex color wheels show things like shades, tints, and tones. They help you see what happens if you add black (shade), white (tint), or gray (tone) to a pure color. This is where achromatic or monochromatic palettes come from. An achromatic palette consists of black, white, and shades of gray. Monochromatic palettes consist of shades, tints, and tones of just one hue.
Lastly, color wheels also provide us with a clear divide between warm colors and cool colors. Warm colors like reds and yellows are typically stimulating, while cool colors like blues and purples are generally relaxing. The psychology of color is especially helpful for designers. For example, red is attention-grabbing and can stimulate your appetite. Therefore, many fast-food brands use red as their main branding color. People often associate colors with certain words or emotions, so brands use them accordingly. Yellow, for example, is a "happy" color, while black is a "mysterious" color. Blue is calming, while anything green is assumed to be related to nature.
UNDERSTANDING COLOR SCHEMES
The color wheel can also help us understand different types of color schemes and build a color palette. This helps designers streamline the decision-making process and get a general idea of what will work. For example, they know that by putting blue and orange together, they've created a complementary color scheme. Colors that are across from each other on the color wheel, like blue and orange, are complementary. This is perfect for when you want to design something with a lot of contrast.
Next, analogous refers to three colors that are directly next to each other and are harmonious in appearance. Triads are three colors that are evenly spaced apart. Split-complementary means one color and the two colors on either side of its complementary color. Finally, tetradic are two complementary pairs, while square consists of four colors that are evenly spaced apart.
Most uses of color theory are based on complementary, analogous, and triad color schemes. Often, too many colors can muddle a design's original intentions. That's why most designers use color schemes that have one or two colors instead of three or four.
For example, consider social media platforms - nearly all of them use just one color. It's easier for branding and easy on the eyes. On the other hand, most sports teams' logos use a complementary color scheme. They're bold, memorable, and easy to spot in a stadium or on a television screen.
UNDERSTANDING COLOR THEORY APPLICATIONS
Most designs are driven by one main color, also known as the "hero" color. This color generally conveys the message the design is trying to send and acts as the palette's starting point. From there, designers choose other colors to complement the hero color without overpowering it.
As mentioned previously, color psychology is also an important part of design. For example, we associate red with "stop" and green with "go". Therefore, when designing something like a safety poster, we can let the colors speak for us. We also associate colors with cultures, ages, genders, and emotions. To learn more about color and gender stereotypes, check out Fashion Feature Friday: The Origin of Pink and Blue.
Lastly, color is a crucial aspect of a design's accessibility. How easy is it to read? How well can you distinguish between different parts of a design? Complementary color schemes typically have the best contrast, making things easier to see. However, designers also have to be mindful about whether their color choices are too overpowering. For example, a vibrant orange couch against a bright blue wall might photograph well. But would you actually want that in your house?
Accessibility also includes understanding the impact of color on people with colorblindness or other vision-related difficulties. There are online resources that help designers create color palettes that are easier on the eyes and/or colorblind-friendly.
REFERENCES
3 Basic Principles of Color Theory for Designers | CreativeLive
Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel? | Verywell MindLearn
How Color Theory Can Push Your Creativity to the Next Level | My Modern Met
Understanding color theory: the color wheel and finding complementary colors | InVision
