Color

The Color Wheel was created by Sir Issac Newton.  He used a prism to elicit his color. Simply, it was light through a window through a Prism as shown above.



With more study focusing light, white light, a better result could be maintained. Below using another barrier for light to pass through each color could be separated and shown through a prism.

This is Sir Issac Newton's original color wheel. it was done in water color



A simple color wheel using tints and shades to exhibit a range of color and light

This color wheel above shows how the colors need to be arranged and how they effect one another if the lines between then are followed. They show Primary, Secondary and Complements and Tertiary color. The wheel above is a break down of Color Theory complete with color symbols, blue for sky and sea. For most artist this is all they need. Mostly though we follow our instincts and base choices ups what the picture is calling for.

. Color Question, How does an artist choose what color they will use? Is this decision based on anything? I'd love to give an answer but what would the point be for me to answer what you should wonder about? How do yo pick your color. I wear black and gray a lot. How did I get to that? The answers should be as alike and different as we are and that is all I will say for now.

A color scale of Yellow hue. The first line is adding white, a tint, Saturation or Intensity. The second line is a mix of a neutral gray or maybe even its complement, violet. The last line is a mix of the shade, black.

What is color? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color is reflected light. It is electromagnetic waves made by a light source, natural or man made, candle or sun. Red is the longest wavelength while violet is the shortest. Why we see color has to do with absorption and reflection. When light hits an object say a yellow object, all the wavelengths are absorbed by the object except the yellow ones, which is bounced or reflected into our eyes. Therefore we see yellow.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Do we all see the same yellow? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">No, because we are all different. The retina in our eyes reads color as the yellow you see. Not necessarily the yellow I see. We all read or understand color differently, but not so differently that we don’t recognize a color. As well, if you are in brighter light <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">(more light source) then you will see a brighter yellow than me. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">If an object is orange then the wavelengths reflected are? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">If an object is purple, then the wavelengths reflected are?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color has three characteristics. They are **hue, value and, intensity.** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Hue** is the predominate color being in a mix yellow orange, red violet. Hue is the name of the color.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Value** is the lightness or darkness of a color. White is tinting the color. Black is shading the color.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Intensity** is the saturation of white into a color or it’s brightness.

<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;"> A choma scale using the complements of Red and Green. The resulting color is a <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">neutral <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;"> gray.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">History; <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Sir Isaac Newton experimented with prisms, light and color. His experiments involved refracting white light through a prism. The result was the same spectrum of seven colors we see today, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. His theory was that light breaks down into the spectrum of seven colors when run through the prism. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">What can you assume was the prevailing theory concerning color? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">How do you think he proved his theory?

<span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;"> His experiments are the basis <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">formic <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;"> of what we know about color, the most important being that light was the source for all color. the Impressionist would even use the term light <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">when discussing color. Monet would say he isn't painting a building or flowers, instead he was painting the light. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Each artist uses color to accommodate what they are trying to achieve. The Impressionist referred to color as light on objects and not the objects themselves. To the Abstract Expressionist color was symbolic of emotion until their work progressed to being just about color. To the Pop Artists color was gathered from the world of advertising. It was bright, intense with not a lot of close value changes. Contrasting color was their thing. Color comes from what we look at. Joan Mitchell's color refers to memory of place, feelings of those places.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color is it's own language. Color can be symbol. Color can be emotion or color can be color.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Vocabulary

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">The lightness or darkness of a color. A color’s value can be altered by <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">adding white to make tints or black to make shades of the color.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Value: **

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Value: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">The relative lightness or darkness of something. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">4 things value does: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">1) show form or give form to shape, 2d - 3d <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">2) depth and space <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">3) show or develop mood or expression <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">4) exhibit a higher order of thinking. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">*Consistency in shading makes value work.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Color whee**l: A circular chart that shows primary, secondary, and intermediate <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">colors in an order that illustrates progression through the spectrum and <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">relationships among colors. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Primary colors**: The three colors (blue, red, and yellow) from which other <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">colors are made. The primary colors cannot be made from other colors. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Secondary color**: A color created by mixing two primary colors in equal <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">proportions. The secondary colors are orange (made from red and <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">yellow), green (made from blue and yellow), and violet (made from red <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">and blue). <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Tertiary or Intermediate colors**: Colors created when a primary color (red, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">yellow, or blue) is mixed with a secondary color (orange, green, or violet). <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Hue**: Another word for color. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Intensity**: The brightness or dullness of a color. A color's intensity is highest, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">or most pure, when it is not mixed with another color. Colors that contain <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">traces of other colors or of neutrals have lower intensity.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color **

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Shade**: A dark value of a color made by adding black to the color. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Tint**: A light value of a color created by adding the color to white. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Color family**: A group of related colors. For example, warm colors and cool <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">colors are each color families. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Cool colors**: Related colors that range from green through blue and violet. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Cool colors bring to mind cool objects, places and feelings. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Warm colors**: Related colors that range from red through orange and yellow. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Warm colors remind people of warm objects, places, and feelings. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Complementary color**s: Colors that contrast with one another. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Complementary colors are opposite one another on the color wheel. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Also called contrasting colors. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Analogous colors**: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (for <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">example, yellow, and yellow-orange). Also called related colors. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Monochrome**: A painting, drawing, or photograph using tints and shades of <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">the same hue. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Neutrals**: A word used for black, white, and tints and shades of gray. Some <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">designers also consider tints and shades of brown to be neutrals. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Palette**: A flat board on which a painter holds and mixes colors. Can refer to <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">the range of colors used in a particular artwork, or a selection of colors <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">most often used by a particular artist. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Coloris**t: An artist who uses color with great skill. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Color schem**e: A plan for combining colors in a work of art. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Monochromatic color scheme**: A color scheme based on the tints and <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">shades of one color. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Analogous color scheme**: A color scheme based on colors that are next to <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">each other on the color wheel. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Complementary color scheme**: A color scheme based on the use of two <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">complementary colors. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Split complementary color scheme**: A color scheme that uses three <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">colors—a color and the two colors on either side of it’s complement (for <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">example: green, red violet and red orange). <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Triadic color scheme**: A color scheme that uses three colors that are equally <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">spaced around the color wheel (for examaple: red orange, yellow green, <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">and blue violet). The primary colors form a triad. The secondary colors <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">form a triad. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">A monochromatic sky

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Color is mixed** by adding a small amount of color to another color. This way the artist controls the mix or change. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Chroma** is color. A chroma scale is how a color is neutralized or grayed out. Every color has a complement diagonally across from itself on the color wheel.Here we have a color wheel showing all the different types of color.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">billspaintingMN.blogspot.com <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> A Painters Pallet. Notice how the colors are laid out. Warms, cools, white or tints. Every artist has their way of laying out their pallet, even if it was in five gallon buckets. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">As space recedes mid ground into background, color gets lighter ot it maybe tinted to achieve this effect.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color Schemes and Harmony, www.hallgroat.com very informative site. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">cool/warm complementarymonochromatic Analogous tetrad triadTriad. any three colors equal distance apart on the color wheel

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">sketching ink and a <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">painted sketch. Both are expressing color tones and values. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Using color in a different way, right onto sticks. Painted Twig Heart, artist ? sorry Now what if the strings were painted and the sticks were left raw? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> A T / S pastel gridded colornscale.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;">Color is personnel. A good colorist is flexible, allowing the color to dictate an out come. Other artists use color to decorate the picture. Some use it as symbol which works if your audience knows this. I guess the real question is, does it matter to your audience? They, like the artist will like the work for their own reasons and color is personal. Does it work in a scheme? Does it work in harmony with the surroundings? Or does it stand out against the surroundings becoming a focal point based upon contrast? There are so many reasons to choose a color or set of colors. Look at Wolf Kahn's landscapes. Where does his color come from? How about Mark Rothko? I think on of the first colorists was Manet. Why? Because of his use of black and its contrast to the surrounding colors which he borrowed from Velazquez and Zurbaran. (My opinion totally) Would Wolf Kahn's color work with Manet?

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 130%;"> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;"> Tetrad Schemes are any four colors <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">equidistance on the color wheel <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype,Book Antiqua,Palatino,serif;">