Lessons in Color Theory - Color Interaction

COLOR immediately attracts attention.

Color Theory is the art and science of color interaction and its effects.

For artists and designers color theory is of interest because they need to know the expressive effects of color on our mind and spirit.

COLOR INTERACTION

Color Interaction refers to the way colors influence one another.

COLORS ARE NEVER SEEN IN ISOLATION.

Color also looks different depending on the lighting and adjacent colors. Below is an example of simultaneous contrast. When you look at the two brown squares, how light and dark does each look?

For most the brown square on top of the left blue side appears brighter. This is due to color contrast. Blue and orange are opposite colors. Because the brown square has a lot of orange in it there is the appearance of contrast. This causes BOTH the blue and brown to appear brighter than they actually are.

So, clearly, the change of a single color in a work of art or design can dramatically change its appearance.

THE BEZOLD EFFECT

What you see below is called the Bezold Effect.

Color theorist William Bezold (1837-1907) realized that change in a single color can substantially alter our perception of the entire pattern. As you can see below the pattern on the left has a dominant yellow color. The pattern on the right uses a dark blue instead of yellow. It's amazing how unique each pattern appears!

Color interaction can be used to make optical illusions, too. Do you think the gray lines on the left are the same exact shade as the gray lines on the right?

YES. They are the exact same shade of gray.

As you can see, the relationship between colors has a significant impact on what we see.

PROJECT IDEA

Want to do a simple experiment with color to test the Bezold Effect? Draw a checkerboard grid and color every other square with yellow - same as a regular checkerboard pattern. Then fill in the remaining top half of the squares with red and the bottom half with pink. See how the two colors interact with the yellow. Which yellow looks brighter?

Artist Profile - Andy Goldsworthy

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...

Color Cues: Driftwood Beach

Do you love color but are overwhelmed by choice? Or you need help pairing colors or determining a color theme for a room you are decorating? Crafty In Cobb presents "Color Cues", a regular post that demonstrates beautiful color combinations inspired by photographs from around our amazing country. We are so fortunate to live in a union of 50 states where we have beaches, oceans, mountains, lakes, deserts, rivers, valleys, flatlands and farmlands - often within a few hours drive. The first of the series is a palette derived from a recent trip to Jekyll Island, part of the Golden Isles of Georgia. If you are in the area you cannot miss a pre-dawn photo trip to the locally famous Driftwood Beach. Occasionally referred to as a graveyard for enormous oaks and pines, a visit to this beach as the sun rises is anything but. Unusual and inspiring it's hard not to feel totally alive there. Colors by Glidden.

Gardening in Cobb - Platycodon, or the Chinese Balloon Flower - An Indestructible Beauty

Photo from: http://www.backyarddiva.ca/chinese-balloon-flower/ If you live in Cobb County or anywhere in the Atlanta area you know that we all love our flowers. And we have a climate that accommodates some variety or other pretty much all year long. I love a good flower and a good garden but I don't want to spend a huge amount of time tending to them. If I have to water them every day they're done for. Maybe even every week... A bit over 10 years ago we were in a bad drought and I looked into drought tolerant flowers. The drought was an opportunity for me to learn about what plants need less water. Less watering means that if there's another drought I can do my part and leave my garden alone. There are two lovelies that I discovered - sedum and platycodon. Today I'll talk about the latter. Platycodon are commonly called "Chinese balloon flowers". They are a perennial and in Georgia start growing in early spring and bloom until late summer. They conti...

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