ID121 Color Theory 2nd Semester 2021-2022

Module 2 – Basic Attributes of Color

Attributes / Properties of Color  The description of a hue can be made more precise in
comparison to the next hue (e.g., a certain blue might be
Whether using the additive or subtractive primaries, each color more accurately called blue-green).
must be described in terms of its physical properties. These  If we want to identify a color by its hue, we look for its
properties are independent of each other, and each one must be specific relationship to the spectrum of pure colors
measured or defined in order to fully describe the color. refracted through a prism.
Scientific descriptions of color, or colorimetry, involve the  The words “COLOR” and “HUE” are not synonymous.
specification of these color properties in either a subjective or Hue is a specific attribute of color.
objective system of measurement. The subjective system  Color is the general term which applies to the whole subject
describes color in terms of hue, saturation, and brightness - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black and white
(HSB), while the objective system measures the dominant and all possible combinations thereof.
wavelength, purity, and luminance of colors.  Hue is the correct word to use to refer to just the pure
spectrum colors.
HUE  Example: Reddish Brown is the color brown with a red hue.
 common name of a color that indicates its position in the Black is a color with no hue.
visible spectrum or on the color wheel
 determined by the specific wavelength of the color in a ray
of light

Hue circle

- 3 primary colors
- 3 secondary colors
- Colors in between are called INTERMEDIARY / TERTIARY COLORS

1. Primary colors - cannot be broken down into other colors and are the building blocks for all other colors.
2. Secondary colors - the middle mixtures of two primary colors.
3. Intermediate / Tertiary colors - the mixture of a primary and secondary color.

 Neutral colors - colors not found in the color wheel. They include black, white, gray, brown and tan.
 Analogous colors - colors that are next to each other on the spectrum or hue circle.
 Complementary colors - colors that are opposites, defined by the afterimage of any given color.
ID121 Color Theory 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Module 2 – Basic Attributes of Color

VALUE
 synonyms: Luminance, Brightness Importance of VALUE
 Color value refers to the lightness or darkness of the hue  Understanding the difference between hue and value can
 Adding white to a hue produces a high-value color, often add enormously to our understanding of color.
called a TINT.  The perception and representation of form is entirely
 Adding black to a hue produces a low-value color, called a dependent on value, or the contrast of light and dark, and
SHADE. not on its color.
 Black, White, and Gray are colors of pure value and have  If we subtract perception of hue from our world, we would
no hue. still perceive form.
 Value can be actually measured as a percentage of reflected  On the other hand, if the world suddenly converted to pure
light from 100% (white – total reflectance) to 0% (black – hue, we would be in big trouble.
total absorption). A true middle gray is literally 50/50 (50%  Recent research has shown that the part of our brain that
reflectance, 50% absorption) responds to light / dark is several inches away from the part
of our brain that responds to hue.
 Our ability to perceive depth, spatial relationships, three
dimensionally and volume (form), as well as movement or
stasis, derives from the part of our brain that responds
exclusively to differences in value without regard to hue.
 All mammals perceive luminance, however only primates
evolved with the ability to perceive the colors of the
We use visual comparison within a given context to determine spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet.
if a color is lighter or darker than its neighbor:  Before our eyes and brain have fully developed in infancy,
 If two colors of analogous hue share an edge, you can tell we see only light and dark. In a few weeks following birth,
they are close in value if the edge is soft and far apart in our brains develop the ability to perceive hue.
value if the edge is hard.  Once our brains have fully developed, hue continues to
 If two colors of the opposite hue share an edge, you can tell play a secondary role to value in how we perceive the world
that they are close in value if the edge “vibrates” or around us.
shimmers and far apart in value if the edge is hard.  If you are a visually sensitive individual, you may already
know this intuitively. The observed world is experienced
A color’s value can also be assessed by its specific relationship mostly as infinite gradations of light and dark accented by
to the value scale (the range of grays from white to black, also equally subtle modulations of hue. In other words, our
known as gray scale). This is known as its RELATIVE primary visual experience is of value, not hue.
VALUE. All colors, including pure hues, have a relative value.  In other century, mechanical reproduction and color
A pure yellow is close to white in its reflectance. A pure red and processing have added significant bursts of saturated color
green are closer to middle gray. Keep in mind that the color’s to our perceptual world. The more time we spend gazing
value, reflectance, is also influenced by the surface texture. at printed and electronic media, the more this becomes the
norm. But this is a recent phenomenon, the implications of
Doing one of the following alters the value of a color, but not which are interesting to ponder.
its hue:  The psychological and emotional components of hue
 Tinting (adding white). Tints of color tend to look soft and cannot be understated and go way beyond mere perception.
ethereal.  If we imagine life without hue – as a black and white
 Shading (adding black). Dark colors feel heavy and dense. movie, for example – we can appreciate how important and
 Value is not altered if a color is mixed with another color
or gray of the same value
ID121 Color Theory 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Module 2 – Basic Attributes of Color

inextricably linked the perception of hue is to our  Even more confusing is when a violet or green pigment in
experience of the world. its most saturated form (right out of a tube) is so dark that
 As long as we are in the presence of light, we are constantly you can’t really perceive its hue until you add white.
under the influence of hue, even though we may not even  So which of the two colors has more chroma, the one that
be aware of it. Hue is like the spice that makes the visual looks almost black or the one with white in it? It can be
“food” we need for survival worth eating. hard to separate brightness and intensity. When white is
added to a dark color, it becomes BRIGHTER, which is
SATURATION technically specific to VALUE.
 Also called CHROMA or INTENSITY  When hue is added to a color (providing it is not a
 Purity of a color complement), it becomes more INTENSE, which is
 Refers to the brightness and dullness of a color. technically specific to SATURATION. The variables of
 A color is at full intensity when not mixed with black or different colorants can create anomalies to saturation.
white – a pure hue.  The brighter, less saturated color can appear more intense,
 Refers to the amount of white light (or gray paint) mixed even if that sometimes amounts to a contradiction in terms.
with the hue. Suffice it is to say that color by its very nature cannot be
 100% saturation is defined as the absence of white, black defined like words in a dictionary. After all, it is literally a
or gray. 0% saturation is the absence of a hue. matter of perception.
 Neutral colors are by definition low saturation, or low
chroma, and can be either ACHROMATIC (having no hue,
as in gray scale), or CHROMATIC (having hue, as in References:
tertiary colors)
Adams, S., Stone, T., & Morioka, N. (2008). Color Design
Workbook: A Real World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design
As with the other attributes of color, saturation is relative and (First Edition). Rockport Publishers.
therefore a matter of comparison. For example, If comparing
ten different reds, for the reddest red is the most saturated. Eiseman, L. (2017). The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition:
Expert Color Information for Professional Results (New, Revised
When you mix complementary colors together, you produce a ed.). Rockport Publishers.
dull tone. However, when you put complementary colors side
by side, you increase their intensity. This effect is called
SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST – each color simultaneously
intensifies the visual brightness of the other color.

How to change the saturation of a hue

 Making it duller or more neutral by adding gray (black +
white) to a color.
 By adding its COMPLIMENT
 When changing colors this way, the color produced it
called a TONE.
 Pastels are less saturated colors.
 It’s obvious that intense‚ vivid colors stand out.
 Even though cool colors tend to recede‚ a vivid blue will
draw more attention to itself than a creamy‚ dull orange.
 When we add gray (black and white) to a color‚ it starts to
become dull and desaturated.
 Dull colors help to reduce tension and give compositions a
meditative‚ dreamy mood.

SATURATION vs. BRIGHTNESS

 Saturation can be the most difficult of color’s attributes to
agree on.
 Picking the reddest red out of a line line-up sounds easy
enough, and often it is, but what happens if white is added
to make a bright pink that appears more chromatically
intense than the original?
 By definition, adding white makes a color less saturated.