Colour Theory - Colour & Contrast

Additive colour: Light
- RGB Primaries (Form CMY secondaries)

Subtractive colour: Ink
- CMY Primaries (Form RGB secondaries)

The eye can be 'fooled' into seeing the full range of visible colours through the proportionate adjustment of just three colours - red, green and blue.

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Johannes Itten developed what he called the seven colour contrasts. 


1) Light and dark
- Removing chromatic values from colour shows tonal values
- Monochrome (Black and white)
- When adding colour paper to a sheet and photocopying this in black and white shows the tonal values of different colours. Low contrast of tone starts to blend. (I will do this task shortly)
- Red & blue for example have a high contrast

2) Hue
The greater the distance between hues on a colour wheel, the greater the contrast.

Red, yellow and blue (basic primaries) are 3 colours furthers apart from each other on the colour wheel. However, a change in background behind these colours alters how we perceive the colour.. in result, this affects how legible a word is, for example.

3) Saturation

How saturated or desaturated a colour is in comparison to other colours.

4) Exstension (contrast of proportion)

- Proportion of colours (the amount which is visible)

- Yellow and violet, for example

Dense patch of violet on yellow stands out moreso than if this shape was broken up into thin strips. Condensing these srips makes it difficult to perceive.

- Quantities in relation to each other

- Can apply contrast of exstension to type (use of negative space)

Are you seeing the text or the counters

5) Temperature

- Formed by juxtaposing hues that can be considered 'warm' or 'cool'

- Perceptions of colour; blue is cool whereas red is warm

- We assign colour values to temperatures

- The spectrum of 'cool' red to 'warm' red confuses the eye and forms what seems to be subtle gradients

- The eyes compare chromatic, tonal values etc

6) Complementary

- Black and white react strongest

- Blue and orange, red and green

Hard to differentiate and start to 'compete' against each other

7) Simultaneous 

Formed when boundaries between colours perceptually vibrate

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I found this colour theory 'quick reference' sheet for designers explaining the important terms, connotations and relationships of colour. It is clear, concise and visually engaging.

thedesignerdrug.wordpress.com