Theories of Color

Theories of Color

Color is a direct function of light (Sayre, 2007, p.129). Through a spectrum, sunlight goes into a prism and it is divided into various colors, people recognize the color wheel.

1 Types of Colors

According to Henry M. Sayre (2007, p.129), there are three types of colors:

· Primary Colors

Primary colors are colors that cannot be created by blending other colors. Red, yellow, and blue are included in this color type.

· Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are colors that can be created through blending of the primary colors, such as green, orange, and purple.

· Intermediate Colors

Intermediate colors, or tertiary colors, are colors created by blending primary colors with neighboring secondary colors. For instance, a yellow-orange color is created by mixing primary yellow with the secondary orange.

2 Hue, Value, and Saturation

There  are  also  three  basic  color  properties  in  a  color,  called  hue,  value,  and saturation (Carter, Day,  Meggs, 2007, p.80). According to Hideaki Chijiiwa (1987, p.10), hue is the actual color. Lightness is the amount of black and white fused with the hue  color, which,  in  other  words, the  shades of the  colors,  while  saturation is the intensity or vividness of a color.

3 Color as Mood

Colors also play an important role in illustrations. They have a potential to give mood and atmosphere of a scene to the audience, as well as to make a sense of time and space (Tuminello, 2008, p.132). For example, a warm mood can be achieved by using red, orange, and yellow colors. This overall mood of an illustration is called a color scheme (Chijiiwa, 1987, p.11).

For example, red color is applied on a picture of a fighting or battle scene. This will make the picture to have an intense mood, as red color symbolizes anger and power and illustrates conflict. Therefore, to give a color mood suitable with the events occurred in each scene, it is important to know the meanings of each color.

4 The Meaning of Colors

According to Wendy Tuminello (2008, p.132), each color has its own meaning.

Black  : death, power, evil, authority, mourning

Red     : energy, anger, danger, power, love, passion, fire, optimism, excitement

Green  : tranquility, health, healing, fertility, envy, growth

Pink    : love, delicacy, sweetness, softness

Yellow            : cheerfulness, energy, joy, happiness

Orange           : energy, joy, success, creativity, encouragement

Purple : wealth, royalty, luxury, spirituality, wisdom

Blue    : tranquility, peace, trust, production, confidence, health

White  : purity, innocence, sterility

Gray   : neutrality, quality, corporate

Brown            : stability, friendship, simplicity, endurance

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