Chapter 9: Overview of Color
“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while working.”
Henri Matisse
Element: COLOR
CC0 https://www.artic.edu/artworks/183415/valance
COLOR: the character of a surface that is the result of the response of vision to the wavelength of light reflected from that surface. An optical response to wavelengths of light and color through the physical understanding of hue.
Read the definitions below and decide which or if any images match words.
ACHROMATIC: without color or hue, as in black, white, or gray.
ADDITIVE COLOR: color created by superimposing light rays. Adding together the three primary colors of light-red, blue, and green- will produce white. The secondaries are cyan, yellow, and magenta.
AFTERIMAGE: an optical phenomenon that occurs when eyes continue to perceive an image after it is no longer present.
ANALOGOUS COLORS: colors that are closely related in hue. They are usually adjacent to each other on the color wheel.
CHROMA: colors other than black, white, and gray. Chroma is the combination of color and its saturation.
CHROMATIC: the presence of color.
CHROMATIC VALUE: the value of a color.
CMYK: color reproduction for printing in which cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are layered.
COLOR CHORD: a combination of two, three, or four colors derived from a color wheel that work well together. Color combinations that are harmonious or compatible.
COLOR FIELD: an abstract style of painting focused on areas of solid color.
COLOR PERMANENCE: the ability of a color to maintain its original properties over time under normal lighting and environmental conditions. Any pigment that can be expected to last or remain without essential change is considered to have color permanence. Various color based art materials are sometimes labeled with a code indicating a color’s degree of permanence.
COLOR SCHEME: a particular combination of colors.
COLOR WHEEL: a radial design where the primary, secondary, and intermediate colors are displayed for identification.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS: two colors, equally spaced on the color wheel, directly opposite each other.
COOL COLORS: blue, green, and violet represent cool colors on the color wheel. Cool colors can suggest calm, light, or water.
EXPRESSIVE COLOR: color chosen by an artist without regard for the natural appearance of the object portrayed. Expressive color (also known as subjective) represents the expression of the individual artist.
FAUVISM: French expressionist painters that used bold and exaggerated color in their paintings.
FOLK ART: art and craft objects made by people who have not been formally trained as artists.
GRADATION: a smooth transition from dark to light value.
HIGH KEY COLOR: value of color that is middle gray or lighter.
HIGH KEY VALUE: value that is middle gray or lighter.
HIGHLIGHT: area on a surface that reflects light.
HUE: the generic name of a color; also designates a color’s position in the spectrum or on the color wheel. Hue is determined by the specific wavel