Color Theory 101

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Color Theory 101

• Created by Kari Ann Jones
• Morrice Area Schools

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Color

• Color is all around us.
• Artists use color to help convey a mood, feeling,
  thought or idea.
• Colors can be grouped into primary, secondary and
  intermediate colors.

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Primary Colors

• The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot be mixed from any other
  colors.
• All other colors are mixed from combinations of
  red, yellow, blue, black and white.

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Quiz Time!
Which of the following statements is NOT
true A. Red, yellow and blue are primary
colors. B. You must have the primary colors to
make all other colors. C. Primary
colors can be mixed using other
colors.
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Oops! Remember

• The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot be mixed from any other
  colors.
• All other colors are mixed from combinations of
  red, yellow, blue, black and white.

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Lets Review

• The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot be mixed from any other
  colors.
• All other colors are mixed from combinations of
  red, yellow, blue, black and white.

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Awesome!!!
Youre right! Primary colors CANNOT be mixed
from any other colors!
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Secondary Colors

• Secondary colors are mixed using combinations of
  the primary colors.
• Red Yellow Orange
• Yellow Blue Green
• Blue Red Violet

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Red Yellow Orange
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Yellow Blue Green
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Blue Red Violet
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Test Your Knowledge
Click on the secondary colors
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Oh no!!!
Remember
PRIMARY COLORS
Red, Yellow and Blue
SECONDARY COLORS
Orange, Green and Violet
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Great Job!!!
Yes, Orange, Green and Violet are the Secondary
Colors!
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The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a tool artists use to organize
colors.
A color wheel with the primary and secondary
colors looks something like this
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Intermediate Colors

• Intermediate colors are mixed using a primary
  color and the secondary color right next to it
  (adjacent to it).
• For example, to make blue-green, we mix equal
  parts of blue and green.
• These colors are then placed between the combined
  primary and secondary colors on the color wheel.

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The Color Wheel
A full color wheel, with the primary, secondary
and intermediate colors looks something like this
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Primary Secondary Intermediate
Yellow Green Yellow-Green
Yellow Orange Yellow-Orange
Blue Green Blue-Green
Red Orange Red-Orange
Blue Violet Blue-Violet
Red Violet Red-Violet
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Quiz Time!
Which of the following colors would you mix with
blue to make an intermediate color?
Yellow
Orange
Green
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Lets Review
To make an intermediate color, we mix a primary
color and a secondary color next to it.
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Oh no!
Remember
To make an intermediate color, we mix a primary
color and a secondary color.
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Awesome!
When we mix the primary color, blue, with the
secondary color, green, we make the intermediate
color, blue-green.
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Another Quiz Q For You!
Which of the following colors would you mix with
orange to make an intermediate color?
Green
Red
Blue
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Oops!!! Review Time
To mix an intermediate color, we add a primary
color to its adjacent secondary color.
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Remember
Primary Secondary Intermediate
Yellow Green Yellow-Green
Yellow Orange Yellow-Orange
Blue Green Blue-Green
Red Orange Red-Orange
Blue Violet Blue-Violet
Red Violet Red-Violet
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Fantastic!
Yes! Red and Orange make Red-Orange!
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Tints and Shades

• Artists often make tints and shades of colors.
• To make a shade of a color, we add black.
• To make a tint of a color, we add white.

tints
shades
black
white
Pure color
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Mixing Tints
To make a tint of a color we add white.
Here are some examples of colors and some of
their tints
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Mixing Shades
To mix a shade, we add black to a color.
Here are some examples of colors and some of
their shades
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The Color Star
When we add some tints and shades to the color
wheel, we make a color star that looks like this
Tints go toward the center of the color star from
the color.
Shades go outward from the color to points.
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Quiz Time!
To make a tint of a color, we add black.
True
False
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Remember
To make a tint of a color, we add WHITE.


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Great Job!
Yes! To make a tint of a color, we add white!
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Still Quiz Time!
Click on the color below that is a shade of
Yellow
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Oh no! Lets Review
To make a shade, we add black to the color.
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Think Again!
Remember
To make a shade, we add black to the color.
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You are a color wizard!
When we mix shades of a color, we add black.
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So What Do Artists Do With All of This Info?

• Artists use the color wheel as a guide to help
  them choose colors to use in their artworks.
• The color wheel can help us see various color
  schemes.
• Artists often use one color scheme as the base
  palette for a painting.

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Color Schemes
Some color schemes artist use are Monochromatic
Complementary Analogous Warm Colors Cool
Colors
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Monochromatic

• A monochromatic color scheme is one color and its
  tints and shades.

To complete a painting with a blue monochromatic
color scheme, you could use the colors on this
palette.
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This is an example of a monochromatic painting.
Notice how Mr. Chagall used blue and its tints
and shades.
Les Amants Sur Le Toit -Marc Chagall
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Complementary

• Complementary colors are directly opposite each
  other on the color wheel.
• Each color has only one complementary color.
• Next to each other, each color appears as vivid
  as it can.

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This painting has a complementary color scheme.
Notice how Mr. Cezanne used blue and orange and
their tints and shades.
La Montage Saint Victoire -Paul Cezanne
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Analogous

• When an artist uses two or more colors that are
  next to each other on the color wheel and that
  are closely related, it is called an analogous
  color scheme.

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This painting has an analogous color scheme.
Notice how Mr. VanGogh used yellow, yellow-green,
green, blue-green, and their tints and shades.
The Iris -Vincent VanGogh
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Click on the color scheme you think Pablo Picasso
utilized in this painting, The Old Guitarist.
Complementary
Analogous
Monochromatic
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Remember
The colors of an analogous color scheme are next
to each other on the color wheel.
Complementary colors are directly opposite each
other on the color wheel.
A monochromatic color scheme is one color and its
tints and shades.
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Lets Review
The colors of an analogous color scheme are next
to each other on the color wheel.
Complementary colors are directly opposite each
other on the color wheel.
A monochromatic color scheme is one color and its
tints and shades.
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Incredible!
Yes, Mr. Picassos painting does have a
monochromatic color scheme based on blue.
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Click on the color scheme you think Mr. Picasso
based this painting, Still Life With Biscuits, on.
Complementary
Analogous
Monochromatic
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Oh no!!!Think Again...
This painting has mostly blue, blue-violet,
violet, red-violet, red and its tints and
shades. Monochromatic one color and its tints
and shades Complementary colors opposite each
other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades. Analogouscolors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
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Look Again!
This painting has mostly blue, blue-violet,
violet, red-violet, red and its tints and
shades. Monochromatic one color and its tints
and shades Complementary colors opposite each
other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades. Analogouscolors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
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Great Job!
Yes! This is an analogous color scheme.
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Click on the color scheme Mr. Cezanne used when
he painted Still Life With Onions.
Monochromatic
Analogous
Complementary
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Remember
Monochromatic one color and its tints and
shades Complementary colors opposite each other
on the color wheel and their tints and
shades. Analogouscolors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
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Lets Review
Monochromatic one color and its tints and
shades Complementary colors opposite each other
on the color wheel and their tints and
shades. Analogouscolors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
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Awesome Art Skills!
Yes! Mr. Cezanne used the complementary color
pair red and green in his painting!
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Warm Colors

• Some of the colors of the color wheel are
  referred to as warm colors.
• When an artist uses these colors, they are
  creating a painting with a warm color scheme.

The Warm Colors
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This painting has a warm color scheme. Notice
how Mr. Vermee used red, red-orange, orange,
yellow-orange, yellow and their tints and shades.
Girl Asleep at a Table -Jan Vermee
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Cool Colors

• The other half of the color wheels colors are
  referred to as cool colors.
• When an artist uses these colors, they are
  creating a painting with a cool color scheme.

The Cool Colors
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This painting is said to have a cool color
scheme. Notice how Mr. Picasso used
yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue-purple and
their tints and shades.
Femme Allongee Lisant -Pablo Picasso
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Quiz Time!
Click on the painting that has a warm color
scheme
On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt -Claude Monet
Red Canna -Georgia OKeeffe
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Lets Review
Cool Colors
Warm Colors
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Excellent!
Youre right! This painting has a warm color
scheme.
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Congratulations!

• You have passed
• Color Theory 101!