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The Elements of Design: Color

 Janneke Smit

Color is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can see. The eye can see wavelengths of radiation between 400 (violet) and 700 (red) nanometers. Color is one of the most powerful design elements.

There are three main components of color:

• Hue: the term for the pure spectrum colors which appear on the color wheel (better: hue wheel) or rainbow. Hues are the pure colors with no white or black added.

• Value: the relative lightness or darkness of a color; in general how close to black or white a given color is.  A hue mixed with white creates a tint; a hue mixed with black creates a shade.

• Saturation: the intensity, or level of chroma, of a color. The more gray a color has in it, the less chroma it has.

Color harmonies

Color harmonies describe the relationships certain colors have to one another, and how they can be combined to create a palette of color.

• Complementary: A complementary relationship is a harmony of two colors on the opposite side of the color wheel.

• Analogous: An analogous relationship is a harmony of colors whose hues are adjacent to one another on the color wheel.

• Triadic: A triadic relationship is a harmony of three colors equidistant from one another on the color wheel.

Other color harmonies are: Split Complement, Rectangular Tetrad, Square Tetrad and Counterpoint.

Color spaces

A color space helps to define how the colors are mixed, based on the medium in which the colors are used. There are two different kinds of color spaces:

• Subtractive: A subtractive color space is the traditional color space that most people refer to when they talk about color. It is pigment-based color, as in the mixing of paint. In a subtractive color space, the pigments manipulate the wavelengths that our eyes see. The absence of any pigment produces white, and all pigments blended together produces black.

  • Primary colors: Red, yellow, blue

  • Secondary colors: Orange, green, violet

• Additive: An additive color space is an electronic color space. It is light-based color, as in the mixing of color on the computer. In an additive color space, light is added to the screen in differing amounts to produce color. The absence of any light is black, the presence of all light, or light at full intensity, is white.

  • Primary colors: Red, green, blue

  • Secondary colors: Yellow, magenta, cyan

Psychological Implications of Color

Market researchers have done extensive studies exploring the emotional responses of people to color. Much of this information however is culturally biased. For example, in Europe and the United States, black is the color of mourning, while in many tropical countries and in East Asia, white is the color of death. On the other hand, white is the color worn by American brides, while brides in much of Asia wear red. For Euro-American societies we generally find the following color associations:

• Red is associated with blood, and with feelings that are energetic, exciting, passionate or erotic. The downside of red evokes aggressive feelings, suggesting anger or violence.

• Orange is the color of flesh, or the friendly warmth of the hearth fire. The positive implications of this color suggest approachability, informality. The negative side might imply accessibility to the point of suggesting that anyone can approach - a lack of discrimination or quality.

• Yellow is the color of sunshine. This color is optimistic, upbeat and modern. Since the energy of yellow can become overwhelming, yellow is not a color that tends to dominate fashion for long periods of time.

Design note: I used to hate red, but now find that it is one of the first colors I am attracted to. I especially love the darker and more muted tones, rather than the bright harsh reds. I chose these papers and colors because I felt they expressed a feeling of happiness and contentedness. Since the layout is about things that I just simply enjoy and help me feel at peace, I felt that these softer shades of red fit perfectly. I added the teal to incorporate some contrast. The different textures  reflect the variety of comforts/joys I listed on the layout.

Design note: This is one of my favorite photos from my wedding because it was taken at the exact moment that I met Steve at the altar. I wanted the title and the journaling to capture how I felt. I choose the colors because we were married in October. I used the crystals to dress the page up and frame my photo.

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