White Color Theory
Color theory pertains to the artistic study and application of light and pigment colors that, when mixed properly, form additional colors. White becomes a color when the additive primary colors---red, green and blue---mix in light. White also serves as the center of a color wheel. Artists use white as a paint color made from various elemental sources and advertisers use white along with other colors to enhance a product's identity and reputation.
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The Color White
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Artists consider white a color in terms of visible light but not as a pigment. The color white forms with the additive mixing of red, green and blue. White light can also refract, through a prism or in the sky, to produce a rainbow of colors. During subtractive color mixing, red, green and blue result in a grayish pigment. White cannot be made in subtractive color theory using any pigments or coloring agents.
Color Wheel
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A color wheel resembles a rainbow of colors placed in a circle. The three primary colors sit opposite the three secondary hues---orange, violet and green---with six each of the tertiary colors---yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green and yellow-green---in between its primary and secondary . The wheel's center stays white to symbolize the mixture of the three primary colors in light. Monochromatic colors include all the tints, tones and shades of a single hue.
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Types of White
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There are no shades of pure white because it is the addition of all colors, but white paint does have several different sources. Color manufacturers typically produce white from lead, zinc or titanium. Flake white, made from lead, covered surfaces with an opaque but toxic pigment material. Zinc white dries slower than flake white and other paints. Titanium white has a stronger and more permanent color with less chance of darkening over time.
Symbolism
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Colors sometimes have contradictory connotations when placed in different cultures and situations. White is the typical color of a wedding dress in the western world because it stands for purity and chastity, but in some eastern societies the color white is a color of mourning. A white flag is the symbol for surrender but a blank canvas or sheet of paper signifies limitless potential.
Significance
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Advertising plays a significant role in consumer habits and preferences. Words, sounds and specific colors are used to enhance brand identification and give a product or service more appeal. The Color Matters website examines a study done at the Seoul International Color Expo in 2004 where over 80 percent of those surveyed believed color was an important factor in choosing a product.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³: Flickr.com
