Color Theory Education
People have experimented with color since prehistoric times. However, society did not properly understand how colors "worked" until Isaac Newton proved that colors come from white light. Color theory holds that primary colors blue, red and yellow form the basis of art and that one can use the theory to create aesthetically pleasing images. Color theory also applies to other fields such as business.
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History
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The use of color goes back to the earliest humans, who thought they could gain power over animals by creating more realistic drawings, according to WetCanvas editor Roger Elliot. Modern color theory began in the late 1600s with Isaac Newton, who proved with a prism that white light breaks down into the colors of the spectrum, negating the previous belief that shades of light and darkness produce color.
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Basic Color Theory
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Sir Isaac Newton developed the basic color wheel, an illustration of common colors and hues. Three colors act as primary colors from which others are formed: blue, red and yellow. These can mix to form green, orange and purple, which are called secondary colors. Every other color, known as a hue, forms from a combination of primary and secondary colors.
Teaching
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Commonly accepted practice for teaching color is through foam sculptures and painting/coloring. EverydayArt recommends that you first discuss the importance of colors, then introduce the color wheel and basic color theory. After an introduction to color theory, then use colored foam boards to allow students to create "sculptures" with color schemes. Finally, have the student explain the use of color theory in the sculpture. According to EverydayArt, giving students drawing exercises not only gives them joy, but you can also provide instructions to use specific parts of color theory.
Harmony
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One of the ultimate goals of color theory calls for the creation of harmony within a piece, juxtaposing elements to create something that the mind enjoys. The human mind craves harmonic stimulation; something that is too "boring" does not create enough stimuli. In contrast, a chaotic, patternless figure is not something the mind can organize either. Common methods to create harmony with color theory include using colors on opposite sides of the color "wheel," or simply basing colors on nature.
Artistic Application
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Color theory acts as more than just a fundamental piece of education in the art world; it has real-life applications. Use of color theory is vital in interior design and architecture. According to a University of California at Berkeley extension course on color theory and its applications, color affects how we feel when entering a room, and a good grasp of color theory can "express" the emotion you want to give a space.
Other Uses
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The theory has influence beyond the art world. According to a study by the secretariat of the Seoul International Color Expo 2004, more than 90 percent of consumers rate visual appearance as the greatest factor in a purchase. A popular example of the benefits of color theory occurred when the popular Heinz brand of ketchup created the largest sales increase in company history by simply changing the color to green.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit "internet" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: procsilas (Procsilas Moscas) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
