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Little more about colors and Color Theory

Learn more about colors and color theory, and its connection with seasonal color analysis on 30somethingurbangirl.com
Here are a couple of more and beneficial information about the science behind colors and the connection with the Seasonal Color Analysis system 🙂
 
 
You probably remember those days in your childhood when you’ve started drawing with colorful pencils. Then in school, you’ve learned more about colors: there are three primary colors, red-yellow-blue, and the others are only the combinations of them. 
 
 

Historian overview

 
In history, several artists and scientists examined the colors and their effects, and you can find many books on this subject. 
 
Sir Isaac Newton invented the first color wheel, and he split white sunlight into red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue beams. 
Later, Johann Wolfgang Goethe began studying the psychological effect of colors and created his color wheel. 
 
Gothe #colorwheel, 1809
Goethe’s color wheel, 1809
 

 

Johannes Itten developed the current form of color theory. He created ‘color chords’ and modified the color wheel. Itten’s color wheel based on red, yellow, and blue colors as the primary triad and includes twelve hues.

 

Color Theory: Johannes Itten's Color Wheel from 1960
 
 
 
Albert Munsell invented his color system in 1903 and published his theory in his book: System of Color Notation in 1905. Munsell’s system of color measurement is widely accepted in the world. He introduced three characteristics of colors: hue or undertone, value or depth, and chroma, or clarity.
 
Color Theory: Albert Munsell's Color System
 
 
 

The main traits of colors

 
An average person should know just the following principles to find her way in the world of colors. This information will give you a better understanding of the concept behind the seasonal color analysis, as well. 
 
According to Itten’s color wheel, there are three groups of colors:
 
 
1. The primary colors:
These colors are red, blue, and yellow. These shades are the core ones that can create many more after combining them.
 
2. The secondary colors:
These colors are purple, green, and orange. They are created by mixing two primary colors: red + yellow = orange; red + blue = purple; blue + yellow = green. 
 
 
3. The tertiary colors:

These are the colors with two names 🙂 orange-yellow, red-orange, violet-red, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green. They born by mixing a primary color with a secondary one.

 
Color Theory: Tertiary Colors on color wheel - orange-yellow, red-orange, violet-red, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green
 
 
 

And now let’s see the characteristic of colors using the Munsell’s system:

 
Hue is the pure color without any addition of black, white, or gray. The colors can have an undertone, which may be warm (yellow-based) or cool (blue-based). Some colors could be seen medium-toned next to another shade.
 
Color Theory: Hue/Pure: warm and cool colors
 
 
Value or depth shows if the color is light or dark. The value of each color could be achieved by adding white or black to a pure shade.
 
Color Theory: light or dark colors by adding black or white to a pure color
 
 
The shade is the quality of each color if black is added to it, while the tint is the trait of a pure color plus white.
 
Color Theory: Shade: rich and dark colors by adding black to a pure color
 
 
 
Color Theory: Tint: pastel and light color - Color Theory: Tint: pastel and light colors by adding white to a pure color
 
 
 
Chroma or clarity shows how colors reflect to light. Some are bright and clear, while others are muted and soft. You can saturate or tone down a pure color by adding gray to it. 
 
Color Theory: soft to bright colors by adding some amount of gray to a pure color

 

Color Theory: Tone: muted colors by adding gray to a pure color
 

 

Note: pure white has none of the colors, while black contains all of them. The mix of these two is gray which changes the tone of each color.
 
 Color Theory: all information deep, light, warm, cool, muted, bright color shades
 

 

Why is it important to know?

 
As I mentioned in the introductory part, the color of your hair, eyes, and skin determines your seasonal palette. Your dominant characteristic could be described with the same qualities as the colors have – warm or cool, dark or light, clear or soft, or the combination of them. 
 
 
The connection between Color Theory and the Seasonal Color Analysis System with celebrity examples
 
 
 
When you in a store and fall in love with a blouse or top, you can easily decide to buy it or not if you recognize the main qualities of its color. If it has a cool shade, but you are a warm type, you have to search for the right color or leave it.
 
 
Keep in mind what Carol Jackson said: 

You can wear almost any color; it’s the shade and intensity that matters.

 

Color your life and browse marvelous colorful photos in my Pinterest board:

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2 Responses

  1. Great resource! Thanks! One silly error though… white is not all colours and black none. I’m sure you know that is backwards.

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