Color Theory – Part 3
You understand the properties of the color wheel and its basic components: primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. These colors are the basis from which all other colors are derived and are important to understand in order to make sure you mix and match them in your designs.
We’ve also learned about the harmonies of color: complementary colors, analogous colors, triadic colors and split complementary colors.
Now let’s learn about tints, shades and tones. Below are the definitions of terms used to describe different types of colors.
-Chroma is the definition of how pure a color is in relation to gray.
-Saturation is the degree of purity of a hue.
-Intensity defines the brightness or dullness of a hue.
-Luminescence or value is the measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those hues with higher white content have a higher luminescence or value.
-Shade and tint are terms that refer to a variation of a hue. Shade is a hue produced by the addition of black. Whereas a tint is the hue produced by the addition of white.
The chart below shows just a small sampling of what tint, shade and chroma can do for even the basic primary colors. When you begin mixing and matching up the hues to create a new design, you can see how much variation results.
Try experimenting first with colored pencils, crayons, watercolors or even some inexpensive acrylic paints. Add some white to see how the tint gets brighter or add some black to see it darken. Have some fun with this exercise. Get full of paint and get creative. Who knows, you may find out you love the colors you create and begin to use them in your original resin designs. Whether you use your newly found knowledge to create resin dye mixes or use it to develop a mixed media palette, you have learned a valuable skill in analyzing color. On to your next project!
Citation:
Illustrations courtesy of forums.penny-arcade.com
