Colour Theory and Application

Don't let the title of this post fool you; colour theory can be exciting! The right colour choice is essential for an aspiring designer, but it's also important in everyday life. My hope is that everyone who reads this article can walk away with a better understanding of colour - and of its potential to inspire!


Hue, Tone and Saturation

Let's get the basics out of the way by defining some terms that are commonly used in colour theory. The generic name for a pure colour is known as a hue (blue, red, etc.). A hue can be modified using tone and saturation. Tone is the range of light to dark in a specific hue, while saturation is its degree of brightness. If we take blue as the hue and modify it to become light blue, we've changed its tone. We can then control the intensity of the colour with saturation to determine how bright or muted it will be.

Additive vs Subtractive Theory

There are two primary colour theories used in design. The additive primary colours are red, green and blue (RGB). They are used in the projection of light (tv screens, computers, etc.). When combined, RGB creates white light. The subtractive primary colours are cyan, magenta and yellow (CMYK). They are used in print. When combined, these colours create black (the K in CMYK). It is important to determine on what medium your design will appear (screen or paper) so that you can choose the correct colour theory.

Advancing and Receding Colours

Some colours will appear to advance while others seem to recede. Warm colours are used to advance visually towards the user, while cooler ones are used to recede. If you tell a carpenter to place his toolbox on either a red or a blue bench, both at equal distances, he would subconsciously choose the red bench more often because it appears closer! The human eye tends to differentiate between neighbouring colours by emphasizing their differences instead of their similarities.

Colour and Mood

The last thing I want to touch on is how colours affect our mood. Colours are chosen in advertising to subconsciously alter our mood towards a product or a company.

Red is often associated with intensity and aggression, and is known to stimulate higher blood pressure.

Green is tied to nature and environment, and has the ability to calm. That is one of the reasons it is often used in hospitals.

Yellow is known as the hue of happiness as it evokes images of light, sun, gold and hope. It can also be used as a warning.

Blue is associated with the sky and water, and has a similar calming effect to what green has.

Of course, these are not definitive and each colour has negative connotations as well.



Lastly, here are a couple of my favorite tools for picking colours:
Kuler
Color Schemer