1.0 INTRODUCTION
And that the Devil is a Black outline, all of us know.
(William Blake, to Venetian Artists)
Colours are at every corner of our sight.
Small kids tend to wonder why they are many types colour. And kids will
commonly choose a striking colour as their favourite ones without understanding
the history and characteristic of the specific colour. Generally, colours are
the observable attributes of light. Since light is an energy, colours are categorized
as a form of energy too. Colours are used to set mood, seek attention or
describe an explanation. Different colours have different wavelengths. The
electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength are converted and interpreted by
our brain and eyes, thus we tend to see different colours around us.
Newton’s theory of color was that “the sun’s light, or any other white light, was a mixture of rays of light, each with its own irrefrangibility, by which he meant characteristic angle of refraction in a prism”.(Sir Isaac Newton,1666).
Newton’s theory of color was that “the sun’s light, or any other white light, was a mixture of rays of light, each with its own irrefrangibility, by which he meant characteristic angle of refraction in a prism”.(Sir Isaac Newton,1666).
2.0. FORMATION OF COLOUR
2.1.
Colour Wheel
Sir Isaac Newton created the idea of colour
wheel in 1666. This happened when he arched the colour spectrum, or the
dimension of all noticeable light, into a shape of a circle. Besides using the
oblique representation to show the relation between colours, it is also used to
adopt colour schemes. The application of colour on how it is applied to whirl
around the idea of colour wheels, actually helps to describe on the invention
of colours. The colour wheel is a definite sector progressing around 360
degrees. Also, colour wheel are is expressed as an average hue of blending
colour , recognizable to every individual as the colour binder is integrated
into various function, where the outer edge has a more sodden colour.
Objectively, the idea of modern colour wheel
was built around the 18th century to express the link between
distinctive colours around a circle, while combining diverse primary colours
together in a rigid proportion to resolve secondary and tertiary colours.
Figure
1.1: The modern colour wheel has been in use since the 18th century.
2.1.
Colour Harmonies
Colour wheel
enable us to view the complementary, analogous and triadic, colour at one
sight. These components are known as colour harmonies.
2.1.1.
Complementary colour
Specifically,
complementary colours are colours that are placed oppositely on the colour
wheel. For example, red and green are complementary colours. C omplementary
colours are suitable to set out an overwhelming picture. Otherwise they will be
too contrasting and bright. Complementary colours can be used for logo but it
is a bad idea to be used in texts.
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Figure 2.0 : Red and green are at the opposite side, similarly, blue and orange are complementary colours too.
Figure 2.0 : Red and green are at the opposite side, similarly, blue and orange are complementary colours too.
Figure
2.1: Red and green colour of the plant represents complementary colours.
2.1.2. Analogous
colour
On
the other hand, analogous colours are those next to each other, specifically,
adjacent to each other on the colour spectrum. Analogous colour can be combined
to portray a natural and simple theme. For example, blue and green creates a
natural, balanced and pleasant scenery look.
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Figure 3.0 : Green and blue
are analogous colours.
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Figure 3.1 : the
colour of the plant symbolizes analogous colour.
2.1.3. Triadic
colour
Lastly, triadic colours are colours that are located at 120th
degree on the colour spectrum. A balanced triadic colour can be practiced by
dominating one colour while the other two colours plays a minor role.
.gif)
Figure 4.0 : In triadic
model, the colours are located evenly on the colour spectrum.
Figure 4.1
: It’s a triadic colour concept with three colours, orange, green and purple.
3.0. COLOUR SYSTEM
Colour system are divided into two; additive
and subtractive. Generally, both are used in our daily life. For instance,
website uses additive colour to express all the colours to the users whereas
books applies subtractive colour to generate the front layer. Similarly,
additive colours are used by anything that emits light, for example, sun,
screen and etc. Meanwhile subtractive colours are used by everything that
reflects lights, for instance, mirror).
3.1.Additive
Figure
5 : RGB , which stands for Red, Green and Blue makes up addictive colour.
The combination of varies wavelength of
light generate a variation of colours, thus the more light is added, the
brighter and lighter the colour turns. The elements of addictive colour are
similar to primary colours, which is Red, Green and Blue. This three colours
are the most fundamental of all the colours. Also, white represents a merging
of colour while black symbolizes the absence of colour. The combination of red
green and blue are represented in white in the above figure. (Theory, 2013).
3.2.
Substractive
Figure 6: CMY stands for Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. This three are the
elements of subtractive colour.
Subtractive colour can be
divided into three, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow or shortly known as CMY. In
subtractive, white represents absence while black symbolizes the merging of
different colours. Since subtractive colour reflects light, the wavelength of reflected
lights affects the possible colours seen by human.
However, the existing colours
do not help in reflecting the wavelength of lights fully, thus we need an extra
colour to reflect the lights. The extra colour is called as “Key” which is a
black colour. Subtractive colour includes four colour now, CMYK, which
represents cyan, magenta, yellow and key. (Theory,
2013).
4.0.
COMPONENTS OF COLOUR
Figure 7 : The differences
in term between hue, saturation and value.
4.1.
Hue
“What colour is that?” is
another way of asking what is hue? Similarly, hue is actually the attributes of
colour. For instance, the property of any colour, red, green or yellow defines
the term hue. Hues varies depending on the wavelength of light. Hence, hue can
be easily identified. Hue have a range from 0-359 degrees. For example, yellow
is positioned at 56th degree in the colour wheel while green is at
the 120th degree.
Examples:
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Figure 8.0 : The four striking colour with different hue degree
represents hue contrast.
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Figure
8.1: Blue falls under the same category, which is the primary colours, thus
they have the same hue. This hue is called as constant hue.
4.2.
Saturation
The
saturation of a color is not constant, but it varies depending on the
surroundings and what light the color is seen in. Saturation explains the intense or the power
of a colour relative to the brightness or lightness. For example, a solid
colour painted in the bedroom tend to appear differently in the morning and
otherwise in the night. Its range is between 0-100%. Hence, saturation can be
different although the hue are the same. Saturation is also known as
“intensity” and it is better to represent them in terms dull or faded and
powerful or natural.
Examples
:
Figure
9.0: This is a ‘saturation constant’ representation as they have the same
saturation but different hue.
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Figure
9.1 : This figure is called as ‘saturation contrast’ as they are from the same
hue but varies in saturation.
4.3.
Brightness/Value
Value or commonly known as brightness explains how vivid and intense a
colour is.
Also, in a simple term value is the assessment of the brightness of a
colour. Value is expressed in percentage, ranges between 0-100percent. For
instance, yellow colour will be black when it is set in 0% brightness but it
will be in it will be in the pure yellow colour when the value is set at 100%.
The value can be measured by looking at the colour’s greyscale measurement.
Examples :
Figure 10.0 : This colour are expressed as low value and constant range
as they have the same brightness level.
Figure 10.1 : The brightness of grey colour can be changed to black when
its percentage is set at 100%.
Figure 10.2 : The colours are set at 100% brightness to express the
contrast of value.
4.4.
Tint and Shades
Figure 10.3 : Tint and shade shows how the colour differs from its
original colour.
Tint and shade shows how the colour differs from its pure colour. For example, in the above figure, when white is added in the blue, the colour’s intensity decreases. Similarly, when black is added to the blue the saturation of blue increases (Johansson, 2014). Shade is the darker version of blue while tint is the lighter version of blue.
5.0.
CATEGORIES OF COLOUR
5.1.
Warm colour
Figure
11 : Warm colour are divided into red, orange and yellow.
Warm colours are any colour that are
intense, realistic and adventurous. Additionally, warm colours are likely to
lead in space and could be powerful. Warm colours consist of red, yellow,
orange and any variation of these three colours, example includes, fire,
volcanoes, sunsets and sunrise and fall leaves. Those colours are basically
very dynamic, active, positive and desirous. (Chapman,
2010)
Generally, red and yellow are primary
colours, while orange falling in the middle is a secondary colour. This shows
that all the colours are naturally warm colours. They aren’t mixed with any
cool colours. The usage of warm colour in designs portrays strength,
prosperity, and excitement.
5.2.
Cool colors
Figure 12 : Cool colours
include green, blue and purple.
Cool colours are those that give a sense of
peace and relaxed feeling. Cool colours involve green, blue, purple and the
variation of those three colours. The examples are the colour of water, of sky
and of night. Generally they tend to be very cooling, appeasing and peaceful.
Blue is categorized as primary colour while
green and purple are secondary colours. Surprisingly, purple is the mixture of
blue and red while green is produced from the combination of yellow and blue.
Green have some characteristic of yellow and same goes too red, where it have
the characteristics of red. Relatively, the use of cool colours in design
delivers a feeling of cool, somehow reserved and professionalism. (Chapman, 2010)
5.3.
Neutrals
Figure 13 :
Black, White, brown and grey are examples of neutral colours.
Neutral colours are frequently used as a
background colour because they tend to be very natural and less prominent.
Generally, they are mixed with darker shade colours. For instance, brighter red
accent is used against a black backdrop to create an elegant and stylish look.
Also, they can be applied individually with creative designs, for example,
white and grey can be a good combination to create something simple, lovely and
down-to-earth architecture. They are usually affected by the colours enclosing
them. For example, the picture in the figure below shows how the natural black
colour is much more affected by the yellow colours. The impressive look of the
nature below is balanced by combining natural colour and warm colour.
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Figure
14 : The combination of warm(yellow) and natural(black) colour creates an
amazing look.
5.4.
Primary colours
Generally,
primary colours are colours that can’t be produced by combining any other
colour. Examples of primary colours are red, blue and yellow.
5.5.
Secondary colours
Secondary
colours are produced by the combination of two primary colours.
Examples of
secondary colours are purple, orange and green. Purple is resulted from the
mixture of red and blue, whereas green is produced by mixing yellow and blue.
Likewise, orange is the mixture of red and yellow.
5.6.
Tertiary colours
Tertiary colour
is the combination of primary colours and its adjacent secondary colour.
The naming
system for tertiary colour is by combining the primary and secondary name, the
primary name should be placed first to show its role as a dominant one.
Yellow-orange, red-purple, blue-green are the few examples of tertiary colours.
Figure
15 : Colours are categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary groups.
6.0.
MEANING OF COLOURS
6.1. Red
Figure
16.0 : Red as a primary colour.
Red symbolizes hot. Consequently, red is linked
with fire, terrorism and battle. Alternatively, red also represent love,
affection and joy. Although, red can be linked with anger and violence, it also
related to importance. For instance, awards ceremony and celebrity show uses
red carpet. (Chapman, 2010). Besides
that, the meaning of red differs depending on the specific country. For
example, in China, red symbolizes good fortune, success, growth and joy. Unfortunately,
in South Africa, red indicates mourning.
Apart from that, red is a strong accent
colour in design. Red could have a striking and overpowering effect if it is
applied too much especially in its natural form. Red colour will be appropriate
when strength and passion are to be illustrated. Additionally, red could be
very flexible and functional depending on its contrast, as brighter red are
powerful, dynamic and lively while darker red are more energetic, classic and
fancy.
Examples :
Figure 16.1: The prominent brighter red accents against the black and
white images, hence giving a dynamic, luxurious and elegant feeling to the use.
6.2. Orange
Figure 17.0: Orange as a secondary colour.
Orange offers vibration and
energy.it is often related to earth and autumn when it is in muted form. Orange
symbolize alteration and motion due to its correlation with changing seasons.
Orange can also be linked to a fruit which represented by the name itself.
Also, orange colour can be signified to health, spirit and stamina.
Orange attracts attention and concentration
in designs, though it is not as strong as red. Light orange is accepted to be
more companionable, affectionate, tempting and welcoming.
Examples :
Figure 17.1: Dark orange against the lime green in this site creates a
balanced and vibrating feeling.
6.3. Yellow
Figure
18.0: Yellow act as a primary colour.
Yellow is usually assumed the most shining
and activating among the warm colours.
It is related to
peace-of-mind, delight and sunshine. Also, yellow is often considered as
aspiration, because some countries tend to fly yellow ribbons and flags when
their loved family members are at war. Alternatively, yellow can also be linked
to dishonesty, cowardice, and hazard, although it is not as powerful as red. The
meaning of yellow varies from countries. In Malaysia, yellow is a symbol of
majesty, while in Japan yellow symbolizes determination. In Egypt, yellow is a
symbol for mourning whereas in India it is a representative for merchants.
In the aspect of design, bright yellow
contributes to joy, cheery and lively emotion.
Generally,
softer yellows are used for babies and young children besides pink and blue as
soft yellow seem to be merry and rosy. A sense of peace, harmonious, and
pleasure can be obtained in light yellows. Besides that, dark yellows and
gold-hued yellows contributes to an ancient look and they can be used in layout
which requires permanence.
Examples :
Figure 18.1: The
mixture of the ancient yellow backdrop with the bright sunflower creates a
delightful and traditional feeling to the site.
6.4. Green
Figure
19.0 : Green as a secondary colour.
Green is a reasonable and practical colour
as it is often assumed as a down-to earth colour. Green also symbolizes new
onset and development besides signifying regeneration and wealth. On the other
hand, green has a negative side, where it personify jealousy and absence of
knowledge. In a nutshell, green almost has the same characteristics as blue and
it also includes some of the yellow’s strength.
Relatively, in design, green could have a
balanced and harmony implication. Green is suitable for layout that is
correlated to prosperity, recurrence, security and personality. Brighter green
has an activating and lively effect, whereas olive greens tend to express the
nature of the world. Meanwhile, dark green are the most balanced and signify
abundance.
Examples :
Figure 19.1: Olive-toned
green colour is applied in this site to deliver a natural and environment based look that is equivalent for its content.
6.5. Blue
Figure 20.0 :
Blue as a primary colour.
Blue is used to personify patience and duty.
Light blues are stimulating and neighbourly whereas dark blues symbolizes
unity, divine and holy implication in some culture and tradition.
Types of shade and hue affects the definition
of blue. This is because a definite shade of blue contributes a massive force
on the patter and composition of a design. In design, light blues create a
flexible and idealistic situation. Bright blue are activating and rejuvenating.
Aside that, dark blue are appropriate for corporate sides which needs courage
and accuracy.
Examples :
Figure 20.1:
The luminous blue used in this site contributes a casual and harmonious feeling.
6.6.
Purple
Figure
21.0: Purple act as a secondary colour.
Purple
normally symbolizes supremacy. It is a result from the mixture of red and blue,
besides sharing the characteristics of both. Purple is often correlated with
inspiration and fantasy. Purple signify sadness for widows in Thailand.
Specifically,
dark purples are linked with revenue ad authority, while lighter purple are
assumed as charming and passionate. On the other hand, dark purples illustrates
indulgence and prosperity in design. Meanwhile, lighter purple are comfy and
are elegant and pleasant.
Examples :
Figure 21.1: The
dark purple shade layer is applied to arouse a supreme legacy, which creates a
suitable backdrop for the ‘Asprey’ luxury goods brand.
6.7.
Black
Figure
22.0 : Black as a neutral colour.
Black is the powerful neutral colour
compared to white and grey. Relatively, lack is linked with evil, death,
mystery, wicked and ugly on the negative term whereas it is related to
potential, power, purity and formality on the positive side. For instance, in
horror movie, a suspense scene is often directed with a black background to
create an anxiety feeling. Also, black symbolizes mourning in many Western
countries. For example, Islam’s traditional colour for mourning is black.
As for design,
black is frequently applied in typography as it is more revealing and neutral
compared to other colours. Black helps to channel a sensibility of refinement,
thriller, and classic in a design. Black could be either stylish or
conservative, classical or individualistic, relying upon the colour it is
matched with.
Examples
:
Figure 22.1 :
The combination of black accents, sparkling colours, such as orange, yellow,
green and an extreme dark brown backdrop creates an uptight atmosphere to the
overall design.
6.8. White
White is contemporary with black in the
colour spectrum. While is similar with black, in a term, it can be matched with
any colour. White is commonly related to pureness, sanitation and morality. In
West, white is ordinarily used by bride on their wedding day. White colour has
also became a formal attire for certain professionals, like doctor, nurse and
dentist. This is because such professions requires cleanliness and pure
emotion. Also, white is frequently described as goodness and that’s the reason
angels tend to be portrayed in white.
In the aspect of design, white is
categorized as a neutral colour for its special appearance that allows other
colour in the design to have a higher saturation and voice. Besides that, white
also assist in transmitting neatness and modesty. In designs, white conveys
either winter or summer, leaning on the other design aims and colours
encompassing it.
Examples :
Figure 23.1 : Combination of white and grey
expresses a delicate and elegant emotion to this design.
6.9.
Grey
Figure
24.0 : Grey colour as a neutral colour
Greys are categorized as a neutral colour,
it is commonly considered on the frosty end of the colour spectrum. Grey often
represent temperamental and despondent emotion. Grey can also be a refined
colour besides being a more established and traditional colour. Light grey is more likely to be paired with
white whereas dark grey is mostly matched with black to create a good contrast
although grey may sometimes be mixed with blue or brown. Generally, greys are
applied in associate composition which incorporates formality and rectitude.
Examples :
Figure 24.1: Light
grey typography against a dark grey accent creates a modern and elegant look.
6.10.
Brown
Figure 25.0: Brown
as a neutral colour.
Basically,
brown is a natural colour. Brown symbolizes trustworthiness and honesty, though
the colour can be very dull at times. Also, brown gives a warm feeling and it
is usually used in wood textures. Dark brown can be a good typography for white
backdrop in designs while light brown is selected to be the background colour
for other dark colour typography.
Examples :
Figure 25.1: The
tertiary colour, orange-brownish of this site gives a reliability and classic
look.
7.0.
CONCLUSION
In the nutshell, the background research on
colours have helped the author to gain some valuable knowledge and experience.
The author has decided to choose green, white, light yellow, black, gold and
dark brown shade colours for the next Milo re-packaging assignment. Green is a
secondary colour while light yellow is a primary colour. Meanwhile, black and
white is a natural colour.
Green is the core colour of Milo, thus it
can’t be changed to any other colour, or else this might confuse the consumers.
I personally think that the core idea of Milo has been set to green as they symbolizes
regeneration, growth, prosperity and signify abundance. Similarly, Milo drinks
offer nourishment, refreshment, energy and provide good metabolism. The author
has decided to remain the typography “MILO”’s colour to be against the white
backdrop. Both white and brown are neutral colours. Therefore they creates
vibrant look when green is made as the background colour. The white colour
symbolizes the pure and natural colour of milk while the brown colour signify
the colour of chocolate malt. After discussing with the other authors, the
author has included light yellow and black in the re-packaging design. Black
comes with a small image, which is to be blurred while the yellow has a low
brightness. This is to ensure the green to be the dominant one. Analogous
colours are applied here, when the green plays a dominant role. Green and
yellow are adjacent to each other in the colour spectrum, and they are suitable
to be set against a white or black accent.
Additionally, the author has decided to make
few changes to the dark brown shades in other area by applying tint and shades.
The combination of white and dark brown representing the tint is going to
increase the value of brown to produce gold colour. The gold colour symbolizes
the colour of mature barley. Besides that, cool colour is much likely to be
preferred by the author as it gives a cool and refreshing feeling, likewise
Milo’s objective.
The appropriate colours chosen by the author
for assignment 2 will produce an energetic and powerful look for the MILO to
represent the theme of MILO-‘Your Day with Milo’.
8.0.
REFERENCES
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D.
The Physics of Color - the Color
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Basic color schemes: Color Theory
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H.
How to master colour theory |
Graphic design | Creative Bloq. In-text: (Theory, 2013)
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C.
Color Theory for Designers, Part
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(Chapman, 2010)
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D.
Color Terms - Hue, Value, Tint,
Shade, Saturation - Colors on the Web. In-text:
(Johansson, 2014)
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[Accessed: 26 Feb 2014].
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