The Use of Color in Graphic Design by Chong Qiu Yin

1.  Introduction

    1.1  The importance of color

    1.2  The role play by color

2. Color

    2.1  Color Principles

           2.1.1   Hue

           2.1.2   Value

           2.1.3   Saturation

    2.2  Meaning of color

           2.2.1   Warm color - red, orange, yellow

           2.2.2   Cold color - blue, green, purple

           2.2.3   Neutral color - black, white

    2.3  Use of color in different categories

           2.3.1   Movie

           2.3.2   Poster

           2.3.3   Food & Beverages

    2.4  Functions of color

           2.4.1   Represent festival

           2.4.2   Affect temperature
           2.4.3   Show emotions
           2.4.4   Communications

    2.5  Combination of color

          

3. Conclusion

4. References

1. Introduction

Color  is an element that form up this world. No matter sky, land, human, animals, or plants and etc, as long as it is a part of this world, it may used up color and itself is being formed by color. It is not only can make the objects become visible, it can also be apply in graphic design and fine arts.

1.1 The importance of color

This world is full of color. If there is no any color, there may be all in transparent. We can't see the beautiful things and no chance to know how nice the object look like. Color can represent many things and bring out lots of message. It is an element that is as important as language. We can't live in a world without language, same as we can't live in a world without color. Imagine that. How boring if your world is empty.

1.2 The role play by color

There are two roles that color has, which are describing and composing.

It uses four different ways in describing, include hue, saturation, temperature, and value. First, hue can describe the color spectrum. Second, saturation can describe the purity of color spectrum. Third, temperature can describe the warm to cool of color. Lastly, value can describe the brightness and darkness of color.

The color can composite a painting. Composition of painting is consist of these five roles. First, to either harmonize or make the contrast. To create a harmony painting, you can do the repetition of color. Second, to integrate the painting. You can apply same types of color that being categorized in same family to create an unite scene. Third, to produce a visual path. Visual path will be created while you keep repeat using the bright color. Fourth, to yield rhythm. Rhythm of painting is some kind of soft colors or smaller sizes that is repeated spread in the painting.Fifth, to create the focal point. The emphasis in a painting can be found when there is different color appear within the cluster of same color. You may automatically focus on it. This is how color being so attractive and miraculous.

Figure 1.1 Harmonize painting

Harmony color is suitable to be match. In this painting, green family is being applied. The repetition of green color build up the harmonize scenario. The visual path is created by the bright color within the picture, which is the yellow color. For the example of rhythm, the blushes on the left bottom is quite regular and there is a rhythm.

Figure 1.2 Contrast painting

We can see the contrast here where the bear is totally different color with the flowers. The painting is consist of soft colors' family, but the bear is from the brown family. It make a big contrast which we will directly focus on the bear when we look at the picture. 

2. Color

2.1 Color Principles

There are three elements in color principles, which are hue, value, and saturation.

2.1.1 Hue

Hue means the pure spectrum colors. It is the original of the color itself. The hue circle is consist of these six colors, which are red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and violet. The range between each two colors have full range of hues. For example, between red and yellow, there is full range of orange. 

Figure 2.1 Hue Circle

2.1.2 Value

Value has included the luminosity and brightness and darkness of color. Luminosity refer to an intensity of color. When you increase the luminosity, you can see the picture more clearly and add on lightness. Every color has their own range. Just say about blue family, you can increase the lightness of the blue until it become cyan blue. And, if you decrease the brightness, the blue is more likely to become indigo. But, for darkness, if you increasing it, the blue may more likely look like black color. 

Besides, value has one more function, that it will make the picture not be flatten. There is some kind of pictures, if it is no value, then the shape in the picture might be seem flatten. Somehow, if the values contrast, the shape is protruding to each other. You can see the differences between the lines and shapes. It make the picture more vivid. 

Figure 2.2 Values 

No matter white or black or colorful, it needs value to make their shapes stand out to each others and create better picture. 

2.1.3 Saturation

Saturation shows the purity of the color. The more higher the saturation, the color looks full and great. The lower the saturation, the color looks dull and likely grey. No saturation is equal to grey tone, and high saturation make the color look lively and pure. 100% saturation brings our 100% pure color. 

Figure 2.3 Saturation 

From the picture, you can see the red is from the pure red which is full of vivid turn into the very light red that almost same as white. 

2.2 Meaning of color

The meaning of color is always depend on the situation. By the way, some colors have their own meanings. There are some ideas for you to know more details about the meaning of colors. Let's categorize the colors. There are warm color, cold color, and neutral color.

2.2.1 Warm color-red, orange, yellow

Red, orange, and yellow have been categorized as warm colors. As the word, warm color is some kind of color that give out the warmness and bring hot energy.

First, red. Red represent courage. It always bring out a strong feeling and it is very energetic. It can always be used to demonstrate something or show the anger. It is able to show emotions. Importantly, red can bring out the danger message. By the way, different brightness of red also will bring out different meanings. Such as, light red represents joyful, pink represents love, and dark red represent anger or leadership. Besides, due to red is symbolic energetic, it is suitable to be used in advocating the energy drinks or games which are related to sports. So on, our group might apply a bit red color which is originally had been used on the Milo packet. For example, the "Nestle" word above the MILO.

Second, orange. Orange represent optimistic. Orange represents sunshine. It brings joy and it is actually consist of red's energetic and yellow's happiness. Besides, orange give warmth and it always give motivation. Orange is color of creative. It train the stamina and most of the young people would like to accept this color. As you see, sun is orange color. So, orange always give people an impression that as a sense of heat. Orange is suitable in advocating toys or food. Within the brightness, dark orange bring negative meaning, which mean distrust. However, for gold, it represents wealth. And so on, it is like guarantee the high quality. In our design, we may be use a bit gold as well to decorate the logo of Milo.

Third, yellow. Yellow represents cheerfulness. Yellow is related to leisure. Since it is also categorized to warm color, it brings warmness, but didn't as strong as red. Yellow is efficient in grabbing attention of others. So, the students usually choose to use yellow color to highlight their main points in their works. Somehow, yellow will construct a disturbing effect. For the difference of brightness, light yellow represent intensity but dark yellow represents caution. We will also apply yellow in our design as the color of rice, since Milo is also made up of rice.

We found that warm color is quite suitable for food and beverages because it can increase the one's appetite. So on, the three of warm colors are all being used by us in our design.

2.2.2 Cold color- blue, green, purple

In side of cold colors, there are blue, green, and purple. These three colors have same function that you might feel comfortable when seeing these colors because they have some kinds of cold effects.

First, blue. When mention about blue, what will come into your mind first? Blue is always make us remind about sky and sea, the two of biggest elements in this world. Blue represent calmness. That's one of the reason why we feel calm when we look at the blue sky. Besides, blue also represent cleanliness. For example, water or airport. Blue somehow gives us the feeling of pure even almost transparent. Usually, blue is more being accepted by males due to its masculine. Dark blue represents rightness and knowledge, while light blue represents understanding. Blue inhibit appetite, so it is not suitable to be used in our design.

Second, green. Green belongs to nature. Green always bring out good effect. It can improve our vision and it got the healing power within it. Moreover, green raises up hope. We also will think about plants and it is kind of growth and freshness. Green is also bringing the meaning of safety. So, it is suitable to be used in advertising the medicines. Peaceful can also be represented by this color. Dark green represents ambitious; Aqua represents healing; Olive green represents peace. In our design, green is the main color for Milo. We might decide to use olive green to apply in our design.

Third, purple. Purple has the endurance of blue and vigor of red. It has been related with royalty. It somehow being curious that it is an artificial color, but it is not. The children who are before the adolescence stage prefer purple. When you look at purple, you might associate it with wisdom. It has a charm which can make us feel that it is mysterious. Most popularly, purple also represents magic. Dark purple might make up desolation. Light purple can create romantic atmosphere. We won't use purple in our design, since it is not related to Milo at all.

2.2.3 Neutral color- black, white

Lots of people curious about whether black and white are considered as color. Yes, they are. Colors is visible. Black and white can be seen. There are no transparent with the presence of them.

First, black. Black always give people an impression that it is elegant. Black things always have special meanings, such as black cat, bat, or black bear. It gives us feelings of mysterious, evil, and power. Besides, black can always be used in formal occasion. Other than that, black also sometimes bring out sorrow. Black gives aggressive impression. It is suitable to be the background color when the objects are in bright color because it make strong contrast.

Second, white. White is a color that will be garbled with transparent. It represents pure, clean, innocent and almost all the good things. It is a color of heaven. People would like to use white color to vow their faith. Imagine all the wonderful things in this world, include snow and angel. They are in white color and they are sacred and holy. You can see in the hospital, doctors and nurse most are wearing white uniform. It bring calmness and cleanliness to others. White color is also suitable to be applied in dairy products. We will also used up white color in our design to increase the pureness and safety.

2.3 Use of colors in different categories

Every things in this world is infected by colors. No color, there is no any visible thing. And so on, human try to use the colors in creative ways in exploring different scopes. Colors can always attract people's eyeballs. Therefore, they like to apply the color wisely in promoting their things through different ways, such as movie, poster, or food and beverages.

2.3.1 Movie

From the movie poster, I can found that the colors that being used is always in high saturation. The colors that put is based on the theme of the movie.

For example, the below movie uses red and black color and some more white to give us a strong impression that it is related to bloody and aggressive, but still it have its justice among them.

Figure 2.4 Movie 1

Next, this movie represents youth, friends, and pure love. It choose to use sky blue, a comfort color. It is a harmonize scene and there are not big contrast had been made. 

Figure 2.5 Movie 2

2.3.2 Poster

Poster is a way to promote somethings, no matter for event or the products. It is always used to convey meanings. It usually have big contrast in the poster to attract people's attention. 

For example, Coca cola use this two totally different colors to make the contrast. The pure white background gives us a strong impression and the coca-cola which is in dark color look so outstanding. 

Figure 2.6 Poster 1

Next, this is the poster to invoke people to do the donation for the victims in disasters. The red color increase our awareness toward this poster and understand its seriousness. 

Figure 2.7 Poster 2

2.3.3 Food and Beverages

Sometimes, people choose the food and beverages may based on their packets. The packets have to be designed well to increase people's appetite and feel no worry to take it in. 

For example, the design below successfully increase the appetite, since it used green color. Light green give a comfortable vision and represents safety. 

Figure 2.8 Packet 1

2.4 Functions of color

2.4.1 Represent Festival

Every festival has its own color to represent its own meaningful concept. For example, Chinese New Year's color is red. Because Chinese believe that red bring goodness to them.

2.4.2 Affect Temperature

The wall's color in a room is quite important. It will affect the level of comfort in room. Blue color is the best color to be used in painting a room. The room owner can feel the coldness and comfortable in sleeping.

2.4.3 Show Emotions

Red represents anger. Orange represents optimistic. Blue sometimes represent depress. Actually our face can change color due to the condition. When a person get angry or get embarrassed, his face might turn red. Then, when a person get shocked, his face might turn to green. This is also only used to describe one's emotions.

2.4.4 Communications

The traffic light has three colors, red, yellow, and green, to allow us across the street based on it.

2.5 Combination of color

The fun thing about color is that they can be combine with each other, Some will even turn become other color. The primary colors, which are red, yellow, and blue. They are originally come from their own hues. They can't be created by the mix of other colors, but they can mix with each other to form others.

The secondary colors, which are orange, green, and purple are consists of combination of primary color. Red mix with yellow will produce orange color. Then, the tertiary color is formed when primary color and secondary color are mixed together. For example, yellow-orange, red-orange, and blue-purple.

Figure 2.9 The mix of colors 

3. Conclusion

As stated in the contents, color can be apply at everywhere. It is been so useful in our daily lives. Without it, we can't see anything. Color makes our world colorful and wonderful.  We just have to use the colors wisely to make our design and our world become better. Explore the color to make it have chance to diffuse its own spell. Color is the important issue in a design. It can determine the theme of a design and affect the theme. It helps to convey meanings and represent somethings. Hope we can use the color to bring our Milo's them accurately.

For the assignment 2, the authors apply the color on the design using hue, saturation, and value. The product is related to food and beverages. So, green is suitable to be used for ensure safety. And, we learn some colors which can increase the food appetite, for example red, suitable for energy drinks. To make our logo related to the theme, we might use back lots of the colors which the original logo has had. By the way, we wish to change its saturation and value to change the looking view and the sense of attractive. Hope we can apply these colors in the assignment 2 and make it better.

4. References

Charlotte Jirousek. 1995. Color, Value, and Hue. [Online] Available at:

http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/element/color/color.htm [Accessed: 22 February 2014].

J.L.Morton. 2012. Welcome to Color Matters. [Online] Available at:

http://www.colormatters.com/ [Accessed: 23 February 2014]

Dianne Mize. 2008. The Role of Color in Art. [Online] Available at: 

http://emptyeasel.com/2008/12/30/the-role-of-color-in-art-how-to-use-color-to-enhance-painting/ [Accessed: 23 February 2014]

J.C.Adamson. 1997,2012. Hue, Saturation & Value. [Online] Available at: 

http://www.greatreality.com/color/ColorHVC.htm [Accessed: 23 February 2014]

J.L.Morton. 1995-2012. Basic Color Theory. [Online] Available at:

http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory [Accessed: 24 February 2014]