Color Cook Book

Pitch and Color Recognition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:47:00 +0000

Read about Pitch and Color Recognition at mathpages.com

History of the (Color) Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Another great post at COLORlovers on the origin of the color wheel by evad.

ColorJack

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:54:00 +0000

Just got sent this link to ColorJack: Their website says: "Creative professionals daily delve into the world of Color. Color is powerful, it affects us all in countless ways. ColorJack’s tools help us choose the right colors for websites, print jobs, or any design project."

Simple easy to use layout and lots of interesting links. Thanks for the heads up Anthony!

Exercise #A - The Grid System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:52:00 +0000

After completing all of your lessons, it's time for you to take from what you have learned to create some designs of your own. Don't worry about rules, format or medium - just think about color - what you know (and what you don't know) and start designing! Here are some grids I have been working on.

Lesson #10 - Color Harmony

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Now that you have had an introduction to color theory what have you learned?

Take some time to do some research into color harmony. Use the Colorful Links section in the side bar and get some books about color from the library or do an internet search to find the answers to these questions:

1. What constitutes color harmony?

2. What constitutes good color?

3. What constitutes bad color?

Find some examples of good and bad color and cite them in a 1-1/2 to 2 page paper.
By writing your thoughts down and comparing them to the observations of others you will deepen your understanding of color.

Lesson #9 - One Color becomes Six

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Create a design with one color to look like 6 slightly different colors. You may use paint, paper, photoshop or a combination of the three mediums. You should make the color vary as follows:

1. lighter
2. darker
3. more saturated (bright)
4. less saturated (dull)
5. cooler
6. warmer

Placement, distribution and size are of importance to create each desired effect. Be highly critical! How can you make your design better?

Lesson #8 - Using another Artist's Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Using the artist's work you examined in Lesson #5, (or another piece of artwork) say something - if you can - about the colors in the original work. After you create your design, take some time to think about these questions and answer them:

1. Do you feel the colors are accurate?

2. Are colors used in greater amounts in this work?

3. What are the consequences of having used similar amounts or different amounts of colors?

4. Is this design in your opinion an example of good color use? Why or why not?

5. How does the Title relate to the work?

6. What constitutes good color?

7. Is there color contrast?

8. Do we value contrast?

9. Are there different levels of saturation?

10. Are there cool and warm aspects to the piece?

Lesson #7 - Two Colors become One

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:05:00 +0000

This exercise follows the same format as Lesson #6. But this time we will make 2 colors appear to become one. Find some sheets of colored paper, magazines, etc. (or use photoshop or a combination of both) and cut out 3 inch squares of the same color and cut out two (differently colored) 2 inch squares. Arrange the smaller squares as folows: One at the top of a sheet of white paper, and the other two on top of and in the center of the two larger squares. The arrangement should look like this:

Sound of Color

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:36:00 +0000

I found this great aound & color experiment Sound of Color through the COLOURlovers blog.
COLOURlovers explains, "This abstract question is exactly what Rehab and GAP proposed to 5 music artists — DNTEL, Swiss Beatz, The Blakes, Marié Digby, and The Raveonettes. Then, the music was delivered to video directors, Chris Do, Mary Fagot, James Frost, Tom Gatsoulis, Russ Lemourex and Ryan Ebner to interpret the music and create video." The result is 5 interesting takes on color. Stop over by COLOURlovers to check out more info and interviews - and don't forget to tell them the ColorCookBook sent you!

Color Perception

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:05:00 +0000

Found some more interesting info over at the Visual PercepZone. Click to find out some more tips related to the perception of color, color properties, color changes, space and color, and time and color.

Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomenon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:56:00 +0000

Here are some more that may help you create a better understanding of color and help you complete your exercises more efficiently. Click here to explore Michael Bach's 77 Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomenon.

Simultaneous Contrast

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:49:00 +0000

I recently came across this great site with lots of interactive flash demos that show how simultaneous contrast works. This exhibit is a public service of the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA). Click the link below and see for yourself! http://webexhibits.org/

Exercise #Z - Web Colors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Here is a comparison of blue color on top of an assortment of web colors:

Look for more updated grid examples coming soon!

Lesson #6 - One Color becomes Two

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:32:00 +0000

For this exercise, find some sheets of colored paper, magazines, etc. and cut out 3 inch squares of the same color and cut out two (differently colored) 2 inch squares. Arrange the smaller squares as follows: One at the top of a sheet of white paper, and the other two on top of and in the center of the two larger squares. The arrangement should look like this:

Now repeat this system until you find the combinations that produce the greatest contrast of the main color. Which designs do you find to be the most successful?

Images

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:24:00 +0000

Check back through some of the old posts. New images have been uploaded for the previous exercises!

Color Notes Chalkboard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Here's some meaningful notes on color, form, language and meaning from the Color Cook Book classroom.

Lesson #5 - Color Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Since you've been doing a lot of hard work, I thought it would be good to go on a field trip. For this exercise, I would like you to go out to a museum or gallery (or if you are hungry maybe a fancy restaurant with artistically created dishes). Look around for a while, what do you see? Choose an piece of artwork that you think is about color. It may be a good idea to take your color wheel, a notebook and a pen to write down some notes. Answer these 8 questions:

1. Write down the Artist, Title, Year, Medium, Materials and Dimensions of the artwork.
2. Descibe the hues that are used.
3. Descibe the saturation levels of the artwork.
4. Descibe the color values of the piece.
5. Are there neutral colors (black, white, gray) used? Which ones and how?
6. Make a rough estimate of the percentage of each color that is used
7. What kinds of shapes and spaces are used/
8. How do the colors relate to the Title and Content of the work?

After you have studied the work for a while, go back to the "kitchen" and get cooking.
The ingredients for this exercise will be the same as the Artist's palette of the work you have studied. Your goal is to accurately match the colors. You may reinterpret or change the design and amount of each color as you wish. You the words and other information that you recorded to help you mix your palette.

Lesson #4 - Value

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:09:00 +0000

For this exercise, you will use 6 colors to create a design. This design should combine the 6 colors next to one another, leaving no white spaces in between them. Arrange it however you like, just make sure you have a solid design. Begin with the three primary colors, red, blue, yellow and then add the secondary colors, green, purple and orange. Try to keep all the values in the same range. Choose either light, medium light, medium or medium dark. Why can't you make them all dark? Hint: Use a photocopier to copy your design in gray scale... does the design disappear and become one, solid object?

Once you have completed this part, repeat your same design again, but this time, use what you have learned about value and saturation to create a design that creates a minimum of 4 distinct levels. You should use the prismatic (unmixed) colors and muted colors to create this effect.

here are my designs:

This grid attempts to create the same value for all colors.
See the desaturated grid to the right. Notice the yellows and blues have a slightly darker value.
Close but no cigar!

This grid is comprised of the primary and secondary colors only.
To the right is a desaturated analysis showing the values.

This grid is composed of each primary color pushed or pulled toward the extremes. Notice the different levels of value.

Feedback

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:06:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who has been giving me feedback on this blog!
If you would like to post your images on this blog, comment on the exercise that you wish to submit your designs and we will go from there!

Lesson #3B Color & Form & Meaning: Words Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:49:00 +0000

Now that you've been busy exploring and building your understanding of color. Lets take a look back at Lesson # . Use this this form to analyze your designs. Find someone else's designs and compare them to your own. Isn't it interesting how certain colors correlate with shape? Do the primary colors tend to have simpler shapes? Are your designs for the secondary colors combinations of simpler shapes? In my comparisons, you can see elements of the shapes created with primary colors in the designs for the secondary colors.

For each word (1-10), check the answer to each question and explain your reasoning behind it.

Similarities between colors.

_ much
_ somewhat
_ not at all
explanation:

Similarities between shapes.

_ much
_ somewhat
_ not at all
explanation:

Relationship between language and shape.

_ much
_ somewhat
_ not at all
explanation:

Lesson #3A - Words

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:32:00 +0000

For lesson three, we will follow the same format as lesson two. This time, I will give you a new set of ten words to create your designs. It is your job to mix the color and create a simple shape that relates or describes that word.

1. musical
2. sour
3. cerebral
4. sleep
5. past
6. ascending
7. descending
8. full
9. bitter
10. presidential

good luck, and get to work! These recipes don't make themselves!

here are my designs:

1. musical

2. sour

3. cerebral

4. sleep

5. past

6. ascending

7. descending

8. full

9. bitter

10. presidential

Lesson #2 - Mix & Match

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Mix & Match - Color & Shape.

In this lesson you will be given 10 color types. It is your job to mix the color and create a simple shape that relates or describes that color.

Tips:

Try to keep the shapes no bigger than the size of your hand.

Size should relate to the meaning of the color.

No soft or blurry edges this time, keep the shape hard-edged.

Every shape/color has a personality.

Make the shapes as non-representational as possible.

I. Create a shape that matches each color.

II. Explain why each shape is 'perfect' for the color.

The ingredients:

1. light bluish purple

2. medium saturated purplish red

3. muted medium light brownish green

4. saturated medium green

5. medium dark grayish blue

6. medium light saturated purplish blue

7. medium light saturated yellow orange

8. medium light saturated greenish yellow

9. medium dark reddish brown

10. medium pure gray

Now that you have your colors, get mixing! Chop Chop!

I've been cooking up some designs for you to inspire you, here they are:

1. light bluish purple
2. medium saturated purplish red
3. muted medium light brownish green

4. saturated medium green

5. medium dark grayish blue

6. medium light saturated purplish blue

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops!
i forgot to do this one!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops!
i forgot to do this one!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops!
i forgot to do this one!

7. medium light saturated yellow orange

8. medium light saturated greenish yellow

9. medium dark reddish brown
10. medium pure gray

ok, so I already taste that somethings not quite right, just looking at my designs is helping me perfect my recipies. I'll get back in the kitchen and tweak a few things here and there. Maybe the HP Color Thesaurus could help me out.

Lesson #1 - Leitmotif.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:03:00 +0000

For our first lesson, you will create a design, using your favorite color. This design should be simple in both form & composition. It may either be hard or soft-edged. Use your favorite color as your leitmotif and combine it with other colors to create a visually appealing whole. Make sure you put time into mixing your ingredients! Apply the color opaque, avoiding shade variation. Also, be sure to make some sketches before you start.

Here is my first design:
I'm not satisfied with that one, so I will try a faster more free style this time:
I'm much happier with this one. What do you think?

Objective

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Color Cook Book places practice before theory. We encourage you to experiment with new color "recipes" and learn from experience the ways that colors behave in front of our eyes, how colors interact with each other and how you can use color effectively and meaningfully in the making of your "recipes". Below are some essential readings on both old and new color theories to relate your own "cooking" to artists and theorists of the past and present. Our objective is through practice to deepen your understanding of color in life and science!

David Hornung: Color, a workshop approach

Josef Albers: Interaction of Color

Martin Kemp: The Science of Art

John Gage: Color and Meaning

John Gage: Color and Culture

Hazel Rossotti: Colour; why the world isn't gray

David Batchelor: Chromophobia

Definitions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 20:27:00 +0000

20/20 Vision : 20/20 Vision indicates perfect visual acuity.

Achromatic : A color without hue, including White, Black and Gray only.

Adaptation : This allows us to see in many different intensities of light.

Amplitude : The distance in which a wave travels from its horizontal axis.

Analogous Color Scheme : Using colors that lie next to one another on the color wheel.

Angle : of Incidence : The angle at which light strikes a surface. This angle is measured from the light ray to the normal.

Angle : of Reflection : The angle at which light is reflected off of a surface. This angle, measured between the light ray and the normal, is equal to the angle of incidence.

Aperture : The opening in your eye that limits the quantity of light that enters.

Aqueous Humor : The limped, watery liquid that fills the area between the cornea and the lens.

Brightness : Measurement of the intensity of light/

Choroid : The Choroid is responsible for "normal" black irises and red eyes in photographs.

Chromatic : A color with hue, including Red, Green and Violet, etc.

Ciliary Muscles : The smooth muscle in the ciliary body that accommodates the eye.

CMV : CMV is an abbreviation for Cytomegalovirus, which attacks epithelial cells in the body.

Color : Described by the three dimensions - hue, value and intensity.

Complementary Color Scheme : Using colors directly opposite on the color wheel.

Cool (Receding) Colors : Greens, Blues and Violets.

Cones : Cones are photo-sensitive cells used for front and high-light vision. It is also named after its shape.

Congenital : Compatible [with the eye]

Construction : The process of putting together a series of visual clues to understand an image.

Density : A measure of how much of a substance exists in a certain amount of space.

Diabetes : A disease that impairs the ability of the body to use sugar and causes it to appear abnormally in the body.

Diurnal : Types of animals that stay awake during the day, when there is sunlight. Humans are an example.

Electromagnetism : The relationship between a changing electric field and a changing magnetic field.

Frequency : A measure of a wave’s speed of oscillation. Often measured by how many wavelengths pass a point in a period of time.

Hertz : Unit of measure for frequency. On Hertz represents one oscillation per second.

Hue : A specific color family name, with its relative degree of brightness of warmness or coolness.

Hypoglycemia : An abnormally low level of glucose, when pertaining to blood

Hypothalamus : An important section of the brain that regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism, expression of emotions and sexual behaviors.

Incidence : In Physics, incidence refers to the arrival of radiation or a projectile at a surface.

Key Color : Dominant color in a color scheme and mixture.

Leitmotif : (leading motive) a dominant or re-occurring theme.

Lightness : Known usually as the "shade" of a color, and is measured and grey-scale, from black to white.

Luminance : Brightness and intensity of light.

Luminous : Luminous means "to glow." Cat's eyes seem to be creating light when they are actually reflecting it.

Macula : Area of discoloration on the skin, caused by lack or excess of pigment.

Mirror : Any reflective surface, usually a flat, transparent, polished glass backed with a silver coating.

Monochromatic Color Scheme: Using one color in different values.

Nanometer : One billionths of a meter.

Neutral Gray : Combination of Black and White.

Nocturnal : Types of animals that stay awake at night when there is little light present.

Normal : In Mathematics, the condition of being perpendicular.

Optical : Density : The measurement of how slowly light passes through an substance.

Oscillate : To swing back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm. (From the Latin oscillare, meaning swing.)

Peripheral Vision : Vision that is described as being "out of the corner of an eye," or in other words, out of the direct line of sight.

Phenomenal : Sense: Philosophers use the word phenomenal to mean an object that appears real to the mind, regardless of whether its underlying existence is proved or its nature understood.

Photometer : A device used to detect change and intensity of light.

Photopic : Phos is a Greek word meaning "light."

Pineal : Gland : A pea-sized gland in the brain that affects the human biological clock; including sleep and temperature patterns.

Pituitary : Gland : A small, oval gland at the base of the brain that controls hormone production, affecting growth, maturation and metabolism.

Plexiform Layer : Plexus means network, referring to the network of nerves in the eye.

Primary colors : Red, Yellow and Blue- cannot be mixed from any other colors.

Rays : Ray Model of Light A model which presents light as energy that travels in rays, or straight beams.

Real Image : An image that has light where the image appears to be.

Reflection : The act of returning a light wave upon its contact with a reflective surface

Refraction : The turning or bending of any wave, such as light and sound, when it passes

Relative : Sense : The sense in which we see objects that really do exist.

Retina : Reta is Latin for net, referring to the net of nerves that makes up the retina.

Rods : Rods are photo-sensitive cells used for peripheral and low-light vision. It is named after its shape.

Saturation : is the colorfulness of a stimulus relative to its own brightness.

Sclera : A dense, white membrane that, with the cornea, forms the external covering of the eyeball.

Scotopic : Skotos is a Greek word meaning "darkness."

Secondary colors : Two primary colors mixed together, resulting in orange, green and violet.

Shade : Color + Black.

Simultaneous : Brightness Contrast : Describes how we use the colors around an object to help to determine the color of that object.

Simultaneous contrast : refers to the manner in which the colors of two different objects affect each other. The effect is more noticeable when shared between objects of complementary color.

Simultaneous Lightness Contrast : Uses inhibition to make similar images

Split-Complementary Color Scheme : Using one color plus the two colors next to its complement on the color wheel.

Subjective : Generally, subjective refers to something particular to the point of the view of the viewer. In Psychology, subjective refers to something existing only in the observer’s mind.

Tertiary (Intermediate) Colors : One primary and one secondary mixed together.

Tetrad : Four colors equally spaced on the color wheel.

Three-dimensional : This term refers to height, width and depth.

Tint : Color + White.

Tone : Color + Gray or its compliment.

Triad : Three colors equally spaced on the color wheel.

Two-dimensional: This term refers to only height and width.

Undulate : To move in a small wave-like formation. (From the Latin undulare, meaning small wave.)

Value: The relative degree of lightness or darkness of a color.

View : Generic View Principle : The assumption our eyes make that accept you are seeing an object from a generic view, or a non-accidental view.

Virtual : Image : An image from which rays of reflected or refracted light appear to diverge, as from an image seen in a plane mirror.

Vitreous Humor : The transparent, gelatinous substance that occupies the eyeball behind the lens.

Warm (Advancing) Colors : Reds, Oranges and Yellows.

Wave : A disturbance traveling through a medium by which energy is transferred from one particle to another without causing permanent displacement of the medium itself.

Wavelength : The distance it takes a wave to make one full undulation.