UNDERSTANDING COLOUR

AS A VISUAL COMPONENT

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 Brief History Of Color

Artists invented the first pigments—a combination of

soil, charcoal, and chalk—as early as 40,000 years ago,
creating a basic palette of five colors: red, yellow,
brown, black, and white. VC RFS
Since then, the invention of new pigments accompanied
the developments of art history’s greatest movements—
from the Renaissance to Impressionism, as artists
experimented with colors.

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The first color wheel was presented by Sir Isaac Newton
in the 17th century when he first discovered the visible
spectrum of light. In his classic prism experiment, he
noted that white light is composed of a variety of
colors. He then mapped these colors into a scheme, as
the first color wheel.

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Goethe, later, went into studies about the psychological
aspects of colors and their relationship to human
emotions and behavioural traits. His observations led
him to develop his own color wheel, which is similar to
the one we use today. His studies became the
foundation for our knowledge of how color is interpreted
by the human brain.
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In the 20th century, Albert Munsell recognized the
usefulness of a systematic method for communicating
and teaching color. This required a system where color
was easily measurable and definable. He wanted to
create a “rational way to describe color” that would use
decimal notation instead of color names, which he could
use to teach his students about color.
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He added the dimensions of “Chroma” and “color
value” as additions to hue. Chroma is the purity or
intensity of the color, now referred to as saturation.
Color value refers to the lightness or darkness of the
color, and is now referred to as value or brightness.

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Subsequent work led to the standardized color wheel
and color space that are now used across arts, science,
and mathematics in many areas of color research.
Color perception used the fundamentals of Goethe’s
Theory of Color to further investigate the role of color
in psychology, ecology, and evolution, as well as the
physiology of human sight and color discernment.
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 COLOUR

Life's Aspirations Within The Color Spectrum (Gary J. Hernandez)

Colour is fundamental to many forms of art. Its

relevance, use and function in a given work depend on
the medium of that work. It is a complex artistic
element because of the combinations and variations
inherent in its use, and the ways we perceive them.
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 LIGHT

In films, the basic perception of colour comes from

how light reacts to film, or how the process of
cinematography controls and shapes light.

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 LIGHT

We use sunlight or artificial lights to light up objects,

so we can see them. We say that sunlight is natural
‘white light’, since it doesn’t change the colour
objects. Sunlight appears to be normal “white” light.
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In contrast, when we are in a room lit by only deep
blue light, colours appear changed and unnatural.
Everything is tinged by blue. We therefore think it
is not “normal”, but artificial light.

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But the light from the sun is not normal or white either.
In fact, true, normal white light does not exist.
Understanding light is critical to understanding colour,
since the full spectrum of colour is visible in white light.

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 LIGHT

We have to understand how light behaves before

we can understand color. The visible spectrum
created by the ray of sunlight is passed through a
prism produces a spectrum which consists of red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

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 LIGHT

The amount of colors vary from each other. There

is a predominant blue in the spectrum.

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When we pass rays from a 60-watt household
bulb through a prism, it also produces a similar
spectrum like the rainbow. The major difference,
the amount of each colour is different, with a
predominance of yellow and orange.
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The major difference – the amount of each colour is
different from one spectrum to the other. Sunlight
contains far more blue light than the tungsten lamp,
which is more orange-red.
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This proves that the quantity of the colours in
the spectrum will vary according to the
nature of the light source. Thus we would get
different spectrums each produced by a
different light source.
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DAYLIGHT

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CANDLE LIGHT

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60 WATT BULB

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SUNSET

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Thus, different light sources produce different colored
light. We see most light sources as neutral white or
colourless because our vision systems are able to
compensate for the different colored light sources, and
adapts. But none of them produces white light.

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 COLOR SYSTEMS

There are various types of color systems that classify

color and analyse their effects.

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 COLOUR SYSTEMS

ADDITIVE SUBTRACTIVE

The two basic color systems that simplify color

organization are – the additive and the subtractive.
These two systems share terms and characteristics
but they should each be considered separately.
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 THE ADDITIVE COLOUR SYSTEM

The additive system of color involves the mixing of

color lights. When the light of one color and a light
of another color is beamed on to a common
surface, and overlap, we get a third color.

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 THE ADDITIVE COLOUR WHEEL

The primary colours in the additive system are red,

green and blue. Combining primary colours in pairs,
will produce the other colours needed to complete the
additive color wheel. An additive system is the mixing
of light and not paint.
RED+BLUE = MAGENTA; RED+GREEN = YELLOW;
GREEN+BLUE = CYAN VC RFS
 THE ADDITIVE COLOUR WHEEL

Magenta is similar to violet or

purple but more reddish.

Cyan is like turquoise but more

greenish.

Where all the primary colours of the additive

system overlap we get white light (or what appears
to be white light)
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 Complimentary Colors

Colours opposite one another on the colour wheel are

called complementary colours. In the additive system:
cyan and red, green and magenta; and blue and
yellow are complementary.

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 THE ADDITIVE COLOUR SYSTEM

The additive system is used most often in theatrical

lighting for plays, rock concerts, musical events,
discos, night clubs etc.
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Contrary to the common belief, television and
computer screens do not mix colour using the additive
system.

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The color on television and computer screens is due to
a system called optical mixing, which is similar to,
but yet different from, the additive system. The screen
is comprised of hundreds of rows of tiny red, blue, and
green dots or squares.

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Optical colour mixing happens when a viewer
perceives colour in an image as a result of two or more
colours that are positioned next to, or near each other.
if yellow and blue are placed on a surface in close
enough proximity to one another, the viewer may
perceive that the colour green is present – even though
it is not on the surface at all.
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 THE SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR SYSTEM

The subtractive color system is different from the

additive color system although they share terms and
certain definitions. The subtractive system is used in
the mixing of pigments, which include paint and dyes.
The subtractive colour wheel looks similar to the
additive colour wheel but the primary colours are
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 THE SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR WHEEL

The primary colours on the subtractive color wheel

are magenta, yellow and cyan. Mixing primary
color pairs will give us the other colours needed to
complete the color wheel.
MAGENTA + YELLOW = RED - YELLOW + CYAN = GREEN –
CYAN + MAGENTA = BLUE
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Colours opposite one another in the subtractive colour
wheel are called complimentary colours. For instance,
magenta and green are complements.

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 THE SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR SYSTEM (Paint/Dye)

Almost everything in our real world has been painted,

dyed or pigmented by the use of the subtractive system.
Colors in a paint store are mixed using the subtractive
system. In photography all lighting gels and camera
filters also use the subtractive system.

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THE SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR SYSTEM (Nature)

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THE SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR SYSTEM (Gels)

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 CAMERA AND LIGHTING FILTERS

Camera and lighting filters also use the subtractive

system, but instead of mixing paint we mix colored
glass or sheets of colored acetate called gels. If we
overlap magenta, yellow and cyan gels, we can get
the same subtractive mixtures produced by mixing
paint.
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BASIC COMPONENTS OF COLOR

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Talking about color is difficult because words can never
accurately describe a color are not always accurate.
Various names are used to describe color, ‘navy blue’ ,
bottle green’ etc. Ultimately, it’s impossible to
accurately describe a color using words.

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The only way to describe a specific color is to have an
actual sample of the color in hand. Commercially
available systems, like the Pantone Color System
and the Munsell Color System, provide color
swatches that are accepted worldwide. These
systems specify a color based on numbered charts or
swatches of color, rather than a verbal description.
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 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF COLOUR

If color swatches aren’t available, there are three

terms that can verbally describe any color: hue,
brightness, and saturation.
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 1. HUE

Hue tells us the position of a color on the color wheel:

red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, violet (or
purple) and magenta. There are only eight hues.
Pink, brown, turquoise, and beige etc., are not hues.
Using the hue name, we can begin to describe a color.

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 2. BRIGHTNESS OR VALUE

Brightness, sometimes called value, is the addition

of white or black to the hue. Adding white to a blue
creates a bright blue. Adding black to the blue
produces a dark blue. Brightness is the position of
the color on the gray scale. It is a question of the
tonal value of a color.
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VALUE

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 VALUE

Low High

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Low High VC RFS
 3. SATURATION

The third component of color is saturation, also

known as chroma or intensity. Saturation and its
opposite desaturation, are somewhat difficult to
understand.

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Saturation refers to the purity of a hue. A full saturated
red is 100% red. It means that red is very vivid and
pure and hasn't been contaminated by any other hue.

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 SATURATION

100% 50% 0%

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 Desaturation

Desaturation involves a saturated hue and its

complimentary colour. If we add a small amount of
cyan (red’s complement), the saturated red hue begins
to change. It becomes less vivid and begins to turn
grey. The more cyan we add, the greyer the red will
become. When we add equal amount of red and cyan
we end up without a trace of either hue. It will be full
grey.
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 Saturation Using Complimentary Colors

We can make any color desaturate or turn grey by

adding its complimentary color
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 THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF COLOUR

Hue, brightness, and saturation are the only terms we

need to describe a color in a handy way and for
everyday practice in film production. But when we
wish to be as specific as possible then it is always
better to show a sample of the color we have in mind.
There are a few other terms used to describe color.
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 TINT AND SHADE

In color theory, a tint is the mixture of

a color with white, which increases lightness, and
a shade is the mixture of a color with black, which
reduces lightness.

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 BRIGHTNESS

SATURATION

This diagram illustrates a range of colors that were

created by adding black, white, or cyan to a fully
saturated red. The colors desaturate as they move to
the left, become brighter as they move up, and darker
as they move down the diagram.
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 BRIGHTNESS AND SATURATION

A basic color wheel always displays the hues in their

fully saturated (most pure or vivid) state. But the
brightness of these saturated hues is different.

Knowing the inherent levels of different saturated hues is

important. A saturated yellow will always attract the eye not only
because it is saturated but also because it is also very bright. A
saturated blue will always appear much darker than a saturated
yellow. If we rise the brightness level of the blue to match the
brightness of the yellow, the blue cannot retain its saturation
because it contains so much white. VC RFS
Knowing the inherent levels of different saturated hues
is important. A saturated yellow will always attract the
eye not only because it is saturated but also because it
is also very bright. A saturated blue will always appear
much darker than a saturated yellow. If we rise the
brightness level of the blue to match the brightness of
the yellow, the blue cannot retain its saturation because
it contains so much white.
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These hues vary in saturation, but are of equal
brightness.

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Here’s a colour wheel, and beside it, the same
wheel reproduced in black and white. Yellow is the
brightest saturated colour. Orange is almost as
bright. A saturated red, green, and cyan appear as
middle grey. Blue and violet are the darkest
saturated colours.
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CONTRAST AND AFFINITY OF COLOR

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 CONTRAST AND AFFINITY : HUE

There are many ways to produce contrast or affinity

of color, (within the shot, from shot to shot and from
sequence to sequence).
We can create contrast or affinity of hue.

Affinity of hue means that all colours use the same

hue. Every color in the shot is the same hue even
though the brightness and saturation can vary.
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 CONTRAST OF HUE

Contrast of hue occurs when the major color

differences in a shot are due to hue.
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CONTRAST OF HUES

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CONTRAST OF HUES

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 CONTRAST OF HUE

(Scene to scene)

‘THE ENGLISH PATIENT’

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 Contrast of Hue

‘Hero’

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 AFFINITY OF HUE

Affinity of hue occurs when

all colors in the picture are
based on a single hue.
Every color in the shot is
green even though the
brightness and saturation
can vary.

‘MATRIX’

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AFFINITY OF HUES

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AFFINITY OF HUE

THE SHINING VC RFS

 AFFINITY OF HUE

CRIES AND WHISPERS

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 CONTRAST AND AFFINITY : BRIGHTNESS

Brightness refers to the tonal range of the colors in the

shot. A scene that uses very bright and dark colors
illustrates contrast of brightness. A scene that uses only
bright colors will show affinity of brightness. This shot
has affinity of brightness as there are only dark reds.
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CONTRAST OF BRIGHTNESS

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AFFINITY OF BRIGHTNESS

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 CONTRAST AND AFFINITY

SATURATION

An entire film might use only saturated color, which will create
affinity of saturation. Each sequence in a film may also alternate
between saturated and desaturated colours giving the
production a contrast of saturation and desaturation. Saturation
and desaturation can also occur within the shot.

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CONTRAST OF SATURATED AND DESATURATED COLOR

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CONTRAST OF SATURATION AND DESATURATION

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AFFINITY OF SATURATED COLORS

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AFFINITY OF DESATURATED COLOR

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AFFINITY OF DE SATURATION

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WARM AND COOL COLOR
 WARM AND COOL COLORS

Colours are perceived to have temperatures associated with

them, and based on them are classified as Warm and Cool
colours.
 CONTRAST OF WARM AND COOL COLOURS

The warm colours are red, red-magenta, orange and

yellow; the cool colours are blue-magenta, blue, cyan, and
green. Because magenta is made up of warm red and cool blue,
magenta can appear warm or cool.
 CONTRAST OF WARM AND COOL COLOURS

Contrast of warm/cool could be in a single shot that uses both

warm and cool colours for dramatic contrast or a pair of shots,
one warm and one cool. Sequence to sequence contrast would
suggest that one sequence is all warm and the next all cool.
CONTRAST - WARM/COOL – YELLOW/GREEN
CONTRAST - WARM/COOL – RED, YELLOW, MAGENTA VS GREEN &
BLUE
CONTRAST - WARM/COOL – RED, YELLOW, MAGENTA VS BLUE
CONTRAST OF WARM/COOL COLOUR
CONTRAST OF WARM/COOL COLOURS
AFFINITY OF COOL COLORS
AFFINITY OF WARM COLORS
CONTRAST OF WARM AND COOL
AFFINITY OF WARM COLORS
AFFINITY OF WARM AND COOL
WARM AND COOL COLORS