Introduction to

Color Theory
ID 121
What is Color?
 What is Color?
the aspect of things that is caused by differing
qualities of light being reflected or emitted by them
Our eyes only see the colors that are bounced off or
reflected.

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 What is Color?
can evoke certain emotions

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 Light
electromagnetic radiation
we can see light

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 Color
Perception
Light is necessary for color perception
The brain's response to visual stimuli

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 Color
Perception
As the type of light changes from sunlight to
artificial light, the quality of the color will also
change.

Bleicher, S. (2012). Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Cengage Learning.

 Color
Perception
What we are really seeing when we look at color
is the action and reaction of light.
White light, or the visible spectrum, is composed
of wavelength, amplitude, and saturation.
This may also be referred to as visual stimulus.

Bleicher, S. (2012). Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Cengage Learning.

Wavelengths
 When white light strikes a white
When all the colors of the rainbow are
object, it appears white to us because it
combined, we do not see any
absorbs no color and reflects all color
particular color.
equally

When it strikes a colored object, this

This mixture is known as white light
color light is reflected back.
 How do we see colors?

The human eye is a receptor for light

The human eye and brain together translate
light into color
The retina is covered with millions of light
receptive cells called rods and cones

Bleicher, S. (2012). Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Cengage Learning.

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 Rods and Cones

Rods
long, thin, and cylindrically shaped
sole purpose is to read lights and darks, or
value
can operate in extremely low light

Bleicher, S. (2012). Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Cengage Learning.

 Rods and Cones

Cones
fat, bulgy-shaped receptors
require much more light to process
information

Bleicher, S. (2012). Contemporary Color: Theory and Use. Cengage Learning.

Cones respond to three colors: red, Rods detect intensity of light: black,
green and blue. white, shades of gray.
 2nd type responds to best to GREEN
Cone cells respond to color and there
LIGHT
are three types

One type responds best to RED

3rd type responds to BLUE LIGHT
LIGHT
We see a wide range of colors Example: we see white light when all
depending on how each kind of cone three types of cones (red, green, blue)
cell is stimulated are equally stimulated
 At night, colors seem washed out
Rod cells respond only to differences
because there is not enough light for
in light intensity, and not color
cone cells to work

However, rod cells are more sensitive When the light level is very dim, you
than cone cells especially in low light see “black and white” images
levels transmitted from your Rod Cells
The color you “see” depends on how much
energy is received by each of the three different
types of cone cells.

The brain thinks “green” when there is a strong

signal from the green cone cells but no signal
from the blue or red cone cells.
Additive Color
Process
Three photoreceptors (red, green and blue) in the
eye operate together so that we see millions of
different colors.
Mixing red and green light is one way the eye sees
the color YELLOW or orange.
Additive Color
Process
Mixing red and green light is one way the eye sees
the color YELLOW or orange.
Additive Color
Process
If the red signal is stronger than the green signal,
we see ORANGE.

If all three cones send an equal signal to the brain,

we interpret the light we see as WHITE.
 How we see
the color of things

1. The light can be emitted directly from the

object, like a light bulb or glow stick.
2. The light can come from somewhere else, like
the sun, and we see the objects by reflected
light.
 How we see
the color of things

Colored fabrics and paints get color from a

subtractive process.
Chemicals, known as pigments, in the dyes
and paints absorb some colors and allow the
color you actually see to be reflected.
Magenta, yellow, and cyan are the three
subtractive primary colors.
Subtractive
Color Process
When natural or artificial light hits a colored object,
all spectral wave bands are absorbed or
“subtracted” except the hues / color that are
pigmented, painted or dyed.
Factors that influence the way we
see color in interior design

2 sources:
1. Spectral Light – colored light
a. Natural compounds in the earth
inherent in nature.
ex: minerals, plants, or animals

2. Colored Pigments or Dyestuffs b. Chemically compounded colors

ex. Paint, stains, etc.
 Visual Acuity and
Deficiency
Some people can decipher or What used to be called “color
distinguish more of the over 10 million blindness” is now termed COLOR
colors that the human eye can DEFICIENCY, or the inability to
potentially see. These people have distinguish value (light and dark) or
greater VISUAL ACUITY. pairs of complements one from
another, most common is red and
In contrast, a small percentage of green.
people have various deficiencies in
their cones and rods and decipher
colors less accurately.
 Visual Acuity and
Deficiency
Not everyone sees color the same way.
A condition called COLOR
Although color blindness can be
BLINDNESS affects about 8% of
caused by eye disease, it is most often
males and 0.4% of females
an inherited condition.

This means that about one out of

More males than females have color
every 13 men has color blindness and
blindness because of how the genes
about one out of 250 women has
that determine our sex are inherited.
color blindness.
 Visual Acuity and
Deficiency

VISUAL ACUITY = can distinguish

COLOR DEFICIENCY = Color blindness
different colors

Affects 8% of males and 0.4% of

females
 Color Blindness
Because females receive two X
Males have a X and a Y chromosome; chromosomes, they have two chances
Females have two X chromosomes to inherit the alleles for normal color
vision.

The color blindness alleles are on the

X chromosome which males receive
only from their mothers; they receive
the Y chromosome from their fathers.
 TRICHROMACY

TRICHROMACY = NORMAL vision DEUTERANOMALY – reduced

sensitivity to GREEN light

Anomalous Trichromacy:
TRITANOMALY – reduced
PROTANOMALY – reduced
sensitivity to BLUE light
sensitivity to RED light
DEUTERANOMALY & TRITANOMALY
PROTANOMALY
blue color blind = difficulty identifying
red-green color blind = difficulty differences between blue and yellow,
distinguishing between reds, greens, violet and red and blue and green.
browns and oranges. They also To these people the world appears as
commonly confuse different types of generally red, pink, black, white, grey
blue and purple hues. and turquoise.
DICHROMACY
Color Blindness and Light sensitivity
 ONLY 2 TYPES OF CONES
ARE ABLE TO PERCEIVE
COLOR
half of people with anomalous trichromacy will see the world in a
similar way to those with dichromacy but their ability to perceive
colors will improve in good light and deteriorate in poor light.

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 ONLY 2 TYPES OF CONES
ARE ABLE TO PERCEIVE
COLOR
Often their color perception can be as poor as it is for those with
dichromacy.
either inherited color blindness, in which case their ability to see
colors will remain the same, or they can have acquired it, in which
case their condition could get worse, or possibly improve over time

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PROTANOPIA = unable to perceive TRITANOPES = unable to perceive
RED light BLUE light

MONOCHROMACY (achromatopsia)
DEUTERANOPES = unable to
Cannot see color = only different
perceive GREEN light
shades of GREY ranging from black to
white (Extremely rare – 1:33,000)
 SYNESTHESIA

The most common form, colored letters

A condition which affects one sense
and numbers, occurs when someone
(ex: hearing) is simultaneously
always sees a certain color in response
perceived as if by one or more
to a certain letter of the alphabet or
additional senses such as sight.
number.

Another form of synesthesia joins

objects such as letters, shapes,
1:200 – 1:100,000, US: 3x Women to
numbers or people's names with a
men. UK: 8x Women to men.
sensory perception such as smell,
color or flavor.
COLOR BLINDNESS

People who are color blind have People with this type of color blindness
trouble seeing certain colors. have trouble seeing reds and greens.

Weak green color vision (most

The most common condition is red-
common kind of color blindness)
green color blindness.
No red color vision (2nd most
common kind of color blindness)
COLOR BLINDNESS

Less common is blue-green color It is easy to lead a normal life with color
blindness. blindness.

Complete color blindness means that Having color blindness just means that
the person can only see shades of an individual must look for ways to
gray. Fortunately, this condition is adapt to situations where color is
rare. involved.
COLOR BLINDNESS

Fortunately, in most countries, the

For example, color is extremely
traffic lights are vertical and the colors
important when driving because of
are in the same position – red on top,
traffic lights and street signs are color
yellow in the center and green in the
and shape-coded.
bottom.