Research in Color Theory

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Research in Color Theory Color is not real. Color is one of two design elements that produce response from the viewer’s brain. The other element is texture. Without light there would be no color. Color and light are inseparable. Color is underrated in design but it is the most important and powerful element. A color can represent sadness or joy. It triggers emotions or memories. Our ancestors have used a limited range of color from natural elements. Color has been evolving and changing from cave drawings to today in the digital world. Color theories that were developed assist the artist and designer to help communicate ideas about color to other artist and designers. Aristotle is the grandfather of color theory. He wrote all colors were derived from different mixtures, sunlight, firelight, air, and water. Blacks, as well as the darker hues, were a result of a lack of one or more of the elements. Aristotle developed these concepts on observation and explained why we see fiery red at dawn and dusk. The basic color palette included red (fire), yellow (Earth), blue (Air), green (Water), violet, black (night), white (light), and brown. His color palette was based on natural elements. He believed that is was the combination of two or more elements that produced the colors that we perceive. Most color theories are based on a color wheel with arrangements of hues in a chromatic order. The circular format allows relationships between each hue. In this arrangement the hues can be viewed individually or in relation to one another. There are several versions of color wheels including additive, sub-tractive, process, and pigment-oriented color wheels. The circle represents the continuum, never ending but ongoing. In the world of digital color when computer technology was introduced in the late 1980s, new color theory was introduced. Adobe developed imaging and
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