Pantone your street - Colour Theory Research

Colour Theory

Terms

Primary Colours

From these any colour can be mixed, with blue, yellow and red being the three primary colours.

Secondary Colours

These are created through the mixing of two primary colours, with green, orange and purple being secondary colours.

Tertiary Colours

By mixing adjacent primary and secondary colours tertiary colours can be created.

Warm Colours

These include red, orange and yellows which evoke a sence of fire and warmth. These colours elicit feelings of passion, positivity and energy, whilst also making a space look closer.  

Cold colours

Blue, green and purple are all referred to as this and are often associated with water and nature. They also create a calming and relaxing atmosphere and look like they are receding which increases our perception of the size of a space.

Neutral colours

These are often used as backgrounds and are combined with brighter elements which stand out well against them. When used on their own, sophisticated layouts can be achieved, however neutrals are affected by the colours around them, creating different impressions. Neutral colours include brown, black , white, grey, beige and cream.

Hue

A hue is another term for a colour.

Chroma

This refers to the purity of a colour and the brightness of the hue in comparison to white. When black, white or grey are mixed with colours, this reduces there the colours chroma.

Saturation

This is how the colour looks in different lighting conditions and denotes how intense the colour is in terms of how pale or pure a hue looks under light. Colours of a similar saturation are more cohesive.

Value

This determines how light or dark a colour is, with a lighter colour having a higher value. White has the highest value and black the lowest. It is best to have a range of different values to create contrast between high chromas.

Tones

These are created when grey is added to a hue, which makes it duller or softer than a pure hue. The addition of grey can create a vintage feel to work and evoke a sense of sophistication and elegance.

Shade

A shade is created by adding black to a hue to make it darker. Very dark shades are often used instead of black and tints can help break the ‘darkness’ up.

Tints

This is created when white is added to a hue to lighten it. Pastel colours are created in this way and evoke a feminine and lighter feel to designs.

Colour schemes

Monochromatic / Monotone Schemes

Shades and tints of a base hue are used to create this scheme. By adding white or black to the base colour variations of the hue can be created, for example dark red, red and pink

Analogue schemes

These use a base hue and the two colours directly either side of it.

Complementary Scheme

These are created using opposite hues on the colour wheel creating warm and cool contrasts.

Triadic Scheme

This scheme uses three equally spaced hues in the colour wheel.

Split Complementary Schemes

By using hues next to the direct opposite hue this scheme can be created

Tetradic Scheme

This uses four colours from two complementary pairs that are equally spaced around the colour wheel.

Square Scheme

This uses four equally spaced colours from the colour wheel and is most effective when one colour is dominant in a design.

Colour Meanings

Red is associated with negative concepts such as anger and danger. It is a powerful colour which can be overwhelming if used too much. It also evokes passion and energy, with darker shades creating an impression of power.

Orange is vibrant and energetic and associated with the fruit linking themes such as health and wellbeing to the colour. When muted this resembles autumnal and earthy tones leading the colour to reflect change and movement. It is inviting and more friendly than red.

Yellow is associated with sunshine and happiness creating a sense of brightness and energy. Is also linked to danger however not as strongly as red. Light yellows are calming, whilst dark yellows create an antique feel which creates a sense of age and longevity.

Green evokes a sense of nature and growth with new beginnings. A sense of renewal and abundance is also created, however it is also associated with feelings of envy and jealousy. It is calming like blue but retains the energy of yellow. Olive greens are natural, whilst darker greens create a sense of wealth and stability.

Blue is often associated with sadness however mainly evokes a sense of calmness and responsibility. Dark blue is strong, reliable, and confident making it ideal in corporate branding. Light blue is relaxed, calming and friendly, whilst bright blues are refreshing and energising.

Purple is associated with wealth and royalty, whilst also reflecting creativity and imagination. Wealth and luxury are associated with dark purple, whilst light purple is more romantic.

Black evokes a sense of power, elegance and formality, whilst having negative connotations and being linked to concepts such as evil, death and mystery. Its neutrality means it is often used in typography and functional elements within design.

White reflects purity and cleanliness and is associated with healthcare and weddings. Used as a background it allows colours to stand out and its simplicity is useful in minimal design.

Brown is natural and warm and is linked visually with earth, wood and stone. It can be seen as a dull colour; however, it is reliable and dependable. It is often used in wood and stone textures for backgrounds which reflect an earthy appearance. In its darkest form, it can replace black.

Beige’s characteristics alter depending on the surrounding colours, taking on either warm or cool tones. It is warm like brown and cool like white, but can be seen as dull and bland. It is a conservative colour which is usually used for backgrounds, particularly paper textures.

Cream and Ivory are sophisticated, holding the warmth of brown and the coolness of white. They are subtle but create a feeling of history. Ivory is calming and has the pureness associated with white. In combination with brown or peach colours it takes on an earthy quality, whilst when used with dark colours it can help lighten them instead of the stark contrast of white.