Lesson #7 - Two Colors become One

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Color Notes Chalkboard

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

Lesson #5 - Color Analysis

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

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.