LESSON 6
COLOUR SCHEMES
STRUCTURE 6.0
OBJECTIVES
6.1
INTRODUCTION
6.2
MAKING COLOUR SCHEMES
6.3
ASSIGNMENTS 6.3.1 CLASS ASSIGNMENTS 6.3.2 HOME ASSIGNMENTS
6.4
SUMMING UP
6.5
POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO SELF-CHECK QUESTIONS
6.6
TERMINAL QUESTIONS
6.7
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED FURTHER READING
6.8
GLOSSARY
1
6. COLOUR SCHEMES In lesson 4 and 5 we developed an understanding of colours with the help of the colour wheel, and primary, secondary, sub secondary and tertiary colours. When we use a combination of two or more different colours for a single piece of work, we are supposed to create a colour scheme, which is the subject matter of this lesson.
6.0
Objectives After going through this lesson, you will be able to:
•
Explain your choice of colours for a piece of artwork.
•
Create more than a single colour scheme for your work
•
Prepare a drawing with the best colour scheme.
6.1
Introduction
A Colour Scheme is an overall mood for your painting, illustration, or graphic design, and some moods are easier to achieve than others. It seems logical that a natural mood can be conveyed with earth tones like brown and green, and a warm mood with warm colours like red, orange, and yellow, but how do you create a colour scheme, that’s striking, tranquil, exiting, young, feminine, or surprising? There are ten basic colour schemes. They are called achromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triad, monochromatic, tetradic, neutral, primary, and secondary. These will be considered in later lessons in some detail. In this lesson we will concentrate on creating a colour scheme.
6.2
Making Colour Schemes The following materials are required for making Colour Schemes.
•
2
Poster colours / water colours /colour inks / pastels or any other colour of your choice.
Activity 1. Draw 3-4 simple designs; It can be floral (Fig. 6.1), geometrical (Fig.6.2) or abstract (Fig.6.3). •
With the colours you have, fill in the designs, as it pleases you without any definite scheme in mind.
•
The colours have to be filled using primary, Secondary and subsecondary colours.
Fig. 6.1 Floral design
6.3
Fig. 6.2 Geometrical design
Fig. 6.3 Abstract design
Assignments
6.3.1 Class assignments i) When you are studying various colour schemes, keep this work of yours in front of you and see if it conforms to those schemes .You may have come up with a totally different scheme, which is very good and it may become your signature style in your work later. So present your drawing with two or more different colour schemes. Now write which colour schemes do you like and why? 6.3.2 Home assignments ii) In the last lesson you studied the tints and shades of the primary colours. Now do the same thing with the secondary and tertiary colours. •
With the pure hue in the centre to the right. Take all the shades of the colour to the left. Take all the tints and do this in a square format.
•
On successful completion of these exercises, you will be amazed to know how efficiently you can create simple designs of exquisite beauty.
Self-check Questions 1. Name some warm colours. 2. Name ten basic colour schemes. _______________________________________________________________ 3
6.4
Summing Up
We can devise a number of such colour schemes for a drawing work, but one that appears soothing to eyes is the best. Thus before studying more about colour schemes in the next unit. This lesson has desirably thrown some light on, how to fill colours in simple designs/shapes to create different colour schemes.
6.5
Possible Answer to Self-check Questions
1. The warm colours are red, orange, and yellow 2. There are ten basic colour schemes namely: Achromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triad, monochromatic, tetradic, neutral, primary, and secondary.
6.6
Terminal Questions
1. What do you understand by Colour Scheme? 2. How is the natural mood conveyed?
6.7
References and Suggested Further Readings
1. Chijiiwa, H. 1987. Colour Harmony: A guide to creative colour combinations. Rockport Publishers, Rockport. 2. Stockton, J. 1984. Designer’s Guide to Colour-2. Chronicle Books, San Francisco. 3. Sutton, T. and Whelan, B. M. 2005. The Complete Colour Harmony. Rockport Publishers, Rockport.
6.8
4
Glossary
1. Abstract
A concept or idea not associated with anything specific
2. Instance
An occurrence of something
3. Achromatic
Having no hue
4. Analogous
Similar or comparable in some respects though otherwise dissimilar
5.
Complementary
Colour that is just of opposite nature
6.
Exciting
Arouse a feeling
7.
Feminine
Pertaining to woman
8.
Monochromatic
Having or appearing to have only one colour
9.
Neutral
Diminished by adding its complimentary colour
10. Split Complementary
A colour combination in which a colour adjacent to the complimentary is taken.
11. Striking
Affecting
12. Surprising
Come across unexpectedly.
13. Tetrad
Four
14. Tones
Shades, Feelings
15. Tranquil
Peaceful
16. Triad
Threesome
5