Color theory_important aspect of interior spaces

COLOR THEORY- in interior spaces

Before going into detail relationship of color with interior spaces it is very important to understand the basic color theory. Afterwards will see the relation of color with the spaces of interior.

In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues and these three hues are RED – YELLOW – BLUE.

Color formed by mixing of two primary color are termed as secondary color. These are GREEN – ORANGE – PURPLE.

Colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color are termed as tertiary colors . That's why the hue is a two word name, such as BLUE-GREEN, RED-VIOLET, and YELLOW-ORANGE. They can be YELLOW-ORANGE, RED-ORANGE, RED-PURPLE, BLUE-PURPLE, BLUE-GREEN and YELLOW- GREEN.

Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as YELLOW-GREEN, YELLOW, and YELLOW-ORANGE. Usually one of the three colors predominates.

Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as RED and GREEN and RED-PURPLE and YELLOW-GREEN. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow-green in the leaves and several variations of red-purple in the orchid. These opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability.

There are some basic color schemes in the color theory which is apply in the interiors and use in various manner. This schemes are

Contrast color scheme- it includes colors in pairs like RED in contrast with GREEN , BLUE with ORANGE, YELLOW with VIOLET.

Warm color scheme- it includes color which gives warm in nature like RED-YELLOW-ORANGE and color formed by adding white and black.

Cool color scheme- it includes color which gives cooling effect like BLUE-GREEN-VIOLET and color formed be adding white and black.

Harmony- can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae. It plays a very important role in the interior spaces.

In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic. At one extreme is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that the viewer can't stand to look at it. The human brain rejects what it can not organize, what it can not understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order.

In summary, extreme unity leads to under-stimulation, extreme complexity leads to over-stimulation. Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium.

After understanding the basic color theory lets understand the basic color context which will help us in understanding the relation between the different interior spaces.

Behavior of color in relation to other colors and shapes-

How color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes is a complex area of color theory. Compare the contrast effects of different color backgrounds for the same color and shape. It is observed that a object will always look bigger in the darker bag round than in the lighter one and the color will always appear more brilliant against darker bag round than the lighter one. Take the ex. Of the of the red color square-

Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless; in contrast with blue-green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square appears larger on black than on other background colors.

Perceiving a color-

From the side picture you see that the small PURPLE rectangle on the left appears to have a RED-PURPLE tinge when compared to the small purple rectangle on the right. They are both the same color as seen in the illustration below. This demonstrates how three colors can be perceived as four colors.

In my next post i will be writing about the use of color in interior spaces.