All other colors or hues come from mixtures of these primary colors.

Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of a color, such as a bright yellow or a dull yellow.Ī widely accepted theory of color is based on the idea that all colors, or hues, are derived from the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color.

It usually indicates a modification of basic color. To use color effectively, you must understand some basic color facts.

Even the soil boasts a variety of colors, from whitest white to coal black, with numerous colors in between.Ĭolor makes life interesting.

The sky can change its blue from moment to moment, and what begins as blue becomes pink and violet or orange and crimson as the sun sets.

There are countless shades of greens in a forest, in the desert, and in the ocean.

The prettiest gardens have a wide variety of reds, oranges, pinks, violets, purples, and yellows all mixed together.

To get a better understanding of color, look at nature. These ideas will limit their enjoyment of color and can cause them a great deal of frustration in life. They may feel certain colors should never be used together, certain colors are always unflattering, or certain colors indicate a person’s character. Some people have misconceptions about color. What determines your choice of colors in your clothing? In your home? In your office? In your car? Your selection of color is influenced by age, personality, experiences, the occasion, the effect of light, size, texture, and a variety of other factors.

Those sensations have been given names such as red, green, and purple.Ĭolor communicates. Webster defines color as the sensation resulting from stimulating the eye’s retina with light waves of certain wavelengths.

We speak of blue Mondays, being in the pink, seeing red, and everything coming up roses. It affects our moods and personal characteristics. (Print Friendy PDF)Ĭolor is one of the most important stimuli in the world. Guide C-316 Revised by Jennah McKinley College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State UniversityĪuthor: Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent, Eddy County Extension Office, New Mexico State University.

Define analogous colors