COLOUR

Colour is reflected light: An individual perception of the many ways in which light is reflected and absorbed in our daily observations of the world around us.The concept of colour however is not universal; visually, we all discriminate colour the same but our classifications vary. In some societies, the word 'colour' does not exist.
It stands to reason therefore that in art, the use of colour plays an important role in expressing our ideas; an externalised expression of our subconscious.

Primary Colours, Secondary & Complimentary Colours

 A simple way to remember basic colours:

      There are three primary colours- red, yellow and blue

    Secondary colours are their opposites on the wheel, also known as complimentary colours
for example; to find the complimentary colour of blue requires a combination of the remaining two primary colours; yellow and red = orange

Tertiary colours are those resulting from the mixture of two secondary colours

Colour terminology

·          Hue - The descriptive aspects of a particular colour.

·          Tone - The 'depth' of colour, lightness or darkness.

·          Saturation / intensity - The purity or strength of a colour.

·          Tint -  A colour to which white has been added to reduce its intensity.

·          Shade- A colour to which black has been added in order to increase its intensity or lower its tone.

 Colour Quality:

Dye colours are pure in comparison to paints and this is particularly apparent on silk. The quality of colour allows for reflected light to be transmitted. (Transparency)
Paints are pigment based and are more translucent or opaque when used on fabrics depending upon their intensity.

 ·          Translucent - Transmitting diffused light sufficiently to obscure or eliminate perception of distinct images.

 ·          Opaque -  Neither transparent nor translucent. impenetrable to light.