OUGD401 - Context of Practice Lecture 12

Colour Theory (Part 2) - Subjective Colour - Colour and Contrast 

Seven Contrasts:

Contrast of Tone

Creating distinction between light and dark tones to create high contrast. Colours have different tones aswell as monochromatic tones.

Contrast of Hue 

By juxtaposing hues and having a greater distance between hues this creates greater contrast. By using hues that are closer to to one another there is less contrast. Colours step back when put together with other hues. Similar hues are less easier to read. With high contrast the colours start to vibrate.

Contrast of Saturation 

The contrast is created by juxtaposing light and dark values and their saturation.

Contrast of Extension

The contrast is created by assigning proportional field sizes in relation to the visual weight of a colour. This contrast is also known as the contrast of proportion. By having a light background with a dark shape, the darker element stands out and becomes the focussed point of attention creating high contrast. A dense area of colour is easier to look at. When fields of colour are broken up it is harder to take in, as a certain amount of one colour is needed to balance the other. When an area is broken down it becomes confused.

Contrast of Temperature 

This contrast needs juxtaposition of hues that are considered warm and cool colours. By contrasting warm and cool values they warm each other up. Black and white neutralises a colours contrast. Gradients occur when colours are placed next to each other. The colours warm their neighbor and lighten their other creating optical changes. Gradients are created even though flat colours are created as they optically mix.

Complementary Contrast 

This is created through the juxtaposition of complementary colours which are opposites on the colour wheel. Complementaries however are usually harmonies.

Simultaneous Contrast

Complementary contrasts are difficult to look at and create a sense of reaction like they are vibrating. 

An after image is created because of high contrast. Our eyes have memory, meaning when certain colour combinations are looked at we can still see it when we look away.