- I thought I'd wear my favorite purple scarf…because I always get so many compliments on it,…and we will be talking about complementary colors;…but not to be confused by an I versus an E.…A compliment can be a kind word or a flattering comment;…and a complement, or complementary colors,…are opposites on the color wheel.…When placed next to each other,…they vibrate like crazy.…When placed on top of each other in equal amounts,…they create a neutral color.…And relationship to light using complements…to show contrast of light and shadow enhances interest…because the colors play with one another…in a way that value alone does not.…
A perfect example of this is…the stage lighting at a concert.…The complementary relationships used here,…with the band New Sweden, increase the drama…and dimensionality of the figures on stage.…It's interesting, the actual light is used…to increase the color of the shadows.…The area in the light is lighter in value…and typically more saturated, so that it feels…more like light than the ones beaming in the shadows.…
Author
Mary Jane Begin
Released
8/20/2013These lessons are applicable to a number of fields, including graphic design, photography, and illustration, and both traditional and digital media. Dive in and get a fresh look at color that is sure to revitalize your creativity and your work.
- Understanding why color is essential for you as an artist, designer, or human being
- Storytelling with color
- Understanding brand identity and color language
- Reviewing the history of color usage, from print to digital
- Working with the color wheel
- Understanding value, saturation, and temperature
- Seeing through color: opaque, translucent, and transparent
- Creating contrast
- Exploring depth of field
- Seeing complementary relationships in light
- Achieving harmony and discord in a palette
- Understanding color blindness
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 6s
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Exercise files22s
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1. How Color Shapes Meaning
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Concepts made clear4m 1s
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Brand identity and language2m 53s
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Sequence and pattern2m 31s
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2. The Color Wheel
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What is the color wheel?2m 20s
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3. The Elements of Color
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An overview of elements2m 48s
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Saturation to neutralization3m 22s
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Temperature: How hot is hot?3m 12s
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4. Contrast
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What is contrast?3m 10s
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5. Color and Light
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Illuminating light1m 54s
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Value and saturation2m 27s
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On temperature2m 58s
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On complements2m 10s
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RGB vs. CMYK3m 2s
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6. Palettes
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An introduction to palettes2m 15s
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Harmony and discord2m 33s
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Unifying color grounds2m 40s
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Unifying glazes and layers2m 13s
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Charting a color family2m 8s
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7. Color Shape, Texture, and Context
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Weaving textural color2m 50s
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Color in context2m 31s
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Color blindness3m 15s
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Next Steps
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Conclusion1m 3s
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Video: On complements