There are seven types of contrasting manifestations. They are so different in their fundamentals that each of them must be studied separately. Each of them contrasts in its special character and artistic significance, visual, expressive and constructive action is so peculiar and unique of its kind that thanks to them we can discover all the main artistic possibilities of color.
If the shade of yellow is to be significant among light tones, this touch should be greater than if it were against a dark background. On the contrary, against a dark background, a small number of light spots are sufficient for its character to be significantly improved. Likewise, quantitative relationships should be based on the relative influence of color strength.
Painting by Pieter Bruegel the Ancient: Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Brussels, Royal Museums of Fine Arts, emphasizes the quantitative contrast. Hope you found this interesting. To draw, friends of bloggers! It is the process by which the product of a given visual aesthetic is provided. So the color of the film is what, by the way, helps to create our identification mark and makes us associate certain works with a certain range of tonality.
Let's start by listing seven types of color contrasts (see picture):
1. Contrast color comparisons
2. Contrast of light and dark
3. Contrast of cold and warm
4. Contrast of complementary colors
5. Simultaneous contrast
6. Color saturation contrast
7. Contrast of color spread.
Contrast color comparisons - the simplest of all seven. It can be demonstrated with all pure colors at their utmost saturation.
As an audiovisual product, cinema is an art that, throughout its history, has explored the various ways in which images can be used to convey a message. That is why sometimes a common plane is used instead of a flat part, or a contrachikado instead of a counterpoint. Both the camera angle and the type of framing are elements that not only affect the visual section, but also the narrative.
Something similar happens with color. In The Theory of Colors, Goethe has already explored the relationship between tones and depiction of how perception can change depending on whether yellow, blue or red is used. For reasons more obvious, this is what photography directors take into account.
Yellow, red and blue color have the most pronounced color contrast (Fig. 4). In order to be convinced of this, you need at least three bright and sufficiently distant colors. This contrast creates the impression of diversity, strength, decisiveness. The intensity of the color contrast always decreases as the selected colors move away from the main three. Thus, orange, green and violet in their contrast are already much weaker than yellow, red and blue, and the effect of third-order colors is even less pronounced. When each color is separated from each other by black or white lines, their individual character becomes more pronounced, and mutual radiation and mutual influences are thereby reduced. Each color in this case shows, first of all, its real concreteness. Although the main group of three colors yellow, red and blue represents the greatest color contrast, all other pure colors can undoubtedly be presented in a series of strong color contrasts (Fig. 6).
Each of them has a different impact on the psychology of the viewer, which varies depending on the function or message they are interested in conveying. Let us now look at the schemes defined by Lacey. In this scheme, the color wheel uses two tones from opposite sides to enhance contrast. As an example, the author puts the film Amelia, which is characterized by green and reddish colors, or Fight Club, which is dominated by orange and bluish tones. While in the first the chosen colors create a sense of harmony, in the second they try to intensify the inner and psychological conflict that the character is experiencing.
When the brightness of the color changes, the color contrast acquires many completely new expressive qualities (Fig. 7). The number of variations here is very large and, in accordance with this, the number of their expressive possibilities is equally infinite. White color weakens the brightness of adjacent colors and makes them darker, black, on the contrary, increases their brightness and makes them lighter. Therefore, black and white are important elements of color compositions (Fig. 5). Very interesting results are obtained if one of the colors is assigned the main role, and the rest are used in small quantities - only to emphasize the qualities of the main color. By emphasizing one color, we enhance the overall expressiveness of the work. Within the limits of color contrast, many pictorial themes can be solved. This contrast gives a feeling of a special variegation of life generated by elemental force. The folk art of various countries is based on color contrasts. Colorful embroidery, costumes and ceramics testify to the natural joy that bright colors evoke.
In fact, the melodies used in David Fincher's film are very similar to The Machinist, which is also reflected in the narrative section. Analogous colors are those on either side of any shade of the chromatic circle. As Richard Lackey says, this scheme is often used to create a harmonious feeling in an image because it removes strong contrasts and tension with them. This is why similar colors are common in moments of calm or reflectiveness, as the same range is present in nature.
An example would be the top image of “Her,” although in other cases the character is also colored red to highlight similar colors that fill the scene. This scheme uses three color families located in the chromatic wheel. Thus, while one tone is dominant, the other two act differently. As in the first scheme, he also looks for strength based on contrast. And Godard, where red, blue and green predominate. It is very similar to the first scheme, but in this two colors are used close to the opposite.
Contrast of light and dark
For the artist, white and black are the most powerful means of expressing light and shadow. White and black are opposite in all respects, but between them are areas of gray tones and the entire range of chromatic colors. The problems of light and shadow, white, black and gray, as well as the problems of light and shadow of pure colors proper, as well as their connections, must be carefully studied, for the solution of these problems turns out to be especially necessary in our creative work. Black velvet is arguably the blackest color, and barium sulfate is the whitest. There is only one maximum black and one maximum white color and an infinite number of light and dark shades of gray, which can be expanded into a continuous scale between white and black. The number of shades of gray discernible by the eye depends on the sensitivity of the eye and the viewer's perception limit. This limit can be lowered through practical exercises, and thus the number of gradual transitions distinguishable by the eye will be increased. A uniform gray color, its lifeless surface can acquire a mysterious activity through the subtlest modulation of the shadow. This capability is of enormous importance to painters and designers, requiring them to be extremely sensitive to tonal differences. Neutral gray is a characterless, indifferent achromatic color that is easily altered by contrasting tones and colors. He is mute, but easily aroused and gives great tones. Any color can immediately bring gray from a neutral achromatic tone into a color range, giving it a shade that is complementary to the color that awakened it. This transformation takes place subjectively in our eyes, and not objectively in the color tone itself. Grey colour - it is a sterile, neutral color, the life and character of which depends on the neighboring flowers. It softens their strength or makes them more juicy. As a neutral intermediary, he reconciles bright opposites with each other, simultaneously absorbing their power and thereby, like a vampire, gaining a life of his own.
This somewhat reduces the contrast of the image and therefore the strength of the colors shown. However, this is still a model in which the tonal difference is quite obvious. Finally, this model uses four different color combinations, although one of them may prevail over the others. The consequence of this is a very varied and dynamic palette that offers a wide variety of contrasting colors. It is similar to complementary colors, only this time we have four cladding tones instead of two.
All colors of the composition are influenced by the colors with which they come into contact. Also called light-dark contrast, it is created by opposing light or saturated color to white and dark color or deep black. One of the most effective, highly recommended for text content that needs to clearly highlight the background.
Figure 11 shows the development of a composition of light and dark tones, arranged in a checkerboard pattern. This composition can be solved lighter or darker, but its main task is to educate the vision and feeling of light-dark gradations and their contrast. Having mastered the problems of tonal ratios of white, gray and black, you can move on to the study of contrasts based on proportional and quantitative ratios of colors. The contrast of proportions is the opposition of large to small, long to short, wide to narrow, thick to thin.
When two different values \u200b\u200bare displayed with simultaneous contrast, the lighter will appear louder and darker the lower it is. For example, if we place two large rectangles, one on a greenish background and the other on an orange background, we will see more clearly the one on a greenish background.
The contrast can be between pure colors or confrontation with other impure ones. Pure colors lose their luminosity when black is added, and their saturation is varied by adding white, changing the attributes of warmth and cold. Green is a color that changes to at least white and black.
Contrast of cold and warm
Scientific studies have shown that blue-green color lowers the circulatory impulse, while red-orange stimulates it. Similar results were obtained in experiments with animals. Returning to the color wheel, we see that yellow is the lightest and purple is the darkest. This means that these two colors form the strongest contrast between light and dark. At right angles to the axis "yellow-violet" are located "red-orange" and "blue-green", which are two poles of the contrast of cold and heat. Red-orange, or red lead, is the warmest, and blue-green, or manganese oxide, the coldest color.
As an example, if we place three rectangles with different yellow saturations against the same background, we will always compare the cleanest ones. It is the contrast created by opposing a cool color to a cool color. And also the same yellow can be warmer if it is surrounded by colder colors and less warm if it is surrounded by red, orange, etc. The two complementary colors are the ones that offer the best contrast capabilities, although they are too harsh to visually match the two intense complementary colors.
To achieve harmony, one of them should be a pure color, and the other with white or black. The complementary color generated in the eye of the beholder can be seen, but it doesn't really exist. Clean and bright colorapplied over a large area of \u200b\u200bthe page is often annoying and tiring, while the same color used in small proportions and against a dull background can create a sense of dynamism.
Usually yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange, red and red-violet are usually called warm colors, and yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet and violet are cold, but such a classification can easily introduce misleading us. Just as the polarities of white and black represent the lightest and most dark color, and all gray tones are only relatively light or dark depending on whether they contrast with a darker or lighter tone, as well as blue-green and red-orange as the polarities of cold and heat are always cold and warm, while the intermediate colors between them can be cold or warm only depending on whether they contrast with warmer or colder tones.
Two bright light colors next to each other affect our view, creating a culling effect, whereas if we put the same two colors inside each other, the effect completely changes, being pleasing. This effect changes the appearance of a color depending on the incident on it, the material from which it is formed, or another color that serves as the background, called Metamerism. In this example, we see two squares, one of blue flowers background and another black one, both with a yellow square inside.
The two inner squares are equally yellow, but they look different: against a blue background, the purity of yellow is masked, and against a black background, yellow shows all the purity and freshness. They have the power to transform any environment. Instead of interfering with the look and feel of a home, they convey sensations and effects, such as an increase or decrease in space, leaving it more discreet or vibrant, irreverent or sober, calm or anxious, cool or cozy. Anyway, there is no limit to the variety of tones we have access to!
The contrast of cold and warm in its polar contrast of red-orange blue-green is shown in Figure 16, and Figure 17 shows the same contrast, but with a changed area occupied by each color. In Figures 18 and 19, the same purple color, being in the upper figure surrounded by cold neighbors, has a warm shade, and surrounded by warm tones in the lower figure - cold. Figure 21 shows the transitions of a red-orange color from a cold tone to a warm one, and Figure 22 shows the same changes, but within a blue-green color.
Have you noticed how soft nuances such as light blue or white inspire serenity and tranquility? Already sunny colors such as orange and yellow bring cheerfulness and joy, illuminating the environment with light and warmth. These are just a few of the cases where shades make a big difference in the composition of rooms.
Don't be afraid to contrast when decorating
Classic and timeless contrasting combinations such as white are always easier to use. Elegant and well-known in both fashion and interior design.
Creating Contrasts Using Trend Colors
Each year, new colors are chosen as guidelines for clothing, accessories and of course home decor. It's not that you stick to fads and choose certain colors just because they're on the rise, but knowing the trends can be a starting point for identifying beautiful tones that you enjoy and stay together.If we want to achieve the polar opposition of cold and warm in their highest manifestation, we must build a chromatic scale from blue-green through blue, blue-violet, red-violet, red to red-orange. This scale, of course, can consist of more or less tonal steps. The chromatic range of cold-warm colors from yellow to red-orange can be suitable only if all colors are equal in lightness yellow colorotherwise you have to deal with the contrast of light and dark.
Be careful with extra color
When using bright and contrasting colors, overeating should be avoided so as not to weigh your hand and not get the result. If the jewelry is multi-colored, opt for neutral bases and choose bright colors only in details, just create contrasting points.
Relate colors to style and function of the environment
For example, neutral walls and sober furniture look great when used with carpets, pillows, and colored vases. Trust me: it's more interesting! Don't just like it or find the contrast beautiful when choosing shades to decorate your home. In your decision, also consider decorative style and function to choose a suitable palette. Check out the color effects so you don't regret it later.
These modulations achieve perfect beauty only when there are no differences in lightness and darkness of the colors used. While Figures 21 and 22 show the chromatic modulations of cold and warm tones, the composition of Figure 20 shows how the contrast of cold and warm tones can be used to maximize their sound. The contrast of cold and warm can be considered the most "sounding" among other color contrasts. Thanks to him, the opportunity opens up with the help of color to convey the highest music of the heavenly spheres.
Just to keep the idea red. Since it represents love and passion, being a warm and intense color, this tonality can provoke irritability, agitation, emotional instability and visual fatigue. If you even know about it, you want to incorporate reddish hues in dorms, refer to prints and small decorative items.
Use technology tools to test color combinations
In doubt which colors to use? Want to know if one tone matches the other? Want to see if contrasts work? One way to get a rough idea of \u200b\u200bwhat the composition will look like is to refer to mobile sites and apps like.
Complementary color contrast
We call two colors complementary if their pigments, when mixed, give a neutral gray-black color. In physics, two chromatic lights that, when mixed, give white light are also considered complementary. The two complementary colors are opposite to each other, but need one another. Located next to each other, they excite each other to maximum brightness and cancel each other when mixed, forming a gray-black tone, like fire and water. Each color has only one single color, which is complementary to it. IN color wheel complementary colors are located diametrically to one another. They form the following pairs of complementary colors:
yellow - purple
yellow-orange - blue-violet
orange - blue
red-orange - blue-green
Red Green
red-violet - yellow-green.
Don't even go over your head to use combinations like green and red, purple and yellow, blue and orange? Well keep in mind that there is harmony in the use of these colors. Complementary color cues are opposite colors in the chromatic circle.
It is clear that the color tone diagram is very wide and allows endless combinations. However, it is true that purely contrasting harmony is achieved through the use of two colors: one primary and the other opposite in the chromatic circle. This basic concept makes things clearer. Each color has several shades, lighter and darker. Therefore, in the case of harmony, endless combinations can be made. But it is not always easy to combine these colors to work in the decoration of the environment. In excess, it can create uncomfortable, tiring, stressful conditions that make people angry, you know?
If we analyze these pairs of complementary colors, we find that all three primary colors are always present in them: yellow, red and blue:
yellow - purple \u003d yellow, red + blue;
blue - orange - blue, yellow + red;
red - green \u003d red, yellow + blue.
The complementary colors, in their proportionally correct ratio, give the piece a statically strong basis of impact. Moreover, each color remains unchanged in its intensity. The impressions produced by complementary colors are identical to the essence of the color itself. This statistical power of complementary colors is especially important for wall painting. However, in addition to this, each pair of complementary colors has other features. So, a pair of yellow-violet represents not only a contrast of complementary colors, but also a strong contrast of light and dark. Red-orange - blue-green is also not only a pair of complementary colors, but at the same time an extremely strong contrast of cold and warm. Red and green complementary to it are equally light and have the same color brightness.
Figures 23-28 show three complementary color pairs and their mixtures to produce a gray tone. The color gradation of the stripes formed by mixing each pair of complementary colors is determined by the gradual increase in the amount of color added to the main one. At the same time, in the center of each of these rows that neutral gray appears, which indicates that this pair of colors is complementary. If this gray does not work, then the selected colors are not complementary. Figure 29 shows a composition of red and green and the various modulations that occur when they are mixed. Figure 30 is composed of squares formed by mixing two pairs of complementary colors: orange and blue, and red-orange and blue-green.
With two complementary colors, especially beautiful grays can be obtained. The old masters achieved such a colored gray tone, for example, due to the fact that the opposite color was applied to the main color with stripes or covered the first color layer with the thinnest layer of additional color. Pointillists achieved the color gray tone in a different way. They applied pure colors in tiny dots next to each other, and the appearance of the actual gray tone occurred already in the eyes of the viewer.
Coloristics is a fascinating science that studies colors, their combinations and effects on humans. It would seem, what kind of science is it to consider colors? However, the study of color is given great attention in different areas: in interior design, web design, photography, clothing design, hairdressing, floristry, advertising, marketing and even psychology.
What color studies
Studying the nature of color is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Coloring connoisseurs can spend hours talking about what primary, complementary and composite colors are. A lot will be said about characteristics, about contrasts, color harmony, color, color language, about spectra. This list can be continued endlessly.
Coloring is a very important science, since the right choice is not only pleasing to the human eye, but also has a powerful effect on physiological processes and on the psychological state of a person. Skillfully combining colors, you can evoke the necessary associations, emotions, and form a certain image.
Colors. Human exposure
Employees of advertising agencies skillfully use such a color function as the formation of a certain image. Not without the help of psychologists, it was revealed that the advantage of certain colors in advertising can cause a certain feeling in a person.
- So, for example, red is identified with strong emotions, decisiveness, and danger. This color awakens desire.
- Green is both relaxing and invigorating. It symbolizes purity, freshness, nature, as well as a new beginning.
- Orange is the color of optimists.
- Blue is the color of stability, calmness, minimalism.
- Black is synonymous with luxury and elegance. It is not for nothing that many luxury goods, such as cars, watches or elite alcohol, use dark advertising.
Types of color combinations
At the moment, coloristics has 10 types of color combinations:
- Basic.
- Difficult.
- Composite.
- Achromatic.
- Monochromatic.
- Neutral.
- Additional.
- Related.
- Contrasting.
One of the most common ways to combine colors is through contrasts. Even if you do not know what contrasting colors are, you have definitely come across this phenomenon in life. Have you noticed how harmoniously red ribbons and toys look on a Christmas tree? All because red and green colors - contrasting. So what are contrasting colors?
Itten's color wheel
Professionals use special reference materials to help them determine the right color combination. There are hundreds of color combination tables, and each has its own advantages. But most often, creative people use Itten.
Johannes Itten is a true color expert. He devoted his whole life to the study of color. Itten gave this knowledge to the world in the form of a manual entitled "The Art of Color", which is the "bible" for artists, designers and everyone whose work is related to colors and design.
The color wheel contains 12 shades of the three basic blue and yellow. Contrasting colors are those that are sharply opposite to each other and are on opposite sides of the circle.
If we turn to the image of Itten's circle, we immediately see that yellow is a contrasting pair with purple, blue with orange, and contrasting color red - green.
The right combination
Contrasting color combinations are often called complementary. What are these combinations used for?
This combination is often used in painting when it is necessary to highlight or emphasize some object of the painting. If you look around, you will notice that nature is full of contrasts: a scarlet flaming fly agaric against a background of emerald greenery beckons with its colors; bright yellow sun blazing in the blue sky; blue waves caressing the golden sandy shore.
Interior designers have long recognized that it is the complimentary one that will help you choose a harmonious color pair, but it is necessary to remember a few points that will help "squeeze the maximum" out of the range of shades:
- Contrasting colors should not be in equal proportions - this will lead to imbalance. The best option is to use one color as the main one and complement it with accents of a paired shade.
- Another way to combine contrasting pairs is to use different shades of two colors. This will balance the color gamut.
- To tone down the brightness of complimentary colors, dilute them with white or cream. For example, if a set of and blue blouse looks too provocative, you can soften the look with white accessories.
- Professionals recommend using the main and complementary colors in certain proportions. For example, for a red-green pair, this proportion will be 1: 1, orange-blue - 1: 2, yellow-purple - 1: 3.
These rules will be useful if you use pure spectral colors. You can see them in the picture below.
How to use contrasting colors
If you're worried about using contrasts incorrectly, remember that muted colors are easier to use because they tend to "interrupt" each other less.
The main rule of combining contrasting colors: the more intense the color tone, the less the surface area on which it is used should be.
By following these rules, you can create the most harmonious image, be it clothing, bouquet, interior design or website. Otherwise, disharmony, negative perception will appear.
