Graphic Design Elements Color Theory And Application

Learn how to use color fundamentals like a professional graphic designer.

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.1

- To apply color fundamentals and theory to your projects
- Color Combinations
- Color Interactions

What you'll learn

To apply color fundamentals and theory to your projects
Color Combinations
Color Interactions
To Create Professional Color Palettes
Color Harmony
To work with Color and Imagery
To work with Color and Typography
To work with Color and Data Visualization
Color Basics for Branding
Rules to Work With Color
Color and Proximity
Color and Cultural Connotations

* Requirements

* Laptop
* Adobe Photoshop CC
* Adobe Illustrator CC

Description

  • To apply color fundamentals and theory to your projects
  • Color Combinations
  • Color Interactions
  • To Create Professional Color Palettes
  • Color Harmony
  • To work with Color and Imagery
  • To work with Color and Typography
  • To work with Color and Data Visualization
  • Color Basics for Branding
  • Rules to Work With Color
  • Color and Proximity
  • Color and Cultural Connotations

Course content

10 sections • 76 lectures

Color theory basic terms Preview 03:11

SHADES

Are pretty much the variation of a hue by adding black progressively

TINTS

Is the same thing as shades but adding white instead of black

Saturation

also called chroma it’s the purity of a color as it neutralizes toward grey

VALUE LUMINANCE OR BRIGHTNESS

refers to how much a specific hue is bright or dark. Graphic designers use value as a tool in their composition to add emphasis and establish visual hierarchy. We are going to see examples on how to do that in a moment.

It’s important to note that Color is stronger and independent from value.

In this example, we have multiple shapes with same gray tones and it’s blending perfectly. If I go ahead and change a gray tone to a color, notice how it really stands out from the rest; your eyes are automatically drawn to this color. The effect of a value in a composition is affected by the element and background around it. The greater the difference in value between these compositional elements, the more the contrast will be apparent. Therefore, this is an amazing way to achieve contrast and contrast is very important if you are into product design for ads.

Also If we take this image or any image, turn it to black and white, you lose its hue but you maintain its tonal relationships.

Which brings us to how intense a value can be? These are the maximum variations to the human eyes. Since the viewer’s perception to color is relative, a designer can make colors seems brighter by putting them against duller tones.

Next step, let’s design using just value.



Use Value to establish Hierarchy in Photoshop CC Preview 04:18

Use Value to establish Hierarchy in Photoshop CC 2020

Class exercise: value Preview 00:29

Class Project – Value and contrast

  1. Exercise Files > Dragon Value>Dragon sama poster

  2. Open swatches> Gray-scale

  3. Apply value to establish hierarchy and contrast

  4. Save & Share

Use value to establish hierarchy and contrast.

Value is very important when it comes to establishing contrast. This assignment will help you familiarize with value.

Color fundamentals: color wheel Preview 02:21

Now this lecture I'm going to be explaining the famous color wheel.

So we have artists and designers and scientists all have developed numerous models to visually compare

colors and how the interact with one another.

These models and diagrams are commonly used to show the relationship between different colors on the

color wheel designers and other visual artists often use these subtracted color model when mixing colors

because it's most closely mimics when pigment is put on a reflective surface.

We will talk more about different color systems and how to use them in later lectures.

But for now I'm going to be using the classic red yellow blue color spectrum as discovered by Sir Isaac

Newton in sixteen sixty five.

This is pretty much how he organized colors around a wheel.

So let's explore the relationship between colors by understanding how colors are mixed and combined

and the color wheel so wood mixing the colors.

First we have primary colors.

These are pure colors like red yellow and blue.

They can't be mixed from other colors all the other colors on the wheel are created by mixing Primary

Colors secondary colors are purple green orange.

Each consists of two primaries mixed together in equal amounts Tertiary Colors.

These are located between primary and secondary hues on the color wheel and have more often primary

color than the other.

How a tertiary color appears will depend on which primary color is dominance and mixture like yellow

green for example has more dominant yellow than green and the mixture that it's for how colors are mixed.

And now let's move on to the universal basic color combinations.

Color Combinations Preview 05:12

First we have analogous colors refer to a primary hue like orange right.

Green and two adjacent hues next to each other on the color wheel analogous combinations tend to be

more harmonious.

Why.

Because they reflect similar wavelengths of lights monochromatic.

These refers to variations of a single hue that include things like the color of blood spiders and shades

like the color plus black like analogous colors monochromatic color combinations are considered to be

harmonious.

This may be the reason.

That's one color palettes are often so successful in design solutions

try and harmonize these are any three hues spaced equidistant fleet around the color wheel because primary

and secondary colors are equidistant from each other on the color wheel.

They combine to create triad of color combinations.

It's always a good idea to draw a triangle inside the color wheel to find try it colors and how you

do that is that you find Primary Colors.

Ray the yellow and blue and then you draw your triangle.

Once you have it you can rotate it for different trial combinations

complementary hues.

These are any two colors located directly opposite from each other on the color wheel.

There are a total of six pairs of complementary colors complementary is to have like a contradictory

relationship with each other so a color is both attracted and repelled by its complements.

So I guess that's this push and pull effect of the complementary is can be used as a way to attract

a viewer's attention.

Splits complementary hues refers to a primary colors and two secondary colors that's allocated a Jason

to diffuse complements like here for example instead of going directly to the green color.

We're going to take a left and the right hand turn to the Jason colors of green

Tetra combinations these are made up of four hues which are sets of complements or splits complements.

So we draw like a sort of a line between all the complementary colors and color wheel or display complementary

if you want to you will end up with something like this and then you can choose from here like maybe

yellow with violets and then green with red

Okay so these are the basic rules of color relationships.

Next I want to introduce you to your harness.

Ethan's color wheel.

But first who is your harness eaten

your harness Ethan is considered like the GDI or you can call him maybe like the Super sand got off

covers.

He was a master at the bathhouse in very much Germany in the 90s twenties.

His theory was since color relations shapes and outcomes are somehow predictable.

Much of how artists and designers use all the uses perceive color is subjective and determined by context

for Eton stuff.

The relationship between colors and how they work in context will allow designer as an artist to hone

their understanding of colors and therefore make more meaningful color choices.

In his book The Elements of color he suggested that anyone can achieve successful color solutions and

three different ways.

The first is visually which he called impression.

The second is emotionally which he called expression and the third is symbolically which he called lose

traction Ethan's color wheel includes primaries in the middle as an indicator of how colors can be mixed

to produce new hues.

And it's also shows the interaction between colors on the outside next.

We're going to be designing using the color wheel and color combinations in Adobe Illustrator.

Color modes in Adobe Illustrator CC Preview 01:24

In this tutorial you will learn how to check or change the document color mode in Adobe Illustrator CC 2020.

CMYK—Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are the colors of ink used in four- color process

printing. These four colors are combined and overlapped in a pattern of dots to create a

multitude of other colors.

RGB—Red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to create an array of

colors. Select this mode if you are using images for on-screen presentations, the Internet, or

mobile apps.

Working with existing colors Preview 01:46

Adobe Illustrator CC has a lot of default colors built-in that you can work with,their are located in the swatch libraries.

Swatch libraries are collections of preset colors, such as Pantone and TOYO, and thematic

libraries, such as Earthtone and Ice Cream. Illustrator has default swatch libraries that appear as

separate panels when you open them, and they cannot be edited. When you apply color from a

library to artwork, the color in the library becomes a swatch that is saved in that document only

and appears in the Swatches panel. Libraries are a great starting point for creating colors.

Customizing colors Preview 01:25

Now that we have talked about default colors in adobe illustrator let see how you can customize those colors using different tools available.

Save color Swatches Preview 00:41

Learn how to save colors inside your color swatches panel once you customize them.

You can name and save different types of colors, gradients, and patterns in the document as

swatches so that you can apply and edit them later. Swatches are initially listed in the Swatches

panel in the order in which they were created, but you can reorder or organize the swatches into

groups to suit your needs.

Global Colors Preview 01:13

The little white triangle in the lower-right corner of the swatch indicates that it’s a global swatch.

Global swatches are colors that will be automatically updated throughout your artwork when you change them.

Duplicate Global Colors Preview 00:46

To edit a global swatch without updating the art where it is applied is to duplicate the global swatch and edit it.

Adobe Color Themes Preview 04:02

The Adobe Color Themes panel (Window > Color Themes) displays color themes you have created and synced with your account on the Adobe Color CC website.It also allows you to explore and save trending and popular color palettes available on the website.

Color guides Preview 01:19

The Color Guide panel can provide you with color inspiration as you create your artwork. You

can use it to pick color tints, analogous colors, and much more, and then apply them directly to

artwork, edit them using several methods, or save them as a group in the Swatches panel

Recolor Artwork Preview 02:47

The options in the Recolor Artwork dialog box allow you to edit, reassign, or reduce the colors in your selected artwork and to create and edit color groups.

Coloring the line art Preview 02:46

Learn how to color complex arts in Adobe illustrator

Save as template Preview 03:18

Save as template to save time

Color the doodle line work

Apply everything we have learned so far about working with colors in Illustrator.

CMYK color system Preview 02:13

CMYK is a four-color subtractive process, which includes the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.The process is considered to be “ subtractive ” because the inks that are used for printing subtract, or mask, the background (which is usually the white of the paper) using a halftone dot pattern. Colors are produced by combining CMYK ink colors and partially, or fully, printing

them on a white background. CMYK is used in offset lithography.lithography is a printing process just Engraving

Woodcut digital printing now it s based on simple principle that grease and water resist each other and in most cases, you will be required to change all graphics and imagery to CMYK before sending files to a printer.

Standardized SWOP guides are used in the United States, Europe, and Asia. They show the percentage of CMYK values that are needed to create a particular hue to ensure that the colors specified will match the finished print product.

How color appears on print media will also be determined by the paper stock (whether it is coated, un-coated, or matte), and whether a varnish or aqueous coating has been applied over the ink.

RGB Color System Preview 01:02

RGB Is an additive color system that uses the base colors red,green, and blue to produce a wide variety of colors. In the RGB palette,white is the additive combination of all the primary colors and black produced by the absence of light. Screen- and display-based design uses the RGB color system and even some large-format printers use RGB-based color interpretation systems or profiles that will then print with CMYK ink. TV’s video screens, monitors, mobile devices, and cameras all use the RGB system.


Pantone Color System Preview 01:21

Pantone is a color system that allows printers and designers to accurately communicate and produce specific color choices.

The Pantone Matching System allows a designer to select and specify a particular Pantone color that will be matched exactly by the ink used by a commercial printer. So why designers use pantone? DESGINERS AND PRINTERS USE PANTONE WHEN we need to ensure color consistency.

The most used pantone system, is the solid system we have other systems like CMYK metallics range and a bunch of other systems you can find everything if you go here to color switches color book in adobe illustrator.

The Pantone Formula Guide comes in two formats, printed on coated or uncoated stock I highly recommend you use pantone colors if you are designing for brands (Logo products business cards) because it will allow the color to show the same every time it printed and not be affected by the type of paper.

Different techniques to create color palettes Preview 00:09

Learn different methods and techniques to develop beautiful color palettes.

Color Technique 1 Preview 01:00

The subordinate dominant and accent technique.

Color Technique 2 Preview 00:55

Meaning Based Technique For Harmonizing Colors.

Meaning Based Technique color exercise Preview 03:13

This method is used when client requires a specific color or when a project requires you to choose a specific color to convey and adheres to the client message. So you will create a palette based on that specific color.

Ok let say the color i need is blue then ill add complement of the same value and intensity. Ill take these two colors and transform them into their opposites in value and intensity. This process is easy when working in a software programthat has a color picker or by using an online application.

The resultant colors will be harmonious, one can make slight alterations to the shade or tint and then choose which hues in the combination will be appropriate as dominant and accent colors.

Color Technique 4 Preview 01:04

In this method the designer starts with a pure hue then its tints and shades can be having like accent colors or subordinate colors this is a great way to reduce the cost of printing.

Color Technique 5 Preview 00:46

Two color combination allows a designer to choose two hues which have well known relationship complementary or analogous you can rely on one hue to be dominant and the other color to act like it accent or subordinate .......

Color Technique 6 Preview 00:38

Progressive color technique.

Color Technique 7 Preview 00:56

REPETITION AND RE-OCCURRENCE TECHNIQUE.

Color progression and repitition exercise Preview 07:38

You want to apply the techniques we've talked about in this exercise.

Color progression and repitition

Apply color progression and repetition technique to your work.

Color Technique 8 Preview 01:37

Black and White color technique is also a bold combination that you can use in your design projects.

Color as provocateur Preview 00:27

Color combinations that are used to provoke immediate response for a cause or a political matter.

Excessive Color Solutions Preview 01:36

For this color combination solution context is everything.

Color overlap technique Preview 00:46

Overlapping colors is a great technique to give a dynamic feeling to your composition.

Intro Preview 00:27

What do we mean by colors interacting with one another ?

Colors Interaction Preview 01:15

To better pick a color palette it’s very important to understand how colors interact between each other’s using vivid colors is a great way to attract viewers attention but again this combination cant be used in every situation .

Designers should seek balance in color palettes for example Color palettes that include light and dark hues have optimum contrast and are easiest to see. Hues that reflect light should be used alongside those that absorb it. Rarely can two or more colors that reflect light be used together successfully.

For example, a palette that includes only bright orange and yellow tones is likely to seem overwhelming and even garish. On the other hand, using only hues that absorb color can lead to situations where there isn’t enough contrast.

In this section will study what are vivid colors light colors what are neutral colors and how light can affect colors understanding this will certainly help you create better color interactions for optimum color palettes.

Different Color types Preview 04:06

The different type of colors.

Class exercise colors interaction Preview 02:56

Download the files and explore with different type of colors.

Medusa

Color the illustrator file using different type of colors.

How light affect your colors Preview 01:14

Don't neglect light.

Interaction and proximity Preview 01:20

How placing colors next to each other can create different shapes.

Color proximity exercise Preview 01:51

Learn to use color proximity with this beautiful modular design.

Use color proximity

Use color proximity to creqte the illusion of different shapes withing this design.

How to make that geometric grid design to practice your color Preview 08:14

Just if you want to show off.

Color in Images, Illustrations and Type Preview 00:20

How can you choose the right colors for your images.

Colors and and imagery Preview 01:24

Combining imagery and colors in graphic design is great way to immediately revoke an emotional response to a project or tell a story and it can be used as a way to quickly convey information.

Best royalty free images websites Preview 01:55

Dropping the best websites to download royalty free imagery.

Apply Color to your Images in Phtoshop CC Preview 06:08

Download the files and let apply some colors to our images.

Images as element of the composition Preview 04:00

What do you do when you just wanna use image as part of the composition.

Proofing colors Preview 05:01

Proofing colors for printing makes you look legit.

Save for printing Preview 01:48

Dealing with the printers.

Duotone

Learn how to choose the right color for your photos.

Color and Texture Preview 03:21

Texture is often overlooked in graphic design.

Colors and illustration Preview 01:50

When image is illustration.

Best Resources to get customizable illustrations Preview 02:20

How to use colors and type Preview 00:56

Designers combine color and type to produce successful visual design combination whether you use hand drawn type, an expressive font, or one of the tried and standards how this letter-forms will be perceived is determined by application or absence of color.

Color And Hierarchy Preview 00:56

Using color and text to establish hierarchy

Display Text Preview 01:54

What colors to use with big display typefaces.

Specific Fonts Preview 00:30

Some fonts requires specific color solutions.

Body text and color Preview 01:30

When to use colors with body text.

Apply effects to display text in Adobe Illusrator Preview 03:47

Learn how you can play with display texts and colors in Adobe Illustrator CC.

Best Fonts resources websites Preview 01:50

Best Typeface resources on the internet FREE.

Class Project magazine mock-up Preview 06:41

Time to put everything we have learned about colors and typefaces in this basket.

Magazine mock-up

Apply text and images to this magazine mock-up

Colors in data visualization Intro Preview 00:15

When working on designing information graphics Intro...

Colors in data visualization Preview 03:11

When working on information graphics, it is Important to balance between using color to attract a

viewer’s attention and using it to differentiate and communicate information...

Different ways to import charts Preview 04:27

Most of the time you gonna be dealing with graph chart in Excel or Google spreadsheets.

Learn how to import those in Illustrator you can start the elevating process.

The process of decluttering Preview 09:08

If  something is there and you don't know why it's there just remove it.

Don't make me struggle.

Make graph chart easy to read by the normal people.

Colors in branding Intro Preview 00:20

Colors in brand identity part 1 Preview 09:59

Color choices should be made carefully and be based on the initial project brief, information about the client company and its competitors,and an analysis of what the client wants to convey to its customers or to the intended audience.

Colors in brand identity part 2 Preview 05:40

A designer should identify the unique characteristics of the company and learn as much as possible about what it sells or is trying to communicate to consumers. Find everything you can about the targeted audience. Are they Young or old? Male or female? Will they be likely to take risks? Are they interested in trying new things, or do they just want to be reassured and made to feel at ease with the company? these questions will provide good indications about which colors might be appropriate to associate with the company or brand.

If you can't run this poll yourself make sure you ask the company or hire a specialist, these steps are very important when designing for big brands.

Class project: Logo Preview 00:30

Apply what we have learned about colors and branding for this black and white coffee logo.

Use the right colors for the logo

You want to choose the colors that will help the brand communicate it's message.

Congrats.... Preview 00:27

Congrats and don't forget to download the PDF file about 10 commandments to work with colors.