Colour Theory Research

This section of my blog will consist of my colour theory research. This was originally a part of my blog titled 'Front Cover Development' created on the same date on 6th September. I've decided to move it to a new post entirely as I believe this research can be applied beyond just the front cover 

Colour theory is the idea that colours can be used together to not only create an effective and visually appealing design, but to communicate ideas through the usage of colours. Colour theory is an essential part of design that helps media producers visually communicate to their audience. Although I have a pretty good understanding of colour theory, I believe it would be helpful for me to learn more as well as revise my knowledge

I used these articles for my research:

• Color Theory
  
• Color Psychology: Does It Affect How You Feel?
  

Definitions:

• Hue refers to the attribute of a colour that distinguishes a colour as a colour on the colour wheel
• Value refers to how light or dark a colour is which helps create contrast and depth in a design
• Saturation refers to the intensity of a certain colour which can range from saturated (vibrant) to desaturated (dull)

Colour Schemes

Colour schemes are combinations of colours. In design, colour schemes can be use to create an effective colour harmony. 

Types of Colour Schemes:

• Monochromatic colour schemes are colour schemes that feature a single hue in different shades/tins, values and saturations. Using this type of colour scheme creates a feeling of minimalism
• Analogous colour schemes use colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. For example, a colour scheme that features, pink, orange and red. This creates a soothing design
• Complementary colour schemes use colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel. For example, a colour scheme that features red and blue. Colour schemes like this are an effective tool for creating attention grabbing contrast which is why it's often used in media products for marketing (such as logos or adverts)
• Triadic colour schemes feature colours that are placed equidistantly from each other on the colour wheel, forming a triangle. For example, a colour scheme that features green, orange and blue. Colour schemes like this usually create a fun and playful effect
• Neutral colour schemes are colour schemes that rely on achromatic hues (black, white, grey) and neutral colours (desaturated colours, most often brown, beige and tan). This can make a calm, earthy and minimal feel

Colour Psychology

Colour psychology is the research into how people associate different colours with different things. In a visual media, this can help imply meanings to audiences by creating subconscious connections.

Warm Tones

Warm tones are typically associated with physically warmer things (like fire) and also emotionally warmer things (like joy or love). However, more specific colours can connotate more specific things. Most common associations include

• Red: Love, passion, anger and danger
• Orange: Courage, energy and immaturity
• Yellow: Joy, optimism and illness
• Pink: Femininity, romance and affection

Cool Tones

On the other hand, cool tones are associated with physically colder things (like ice) and emotionally colder things (like sadness or loneliness). More specific colours can also connotate more specific things including:

• Green: Health, nature, money and envy
• Blue: Trust, freedom and sadness
• Purple: Nobility, wealth and fear

Reflection:

• Truthfully, doing research into a topic I already know felt pointless but when conducting this research I realised that there were a few elements of colour theory that I had forgotten about such as specific terminology. In the end, it was useful as this revision helped me refresh my knowledge and better apply it to my magazine. I also was reminded of the terminology I can use when discussing colours