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Graphic Design Theory > Color Theory > Flashcards

Color Theory Flashcards

1
Q

What are the Primary colours?

A

Red, Yellow, Blue.

They are the building blocks for creating all other colours on the colour wheel.

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2
Q

Why are primary colours fundamental?

A

They are the building blocks for creating all other colours on the colour wheel.

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3
Q

Can primary colours be created by mixing other colours?

A

They are fundamental colours that cannot be created by mixing other colours.

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4
Q

How do we create the Secondary colours?

A

Secondary colours are created by mixing equal amounts of two primary colours together.

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5
Q

Which are the Secondary colours?

A

Orange, Green, Purple.

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6
Q

How is Orange created?

A

Orange: Made by mixing red and yellow.

Orange is a warm and vibrant colour associated with:
energy,
enthusiasm, and
creativity.
It is often used to create a sense of excitement or draw attention.

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7
Q

How is Green created?

A

Mixing blue and yellow.

Green represents nature, growth, and harmony. It is often used to evoke feelings of freshness or environmental awareness.

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8
Q

How is Purple created?

A

By mixing red and blue.

Purple is a rich and luxurious colour associated with royalty, spirituality, and creativity. It can convey a sense of mystery or elegance.

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9
Q

What are the warm colours?

A

Reds, Oranges, yellows

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10
Q

What are the cool colours?

A

Blues, Purples, Greens

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11
Q

What are the cool colours often associated with?

A

Calmness,
Relaxation,
Tranquillity
Peace
Serenity
They are also often used to create a sense of spaciousness and airiness in artwork.

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12
Q

What are the warm colours often associated with?

A

Energy,
Warmth,
Excitement
Happiness,
Comfort
They are also often used to create a sense of coziness and vibrancy in artwork.

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13
Q

What’s Red used for?

A

It Represent energy and passion.
It’s used to grab attention and create a sense of urgency.
It is commonly used in advertising to evoke strong emotions or stimulate appetite.

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14
Q

What’s Yellow used for?

A

Associated with warmth and happiness, yellow can evoke feelings of joy and positivity.
It is often utilized in marketing to draw attention or convey optimism.

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15
Q

What’s Blue used for?

A

Symbolising calmness and stability, blue is frequently used to create a soothing atmosphere or convey a sense of trustworthiness.
It is often seen in corporate branding or healthcare settings.

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16
Q

What does the term Colour mean?

A

The term colour describes any colour we see, whether is a hue, shade, tone or tint.

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17
Q

What is a hue?

A

It’s a solid, pure colour, without greys, blacks and whites.

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18
Q

What are the main Hue categories?

A

Yellow, orange, red, blue, purple, green.

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19
Q

What is an example of a mixed hue?

A

Maroon: red + green

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20
Q

What is Tint?

A

It’s a Hue with only Whites added to it.
The more white we add, more lighter the colour will be.

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21
Q

What is Shade?

A

It’s a hue with only Blacks added to it.
It’s the opposite of Tint. It’s used to get a reacher, darker colour.

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22
Q

What is Tone?

A

It’s a hue with only Greys added to it.

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23
Q

Why is colour harmony fundamental in graphic design?

A

To find the right combination of colors for our design.

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24
Q

Which are the colour harmonies?

A
  • Analogues
  • Complementary
  • Split-Complementary (or Compound)
  • Triad
  • Monochromatic
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25
Q

What are Analogue colours?

A

They are colours that are closest together on the colour wheel.
Since they are so close together on the wheel, they have less contrast and they are less dramatic in appearance, giving the color palette a nice, calm feeling.

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26
Q

What are Complimentary colours?

A

They are hues on the opposite side of the colour wheel, like purple and yellow.
They have the highest amount of contrast to each other, making it tricky to use at times.
Purple and Gold is a popular combo for sports teams and it demands one’s attention.

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27
Q

What are Split-Complimentary colours?

A

It’s like the complimentary colors but with one hue splitting into 2 nearby colors instead, like purple, yellow and blue. This makes one of the 3 colors less dramatic, with less contrast, making an easier color palette to work with.

28
Q

What are Triad colours?

A

This harmony contains 3 colours evenly spaced around the colour wheel.
It’s the most vibrant, strong color harmony and it could be tough to use if the 3 colors compete with each other. This harmony is useful for designs that need a more youthful, energetic option like children’s events.

29
Q

Do the colours of a Triad Harmony have to be pure hues?

A

Not all the 3 colours of this harmony have to be pure hues. We can add a bit of shade to tone it down, or tint and so on.

30
Q

What is the key when using Triad harmony

A

The key is to let 1 or 2 colors lead the way and make the 3rd color less strong.

31
Q

What are Monochromatic colours?

A

It’s a single hue on the colour wheel containing different shades (+blacks) and tints (+whites). Monochromatic colors work very well because of this and it means that is a very flexible color palette to work with as we don’t have to worry about multiple color hues.

32
Q

How do we pick the colours we use in design?

A

Depending on the emotion we want to convey.

33
Q

In the psychology of colours, which colours bring more energy and vibrance?

A

Reds, Oranges and Yellows.

34
Q

Why warmer colours are hard to use in the psychology of colours?

A

Because of their energy, especially Red.

35
Q

When is better to use Reds in a design?

A

It’s an attention-grabbing colour and increases alertness.
It is used on buttons and call to action to pull your eye toward that area.
It tends to increase appetite.

It’s not good to use too much in a design.

36
Q

How should we use Reds?

A

It should be used intentionally and with a purpose.
To grab the attention among the crowds.

37
Q

Why do we have to be careful when using Red?

A

It can evoke anger and fear as well.

38
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what do Oranges evoke?

A

Oranges keep the enthusiasm and excitement of red but also start to combine the energy of yellow.
Because they have less red, they are easier to use.

39
Q

Which colours work wonderfully with oranges?

A

Cooler colours like blues.

40
Q

Why do Oranges work well with cooler colours?

A

They tend to be compliments on the colour wheel, turning the oranges into bright highlights in a sea of cool colours.

41
Q

Why does the balance created by oranges and cooler colours work well in design?

A

Because it provides a sense of contrast.

42
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what do Yellows evoke?

A

Energy
Happiness
Give off a youthful vibe.

43
Q

What’s the weakness of Yellows?

A

In design yellow, like pink, is the least used colour, because it can be easily overused

44
Q

How can Yellows be used?

A

Yellow can be a great complement colour alongside other colours that feed off the brightness of yellow, like yellow and black.

45
Q

What’s the best way to use yellow with type?

A

Only if is intentional and readable

46
Q

In which design products is Yellow mostly used?

A

In children’s products

47
Q

What negative emotion can yellow evoke?

A

Anxiety.

48
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what do Greens evoke?

A

Growth
Cleanliness
Freshness
Nature
Sustainability

49
Q

Why greens are heavily used by the financial industry, such as banks?

A

To show positive gains on wealth and status

50
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what does Cyans evoke?

A

Self-expression
Optimism (biotech startups)

It’s a mix of Green’s organic, clean feeling and Blue’s calm feeling.

51
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what does Blue evoke?

A

Stability and calmness.

52
Q

Which are the 2 most used colour palettes in design?

A

Blue and Green

53
Q

What industries commonly use Blues?

A

Bank
Health
Manufacturing

It’s the most used hue.

54
Q

What’s Blue’s peculiarity?

A

It can be used in large areas
It can stand on its own
Its chill nature makes it the most versatile colour on the wheel.

55
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what does Purple evoke?

A

Royalty,
Sophistication (therefore used in hospitality),
Comfort.

It mixes the stability and calmness of blues and the compassion and vibrance of pink.
Purple is rich, silky and luscious

56
Q

What’s Purple’s peculiarity?

A

It starts to take a bit of warm tones, giving it a little kick.
It can be used in large areas of a design, yet adding a little bit of that energy from the warmer tones.

57
Q

When is Purple used in design?

A

Youthful, vibrant brands.
It’s used in duotones, gradients, and overlays in Photos giving photos a richer retro vibe.

58
Q

According to the psychology of colours, what does Pink evoke?

A

Romance
Love
The 80’s (no one was afraid of wearing pink)
Vibrance

59
Q

Why it’s hard to work with Pinks?

A

For the strong past association with femininity and because, as yellows, they can be hard to use in large areas of a design, even if the lighter versions of pinks tend to be better in this.

60
Q

What colours do Pinks work better with?

A

Calm counter colours, because the cooler colour calms it down just enough to take it all in.

61
Q

What’s the Base Hue of a design?

A

This is where the whole colour palette will derive from.
The main colour that the Brand Logo or Design Piece will have. Everything will center around the base hue choice.

62
Q

What is the key to strong colour palettes?

A

Colour Palettes have a variety of different colours, but they also have various types of shades and tints in them from a single colour. A palette made only with strong, vibrant colours can be hard to manage.

63
Q

What’s the best way to start a good colour palette?

A

Start with the basic hue and develop more colours using shades, tints, tones

64
Q

How can we help ourselves to build a strong palette?

A

Heading to color.adobe.com and start picking 2 contrasting colours.

65
Q

How do we adjust colour balance in Illustrator?

A

Edit > edit colour > adjust colour balance

66
Q

How do we change the colour triangle in Photoshop?

A

On the top right.

67
Q

How do we change the colour triangle in Photoshop?

A

On the top right.

Graphic Design Theory (5 decks)

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