glass mosaic tile art studio of william j enslen jr
| Chapter 6 Color and Contrast Page 2 |
Characteristics of Color
A color is described by its hue, intensity, and tone (tone is also known as shade or tint). Other characteristics can further define a color
(e.g., chroma and luminance), but those discussions are much more technical than we need.
Color is Relative
It's important to understand how color behaves when blended with other colors. Contrast can do funny things to the way we perceive
colors. Look at the red circles in Figure 6-5. Surrounded by black, the intensity of the red looks greater (i.e., it looks bright, vibrant, and
exciting). Surrounded by white, the red looks less intense. Surrounded by orange, the red looks dull and boring.
A color is described by its hue, intensity, and tone (tone is also known as shade or tint). Other characteristics can further define a color
(e.g., chroma and luminance), but those discussions are much more technical than we need.
- Hue: The basic color, such as red, yellow, or blue (i.e., the wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum that appears most dominant).
- Intensity: The brightness or dullness of a hue. Saturation is a measure of the hue's purity (i.e., whether the hue contains a narrow or
wide set of wavelengths). Increasing saturation makes the hue vivid; whereas, decreasing saturation makes it look dull and gray.
- Shade: Modification of a hue by adding black.
- Tint: Modification of a hue by adding white.
Color is Relative
It's important to understand how color behaves when blended with other colors. Contrast can do funny things to the way we perceive
colors. Look at the red circles in Figure 6-5. Surrounded by black, the intensity of the red looks greater (i.e., it looks bright, vibrant, and
exciting). Surrounded by white, the red looks less intense. Surrounded by orange, the red looks dull and boring.
| Figure 6-5. Contrast Has Astonishing Effects on Color |
Fully saturated colors (i.e., bright and colorful) juxtaposed create the greatest amount
of contrast. Tinted or shaded colors reduce the contrast. Figure 6-6 shows an
example. Note in the Figure 6-6 that the simulated gray grout is the same color in
both images and only the tile colors are changed. Our eyes see greater contrast with
the bright blue and bright red than with the duller shades.
of contrast. Tinted or shaded colors reduce the contrast. Figure 6-6 shows an
example. Note in the Figure 6-6 that the simulated gray grout is the same color in
both images and only the tile colors are changed. Our eyes see greater contrast with
the bright blue and bright red than with the duller shades.
| Figure 6-6. The Greater the Color Saturation, the Greater the Contrast |
As seen in Figure 6-1 (refer to page 1), our eyes blend colors that are juxtaposed. We see medium-blue in Figure 6-1 because there are an
equal number of dark-blue and light-blue squares. What happens when the mix is dominated by one color? Refer to Figure 6-7 for
examples of the following observations.
equal number of dark-blue and light-blue squares. What happens when the mix is dominated by one color? Refer to Figure 6-7 for
examples of the following observations.
- The color occupying the largest area dominates and we see that color, regardless of whether the color is light or dark (image A and
image B). - Accents are created by inserting small areas of color (light or dark) that contrast with the main colors (image C).
| Figure 6-7. Our Eyes See the Dominant Color |
Image A. Dark-blue occupies the most area,
so our eyes see dark-blue.
so our eyes see dark-blue.
Image B. Light-blue occupies the most area,
so our eyes see light-blue.
so our eyes see light-blue.
Image C. The contrast between blue and
yellow creates accents.
yellow creates accents.
Another interesting aspect of contrast is that different colors of similar tone are not as discernable as you might expect. Figure 6-8 shows
examples. In the first example, note that the two colors are clearly different (i.e., green and blue), but they both have a similar dark tone.
When juxtaposed, the colors tend to blend and get lost. In the second example, the tones are much different. The green's tone is dark and
the blue's tone is light and, therefore, the colors are much more discernable when juxtaposed. Therefore, different colors of similar tone
(i.e., shade), such as dark green and dark blue, blend and are less discernable to our eyes; whereas, different colors of different tone, such
as dark green and light blue, are much more discernable.
examples. In the first example, note that the two colors are clearly different (i.e., green and blue), but they both have a similar dark tone.
When juxtaposed, the colors tend to blend and get lost. In the second example, the tones are much different. The green's tone is dark and
the blue's tone is light and, therefore, the colors are much more discernable when juxtaposed. Therefore, different colors of similar tone
(i.e., shade), such as dark green and dark blue, blend and are less discernable to our eyes; whereas, different colors of different tone, such
as dark green and light blue, are much more discernable.
| Figure 6-8. The Effect of Similar and Different Tones (Shades) |
Two completely different hues (i.e., green and
blue) with similar dark tones.
blue) with similar dark tones.
The same hues (i.e., colors) as above but with
different tones. The square is dark green and
the circle is light blue (the circle is the same
hue as above, except with a much lighter tone).
different tones. The square is dark green and
the circle is light blue (the circle is the same
hue as above, except with a much lighter tone).
When juxtaposed, the blue becomes lost.
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When juxtaposed, the light blue contrasts and
stands out against the dark green.
stands out against the dark green.
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