Introduction This is a comment made too often by designers. There is a perception that a discrete and complex set of rules applies to color, and one wrong choice will lead to failure. There are, indeed, rules that apply to color theory. These are based on laws of physics, wavelengths of light, and how our eyes perceive the world. We know from experience that a specific shade of red and blue will create an optical vibration. We understand that high contrast is easier to see than subtle tones. And we realize that each color has cultural, emotional, and personal meanings. This fear leads to the action of selecting only the 'safe' colors. The tried and true colors in a default digital palette must be correct. The result is work that feels expected and ordinary. Extraordinary work is the result of unique colors applied with confidence and clarity. There is a reason why a Van Gogh demands our attention while a paint by numbers composition may be pleasant, but flat. As Tibor Kalman said, 'If you only do work no one will hate, no one will love it'. This statement could not be more true when working with color. The secret is that the only way to apply color incorrectly is to do so hesitantly. Any color palette will work if it is employed with courage and knowledge. The designer, must also have the ability to explain why one palette is better than the other. He or she must persuade the client why the warm shade of red is 'on brand' while purple isn’t. The designer today is faced with multiple media and delivery options. The ability to control every reproduction of a corporate color is antiquated. But a proprietary palette and clear color choice will outperform the mild mannered and expected every time. - Sean Adams. What Is Color? Additive Color: The RGB Primaries (Light) Visible spectrum colors are pure and represent the greatest possible brightness or intensity. Designers working with rays of colored light, as on computer screens, use additive colors, or rgb. When these colors overlap, other colors are produced: red and blue light form cyan; red and green light form yellow; and green and blue light form magenta. When all three additive primaries overlap, white light is produced. Thus, white light is the combined presence of all color wavelengths. We call them additive because all together, these primaries create white. RGB reflects actual human color receptors. Mixtures of these primary colors produce a large part of the human color experience. Television sets, computer monitors, cameras, and color scanners all produce mixtures of red, green, and blue light. Subtractive Color: The CMY Primaries (Transparent Pigments) All objects have physical properties that cause them to absorb some color waves and reflect others. Color, when applied to a surface such as canvas or paper, has the same characteristic. The sensation of color is produced when a surface absorbs all the wavelengths except those the eyes perceive. When color is experienced through reflected light, it is called subtractive. There are two sets of subtractive primary colors: the artist’s primaries - red, yellow, and blue (RYB) - and the printer’s primaries - cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY) transparent inks and dyes. Coupled with black, known as K, we get CMYK, or four-color process. Each of these triads is combined to produce all visible color. In the subtractive CMYmodel, magenta combines with yellow to form red, yellow and cyan form green, and cyan and magenta form violet (purple). In the case of both versions of the subtractive primaries, when all the primary colors are combined, black is produced—that is, no color is reflected. Subtractive Color: The RYB Primaries (Opaque Pigments) In the RYB triad, red combines with yellow to produce orange, red and blue create violet (purple), and blue and yellow create green. RYB, the primary color system used in art classes, forms the basis of most color theory. As with CMY, when all the primary colors are combined, black is produced—no color is reflected. The secondary colors produced by the three triads indicate the purity of the colors that can be obtained by the different mixing methods. RGB produces pure CMY as secondary colors, and the CMY triad produces RGB as secondary colors, but they are duller than pure RGB light. The secondary colors resulting from RYB are even duller than those in the RGB or CMY triads. Chapter 8 Thinking About Composition Symmetrical Balance (Sweden Graphics) Symmetrical balance is achieved by mirroring often identical elements in a composition. Symmetry can be quite static, but this Old York poster, commemorating the 9/11 tragedy in New York City, achieves movement through the repeating shapes of the gradient orange clouds that surround the white focal point of the Twin Towers. Radial Balance (Winterhouse Editions) The Reinventing the Wheel book cover is a great example of radial balance. This is a composition balanced around a focal point. The designers created a volvelle, a calculation consisting of concentric circles, adapting an existing piece by retrofitting it with their own content. The complementary colors increase legibility. Approximate Symmetry (Format Design) The poster for the film Wolfsschlucht demonstrates approximate symmetry, a composition in which elements that are not identical have the same apparent weight. The diagonal color blocks are not equal. The green, however, is balanced by the hue’s complement in the form of a solid red figure on the right. Asymmetry Balance (Powell) The book cover for the definitive edition of William S. Burroughs’ breakthrough novel Junky has a distinctive handmade quality. The composition features a hand-lettered title, a character illustration, and a hand-drawn version of the publisher’s logo. The asymmetrical spots of yellow and orange leap from the neutral background. Case Studies - Green Dragon Office (Los Angeles, USA) The Green Dragon Office is led by its founder and creative director Lorraine Wild. As a designer, writer, critic, lecturer, and faculty member of the Program in Graphic Design at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Wild has been a highly influential figure to scores of students, teachers, practitioners, and thinkers in the field of graphic design. Her firm, Green Dragon Office, is a collaborative studio that designs publications, identities, websites, posters, signage, and other communication media for clients ranging from museums to schools, publishers, corporations, and nonprofit organizations of all types. Case Studies - Pentagram Design, Ltd. (London, UK) Pentagram is one of the world’s premiere design companies. The firm is notable for its work, its unique business structure, and its longevity. Not given to the styles and trends of the day, Pentagram’s work stands the test of time, and the company has been thriving for thirty-three years. Pentagram is a multinational, multidisciplinary collaboration of designers who do print and screen graphics, product and environmental design, and architecture. The firm is organized around its nineteen partners, all practicing designers, who work with small dedicated teams and share minimal corporate infrastructure and support personnel. Pentagram has offices in London, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, and Austin. The 138 staff members are augmented by a worldwide network of collaborators who contribute to the capabilities of the firm. 'I suppose it is a bit of a cult', mused partner John McConnell in an article in FT.com (a division of London’s Financial Times). 'I suppose that’s how we behave in some ways'.
✔ Author(s): Sean Adams
✔ Title: Color Design Workbook: New, Revised Edition: A Real World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design
✔ Rating : 4.5 out of 5 base on (95 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1631592920
✔ ISBN-13: 9781631592928
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about Color Design Workbook by Sean Adams
Sarah Franklin
The world created in this book was unlike anything I've ever encountered. The author's imagination knows no bounds, and I was completely mesmerized by the fantastical setting.
Daphne Garner
The rich historical context of the book added a layer of depth that I found fascinating. It was like stepping back in time and experiencing history firsthand.
Aileen Menzie
The plot was so well-paced that I lost track of time while reading. I was completely immersed in the story, eagerly turning the pages to uncover the next twist.
