Studio Brief 1: Design Principles

Today is a start of a new studio brief where we are to explore the principles of visual literacy, colour theory, typography, layout and format. We will also explore how we will use visual language to communicate our ideas. We were also given a pantone colour which is our starting point for this project. My colour is Emerald.

"visual language is a set of principles by which images can be used to communicate designs."

• We will collate and research about colour theory and grids.
• Make publication(s) based on 3 theories on colour.

Design Principles: Colour Theory 

Systematic Colour (Part 1): An Introduction to Colour Theory

Colour can be seen physically, psychologically and can be perceived differently by everyone. 

We learnt that:

• Hue is one colour
• Colour is one or several hues
• Chroma is all of the colours including shades, tints and tones
• Colour and Hue are often interchangeable 
• Chromatic Values is combinations of all (hue, colour, chroma)
• Shades are hues plus black
• Tints are hues plus white
• Tones are hues plus grey
• Monochromatic scale
• Monochromatic value

Johannes Itten (The At of Colour)

7 Colour Contrast

• Contrast of Hue - contrasting colours put next to each other are seen at their brightest intensities.
• Contrast of Light/Dark - how it looks black and white
• Contrast of Saturation - creates effects of depth, 3D form, and something that 'moves upwards'.
• Contrast of Extension - properties* how much space a colour takes up on the page; how dominant a colour  is; how much volume or are the colours take up in order for them t be equal
• Contrast of Temperature - juxtapositioning hues that are considered warm and cool; shifting the balance between warm and cold.
• Complementary Contrast - the maximum vividness when adjacent (vibrating boundaries); cautionary feel to it?
• Simultaneous Contrast - making 2 colour look the same or making 1 colour look like 2 colours.  (photographing environment- leaves on different coloured paper?)

Johan Albers (Interaction of Colours)

Looks at the perception of colours and how colours change when placed or linked to other colours.

• Intersection - sculpture illusions or intersecting colours (similar to Contrast of Saturation).
• Film and volume- illusion of colour on top of another 
• Reversed Grounds - Colour that looks and feels different when placed on different background (Bezold Effect)
• Subjective Colours - Albers study that people have different perceptions on colours e.g. when he held a lecture and told students to make painting with 'harmonious colours' and some students disagreed with his selection of harmonious colours.