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What is Colour?
Colour is nothing but light as proved by ISAAC NEWTON (1666) through his experiment of glass prism, wherein he
showed that the light we see as white light contains a whole spectrum of seven colours , to which he termed as VIBGYOR
(Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red)

Red
White light Orang
Yellow e
Green
Blue
Violet
Newton took a glass prism and threw white light on to it. On the other side of prism, it were seven colours, the VIBGYOR.

White
Spot

Beam of Coloured
white light light

Further, in this experiment he showed that if we throw seven-colour light on an inverted glass prism, we find that the
resultant on the other side of prism is a beam of white light.

How do we see the colours?

When a white light beam falls on a substance, it absorbs all the colours except for the one it look like, e.g., A blue shirt
looks blue because it reflects blue, whereas rest of the colours from the spectrum are absorbed by the material.
VIBGYOR-VI(-)GYOR (ABSORBED)=BLUE
PICTURE: BLUE-BLACK-N-WHITE

This means black material absorbs all the colours and nothing of the VIBGYOR is reflected and white material reflects
whole of the VIBGYOR and nothing is absorbed.
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

COLOUR CLASSIFICATION
Colour can be studied as ADDITIVE COLOURS (colours of light) and SUBSTRACTIVE COLOURS (colours of pigment)
Addic ve Colour Subtrac ve Colour

Magenta
Violet

Blue Red Blue Red

White Black

Green Orange
Cyan Yellow

Green Yellow

They can further be simplified as primary, secondary and ter ary colours.

SUBTRACTIVE COLOURS:
For all prac cal purpose in art , we study only the PIGMENT COLOURS i.e. the SUBTRACTIVE COLOURS .

Green Yellow

Blue Orange

Violet Red

PRIMARY COLOURS:
Primary colours are Colours which cannot be made by mixing any other colours eg. Blue, Yellow & Red

A 2 Dimension design done with primary colours

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SECONDARY COLOURS:
Secondary colours are Colours which are formed by mixing any two primary colours eg. Violet, Green and Orange
Green=yellow+ blue
Orange=yellow +red
Violet=red +blue

TERTIARY COLOURS:
A: Ter ary colour is a mixture of any two secondary colours. The secondary colours are Violet, Green and Orange
(V, G, and O)
1. V+G = TERTIARY COLOURS = (R+B)+(B+Y) = 2BYR
2. O+V = TERTIARY COLOURS = (R+Y)+(R+B) = 2RYB
3. G+O=TERTIARY COLOURS =(B+Y)+(Y+R)=2YBR

B: As we see above, the resultant are= 2RYB,2BYR, and 2YBR All have BYR common i.e. primary colours are present in
all of them. Hence, ter ary colours could also be called as mixture of all three primary colours of subtrac ve colour-
wheel.

C: A further analysis of secondary colours also reveal that all secondary colours contain two primary colours, a third
one can be mixed to obtain the ter ary colours. Hence we can also say that , ter ary colours is a mixture of a
secondary colour and a primary colourwhich was missing into that secondary colour e.g:
Green=B+Y. Green has Red missing in it.
Similarly, Orange = R+Y has Blue missing in it,
And, in violet=B+R, missing is yellow.
Hence, ter ary colour is a mixture of a secondary colour and the missing primary colour into that secondary colour =
Green +Red, Orange +Blue, and Violet +Yellow.

D: Interes ngly, above pair of mixtures are seen as complementary colours on the colour wheel. That means, ter ary
colour could also be called as mixture of complementary colours.
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

QUALIFICATION OF COLOURS:
Based on the proper es of Colours, they can also be qualified as HOT/WARM, COOL and NEUTRAL colours.

HOT/WARM COLOURS: COOL COLOURS:

Hot or Warm colours are the colours which give a feel of Cool colours are the colours which give a feel of calm and
warmth by looking at them: cool by looking at them.
Example: Yellow, Orange, and Red as they remind of Sun Example: Violet, Blue and Green as they remind of Water
and fire etc. and Grass etc.

NEUTRAL COLOURS:
Neutral colours means “No Colour” but technically they do have some colour into them.
Example: White, beige, tan, brown, gray, taupe, and black.
These colours are very light and do not catch your eye, rather they blend into background.
They can also be categorized into warm Neutral, e.g., BROWNS, TANS, GOLDS, BEIGE, AND BLACK, and
Cool neutral colours, e.g., shades of WHITE, CREAM, IVORY, GRAY, AND SILVER.

WHITE IVORY CREAM OLIVE

SAND NUDE TAN ARMY

LIGHT GREY TAUPE CAMEL KHAKI

BEIGE MOCHA CHARCOAL ELINAY BLACK

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SOME DEFINATIONS:
1. LOCAL COLOURS: Local colour is the dominant colour in a picture.

Sky & sea (Blue is local in this picture) Pink (red) is dominant in this picture Green is dominant in this picture

COLOUR IN HARMONY
The side-by colours of a given colour on a colour-wheel are known as colour-in-harmony of that colour.
Example: Refer colour wheel
(1) Violet /Indigo & green are harmony to blue (4) Yellow & red are harmony to orange
(2) Blue & yellow are harmony to green (5) Orange & violet are harmony to red
(3) Green & orange are harmony to yellow (6) Red & blue are harmony violet /indigo

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS:
Complementary colours are opposite colours on the colour wheel.
Example: Refer Colour Wheel (Green to red - Violet to yellow - Orange to blue)
An interes ng phenomenon of these colours, as one can observe, is that, that no traces of complementary colour is
present in any one of them. Generally, a secondary colour compliments one primary colour which is not present in that
secondary colour and vice versa.

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS:

Split complementary colours are the side-by colours of the complementary colours of a given colour .
Example: Blue and red are split complementary colour for yellow.
Similarly, violet and orange are split complementary colours for green.

Split
Complementary
Colour
Combina ons
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

ANALOGOUS COLOURS
Analogous colours is an arrangement of colours wherein two secondary and one primary colours, and their nts and
shades are used in such a way that the primary colour is common in all of them.
Examples:
(1) Green, Orange, and yellow and its nts and shades.
(2) Orange, Violet and red and its nts and shades.
(3) Violet, green, blue and its nts and shades.

ADDITIVE COLOURS:
Black, white and grey are Neutral Colours. They are addi ve colours. That means they can be added to any other colour to
form that colour's nts, shades and tones respec vely.
TINT: A nt is obtained by mixing white or the colour's solvent in that colour.
Example: • Levender is nt of voilet • Pink is nt of red
SHADE: The shade of a colour is obtained by mixing Black in it
Example: • Olive green is shade of Viridian green • Maroon is shade of red
TONE : Tone of a colour is obtained by mixing grey to it.
Example: • Brown is tone of Orange.
HUE: Hue of a colour is purest form of that colour, without any addi ve, i.e., none of white, black or grey is added and the
pigment is seen as pure form of that natural colour.
All primary and secondary colours can be obtained in Pure form, i.e., their hue.

MONOCHROMATIC COLOUR SCHEME:

The monochroma c (Mono = One, Chrome = Colour) colour Low Key:
scheme of a picture is so called when it contains nts and shades If a picture has different shades of one colour and has dark
of only one colour. appearance, it is called Low-key picture.

High Key:
If a picture has different nts of one colour and has light The outer circle in above picture has low-key Analogous colours.
appearance, it is called high-key picture. (Refer blue picture Exercise: Search, print or paint all type of pictures that represent
among monochroma c colour scheme.) the terms given above.
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

COLOR MEANING
Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determina on as well as
passion, desire, and love.
Red is a very emo onally intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respira on rate, and raises blood
pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In
heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a colour found in many na onal flags.
Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use it as an accent colour to s mulate people to make quick decisions; it is
a perfect colour for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' bu ons on Internet banners and websites. In adver sing, red is o en used to
RED

evoke ero c feelings (red lips, red nails, red-light districts, 'Lady in Red', etc). Red is widely used to indicate danger (high
voltage signs, traffic lights). This colour is also commonly associated with energy, so you can use it when promo ng
energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical ac vity.
• Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensi vity, and love.
• Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine quali es and passiveness.
• Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.
• Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine quali es.
• Reddish-brown is associated with harvest and fall.

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics.
Orange represents enthusiasm, fascina on, happiness, crea vity, determina on, a rac on, success, encouragement,
and s mula on.
To the human eye, orange is a very hot colour, so it gives the sensa on of heat. Nevertheless, orange is not as aggressive
ORANGE

as red. Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigora ng effect, and s mulates mental ac vity. It is
highly accepted among young people. As a citrus colour, orange is associated with healthy food and s mulates appe te.
Orange is the colour of fall and harvest. In heraldry, orange is symbolic of strength and endurance.
Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch a en on and highlight the most important elements of your
design. Orange is very effec ve for promo ng food products and toys.
• Dark orange can mean deceit and distrust.
• Red-orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domina on, aggression, and thirst for ac on.
• Gold evokes the feeling of pres ge. The meaning of gold is illumina on, wisdom, and wealth. Gold o en symbolizes
high quality.

Yellow is the colour of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, s mulates mental ac vity, and generates muscle energy. Yellow
is o en associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an a en on ge er, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this
colour. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is
seen before other colors when placed against black; this combina on is o en used to issue a warning. In heraldry, yellow
YELLOW

indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yellow was connected with cowardice.
Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. You can choose yellow to promote children's products and items related
to leisure. Yellow is very effec ve for a rac ng a en on, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your
design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very light-hearted, 'childish' colour, so it is not recommended to use yellow
when selling pres gious, expensive products to men – nobody will buy a yellow business suit or a yellow Mercedes.
Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous colour, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety. Light
yellow tends to disappear into white, so it usually needs a dark colour to highlight it. Shades of yellow are visually
unappealing because they lose cheerfulness and become dingy.
• Dull (dingy) yellow represents cau on, decay, sickness, and jealousy.
• Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy.
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Green is the colour of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fer lity. Green has strong emo onal
correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money.
Green has great healing power. It is the most res ul colour for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests
stability and endurance. Some mes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry,
GREEN

green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the colour of free passage in road traffic.
Use green to indicate safety when adver sing drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can
use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking,
and Wall Street.
• Dark green is associated with ambi on, greed, and jealousy.
• Yellow green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy.
• Aqua is associated with emo onal healing and protec on.
• Olive green is the tradi onal colour of peace.

Blue is the colour of the sky and sea. It is o en associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom,
confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is
strongly associated with tranquility and calmness. In heraldry, blue is used to symbolize piety and sincerity.
You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness (water purifica on filters, cleaning liquids,
vodka), air and sky (airlines, airports, air condi oners), water and sea (sea voyages, mineral water). As opposed to
BLUE

emo onally warm colors like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. Use blue to suggest
precision when promo ng high-tech products.
Blue is a masculine colour; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth,
exper se, and stability; it is a preferred colour for corporate America.
Avoid using blue when promo ng food and cooking, because blue suppresses appe te. When used together with warm
colors like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant designs; for example, blue-yellow-red is a perfect colour
scheme for a superhero.
• Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and so ness.
• Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness.

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power,
nobility, luxury, and ambi on. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity,
PURPLE

independence, crea vity, mystery, and magic.

According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare
colour in nature; some people consider it to be ar ficial.
Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. You can use bright purple when promo ng children's products.
• Light purple evokes roman c and nostalgic feelings.
• Dark purple evokes gloom and sad feelings. It can cause frustra on.

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a nega ve connota on
BLACK

(blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant,
and pres gious colour (black e, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.
Black gives the feeling of perspec ve and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can
make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to
make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very
powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive colour scheme.
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the colour of perfec on.
WHITE
White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a posi ve connota on. White can
represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.
In adver sing, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because it's the colour of snow. You can use white to
suggest simplicity in high-tech products. White is an appropriate colour for charitable organiza ons; angels are usually
imagined wearing white clothes. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest
safety when promo ng medical products. White is o en associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.
BROWN

The colour brown is serious and very down to earth, with proper es like stability, structure and support. The brown
colour stands for protec on and suppor ng the family with great sense of duty and responsibility. Brown colour meaning
calls for high priority, a strong need for security, belonging to a family and having lots of good friends. Of colour meanings,
brown stands for material security and acquirement of material possessions.
PINK

Pink is the colour of universal love. Pink is a quiet colour. Lovers of beauty favor pink. A pink carna on means "I will never
forget you".
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Fragrance – Aroma – Scent; Mirage – Delusion; Yellow – Curiosity; Cosmos – Nature – Creation – World;
Green – Nature; Pink - Floral Blue – Distance Depth; Brown – Sand Green – Nature – Universal

Animate – Active – Lively – Brisk – Airy North; Blue – Sky, Northern-Northward South; Brown – Ground,
Blue-Sky-Green-Grass Southern-Southward

Open – Free – Clear, Brown-Depth- Closed – Packed; Brown – Depth; Static – yellow-ochre - Stationary –
Blue-Sky-Green-Grass Blue – Sky; Green – Grass Immobile – non-moving
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Scale – Ruler – Ladder, Social – Clubby – Outgoing – Convivial; Personal – Particular – Private – Unique;
Blue-Sky-Green-Land Orange – Enthusiasm; Yellow – Happiness, Blue – Serene; Red – Strength
Cheerful; Red – Outgoing

Real – Honest – Right – Genuine – True; Dream – Fancy – Illusion – Fantasy; Uphill – Hard – Difficult – Hellacious –
Yellow – Sunshine – Positivity; Blue – Grey – Moody; White – Peace Effortful; Blue – Sky
Atmosphere; Green – Nature; White – Peace

Downhill – Easy – cheap – Effortless; Sophisticated – Smart – Cosmopolitan – Confusion – Maze – Puzzle – Bafflement
Brown – Ground – Earth Wise; Yellow – Positivity; Blue – Authority; Red-Aggression-Yellow -Pease-Black-
Green – Crispness Confusion
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Near – Closer-hitcher-close; Beginning - Start-early stage, Beginning – Introductory – Prelim –

Blue – Secure orange sun-green grass Primary; Green – Growth;
Yellow – Happiness; Blue – Sky

Beginning – Introductory – Prelim – Smoke – Blow away – Bomb – Smother; Night & Sky; Deep Blue – Night
Primary; Pink – Birth – Delicate; Blue – Sky; Brown – Earthy Chimney;
Yellow – Joy; Orange – Youthful Black – Smoke

Illusion – Daydream – Delusion – Fancy; Optimism – Sanguinity – bullishness; Death – Doom – Grave – Sleep – Demise;
Yellow – Curiosity; Black – Mystery Green – Growth; Yellow – Positivity – Grey – Dullness; Red – Danger – Blood
Curiosity – Happiness – Joy
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Communication – Dispatch – Message; Anxiety – Agitation – Fear – Sweat – Thought Waves – Thought – Way;
Yellow – Brightness; Red – Energy; Worry – Unease; Brown – Roughness; Purple – Mystery – Fantasy;
Orange – High Spirit Red – Aggressive Blue – Confidence

Part – Half – Halfway – Partly – Boundary – Enclosed – Surrounded; Slide – Slip – Slink, Brown-depth-
Incompletely; Red – Strength; Green – Nature – Garden grey-road-blue water
Yellow – Caution; Green – Nature

Edge – Acidity – Roughness – Sharpness Ups & Downs – Rise & Fall; Blue – Imagination – Creativity – Originality –
– Tartness; Brown – Roughness Established – Positive; Green – Humility Invention; White – Peace; Blue – Secure
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Group – Batch – Assemblage – Huddle; Company – Troop – Associate; White – Tintless – Uncoloured –
Green – Environment; Blue – Trustworthy; Green – Harmony Unpainted; White – Hollow
Yellow – Cheerfulness

Black – Ebony – Raven – Pitch-black; Near – Closer – Hither – Close; Distance – Stretch – Spacing – Length –
Black – Bold Pink – Love – Joy Lead; Mystery – Black; Grey – Dull

Direction; Yellow – Sunshine Directions – Instruction; Brown – Depth – 1.Fun – Amusing – Delightful – Pleasurable;
Ground; Blue – Sky – Upward; Orange, Yellow – Cheerful – Joy; Orange – Fun; Pink – Floral
Yellow – Sunrise – East; Violet – Sunset – Romantic; Blue – Confidence; Red – Adventure
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Anger – Fury – Choler – Furore – Cloud – Cloudy – Muddy – Riley Cloud – Cloudy – Muddy – Riley;
Angriness; Red – Blood Rush – Danger Blue-sky-wet Brown – Earth; Blue – Wet
– Aggressive; Black – Bold

Arrival – Appearance – Coming – Advent; Departure – Exit – Outgo – Quitting; Image – Carbon Copy – Duplicate –
Yellow – Happiness – Positivity Blue – Gloomy Mirror Image; Blackish Grey – Shadow;
Blue – Authority

Real – Certified – Right – True – Sure; Disaster – Calamity – Tragedy; War Clash; Red – Danger; Black – Death;
Red – Primary Colour Black – Death; Green to Red – Nature Brown – Rough
turning danger
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Loose – Relaxed – Lax – Insecure – Bound – Enclosed – Confined; Past – Late – Old – History – Once;
Slack; Black Ochre – Sticks Green – Nature Green – nature (present); Brown – Past

Future – Coming – Unborn; Yellow – Harmony – Balance – Proportion – Discord – Conflict – Division;
Sunshine – Bright; Green – Nature; Symmetry; Yellow, Green, Brown – Roughness; Black – Serious
Red – Adventure; Orange – Creativity Brown – Colour in Harmony

Goal – Aim – Ambition – Dream – Idea; 1.Goal – Aim – Ambition – Dream Height –Rise – Raise – Elevate – Lift;
Blue – Confidence – Established; Blue – Established; Grey and Black –
Green – Crisp Authority
Coaching for NID, NIFT, NATA, B.ARCH, CEED / UCEED Entrance

Weight – Heft – Heaviness- Avoirdupois; Height – Top – Zenith – Head – Heights – Top – Zenith – Head – Crown
Brown – Earth Crown – Crest, Blue-sky – Crest – Tip-Top; Blue – Dignity

East; Yellow – Sunshine – Positivity West; Purple – Ceremony; Orange – Fun Justice – Equity – Fair – Shake – Right;
Eastern-eastward Westward-western White – Truthfulness

Injustice – Unfairness – Inequity Ribboned – Strip – Slip – List; Dynamic – Vigorous – Energetic – Vital;
Red – Love; Yellow – Warmth Red – Adventure; Orange – Enthusiasm;
Black – Authority
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