Introduction Video to Color Theory
This video can be used to to introduce our topic of Color Theory in Painting because it gets down to the basics- color and why it’s important in our everyday lives. The basics of color like the color wheel, tints and shades, and color palette are all very important because they can all be applied to each own’s painting style. The whole point of this video is to show the students that color choice is important in their paintings and that they need to get comfortable with using color.
A teacher would need to know the basics of the color wheel: primary and secondary color and complementary colors. They would also need to know about color psychology and how color affects human beings (ex: red makes people energetic, hungry; blue makes people relaxed, calm). They would also need to have some basic knowledge on how companies use color in their ads to persuade potential customers.
To Begin: The teacher need to ask the following questions to their students before playing the video. These can either be written on the board by the instructor for the students to answer on a piece of paper and turn in or can be used in an open verbal class discussion.
1.Why do you think color is so important in everyday life?
A: Color is used in absolutely everything we do. We have to match our outfits in the morning, we use color to judge what looks good to eat versus what doesn’t, we use color to identify signs when we are driving and when to stop and go. We use color to constantly question judge, and identify every aspect of life.
2. Why do you think you need a basic knowledge of color to succeed in your paintings?
A: Unless you are just going to do black and white for every piece (boring!!!), a basic knowledge of color is needed so that you know what colors match up with which harmoniously or what colors create a strong contrast so that your work has visual appeal. Knowledge of color is needed so that you will know how to mix colors and what the product of certain colors mixed together will be.
The instructor will then show the following video above.*If video does not show above, try the link here*
The video should be allowed to play all the way through with no pauses.
After the video ends, the instructor will then ask these questions (again these questions can be made into a verbal discussion or can be turned in as a physical assignment):
3. Name three brands you can remember. What color(s) are used in their logos? Why do you think that is?
A:1. Mcdonald’s: Yellow and Red. Yellow is a color that makes the viewer feel joyful and happy and has been shown to actually increase serotonin release in your brain. Red is the color of energy and is the most eye-catching color. Red has been know to make people feel hungry. Mcdonald’s uses these colors to appear friendly and welcoming by using the yellow and then uses the red to seek a viewer’s attention and to excite the viewer, possibly making them hungry.
2. Starbucks- Green and Black. Black is the color of authority and power and must be used sparingly, as people can become overwhelmed very easily by black. Green is the color that causes one to feel peaceful and is very pleasing to the senses. Many people also associate green with “eco-friendly” and Starbucks has been known for trying to be a candidate for eco and human social rights. Starbucks uses these colors to show authority through the black because they are one of the top businesses in America. They use green because people right now are really into being environmentally friendly, so they can reach out and market to more people.
3. Apple- White. White is the color of purity. Apple is all about how they redesigned technology to be smooth and thin, unlike anything else. They are known for their organization and clean products. White is also associated with creativity or starting from a blank slate. When using Apple products, the user is usually creating something (ex. a Word document, a website, a playlist, etc) so having their logo be white could really show the viewer how creative they could be with an Apple product.
4. Why is it so important to collect color through paint chips, magazine clippings, etc?
A. It is important to collect these because it is good to have some color reference. If you collect your colors, you can have a guide to go back to so you can decide which colors to use and which would be most effective in a piece. It is also good practice in differentiating which colors are primary, secondary, cool or warm, and if they are complementary or not.
5. Why is having a specific color scheme in a painting so important?
A: It is important to have a specific color scheme so you can have some sort of contrast in your piece. It is also important so you can achieve your color scheme without messing any specific color up or it can help you keep your scheme without making the painting too chaotic with too much differentiating color.
A teacher would need to know the basics of the color wheel: primary and secondary color and complementary colors. They would also need to know about color psychology and how color affects human beings (ex: red makes people energetic, hungry; blue makes people relaxed, calm). They would also need to have some basic knowledge on how companies use color in their ads to persuade potential customers.
To Begin: The teacher need to ask the following questions to their students before playing the video. These can either be written on the board by the instructor for the students to answer on a piece of paper and turn in or can be used in an open verbal class discussion.
1.Why do you think color is so important in everyday life?
A: Color is used in absolutely everything we do. We have to match our outfits in the morning, we use color to judge what looks good to eat versus what doesn’t, we use color to identify signs when we are driving and when to stop and go. We use color to constantly question judge, and identify every aspect of life.
2. Why do you think you need a basic knowledge of color to succeed in your paintings?
A: Unless you are just going to do black and white for every piece (boring!!!), a basic knowledge of color is needed so that you know what colors match up with which harmoniously or what colors create a strong contrast so that your work has visual appeal. Knowledge of color is needed so that you will know how to mix colors and what the product of certain colors mixed together will be.
The instructor will then show the following video above.*If video does not show above, try the link here*
The video should be allowed to play all the way through with no pauses.
After the video ends, the instructor will then ask these questions (again these questions can be made into a verbal discussion or can be turned in as a physical assignment):
3. Name three brands you can remember. What color(s) are used in their logos? Why do you think that is?
A:1. Mcdonald’s: Yellow and Red. Yellow is a color that makes the viewer feel joyful and happy and has been shown to actually increase serotonin release in your brain. Red is the color of energy and is the most eye-catching color. Red has been know to make people feel hungry. Mcdonald’s uses these colors to appear friendly and welcoming by using the yellow and then uses the red to seek a viewer’s attention and to excite the viewer, possibly making them hungry.
2. Starbucks- Green and Black. Black is the color of authority and power and must be used sparingly, as people can become overwhelmed very easily by black. Green is the color that causes one to feel peaceful and is very pleasing to the senses. Many people also associate green with “eco-friendly” and Starbucks has been known for trying to be a candidate for eco and human social rights. Starbucks uses these colors to show authority through the black because they are one of the top businesses in America. They use green because people right now are really into being environmentally friendly, so they can reach out and market to more people.
3. Apple- White. White is the color of purity. Apple is all about how they redesigned technology to be smooth and thin, unlike anything else. They are known for their organization and clean products. White is also associated with creativity or starting from a blank slate. When using Apple products, the user is usually creating something (ex. a Word document, a website, a playlist, etc) so having their logo be white could really show the viewer how creative they could be with an Apple product.
4. Why is it so important to collect color through paint chips, magazine clippings, etc?
A. It is important to collect these because it is good to have some color reference. If you collect your colors, you can have a guide to go back to so you can decide which colors to use and which would be most effective in a piece. It is also good practice in differentiating which colors are primary, secondary, cool or warm, and if they are complementary or not.
5. Why is having a specific color scheme in a painting so important?
A: It is important to have a specific color scheme so you can have some sort of contrast in your piece. It is also important so you can achieve your color scheme without messing any specific color up or it can help you keep your scheme without making the painting too chaotic with too much differentiating color.