Digital Photography & Imaging - Week 7

Lecture 7
Colour Theory

Colour theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color; and the messages colors communicate artistically and emotionally.

CMYK: Cyan, magenta, yellow and black are the primary colors of printing.

RGB: Red, green, blue are used to display on your computer screen.

CMYK: Subtractive color mixing model

Colour is created by the subtraction of light.

 

RGB: Additive color mixing model
Colour is created by mixing red, green and blue light sources of various intensities.

Hue: the most basic of color terms and denotes an object’s color.
Shade: a hue to which black has been added. For example, red + black = burgundy.

Tint: a hue to which white has been added. For example, red + white = pink.
Tone: a color to which black and white (or grey) have been added.

Colour Harmony: The arrangement of the colors in design in the most attractive and effective way for users’ perception.

   

Monochromatic:

Colour Harmony:

Analogous: 3 colors located right next to each other on the color wheel.

Complementary: colours that are opposites on the color wheel. This scheme is opposite to analogous and monochromatic since it aims to produce high contrast.

Split-Complementary: involves the use of three colors. Start with one color, find its complement and then use the two colors on either side of it.

Triadic: colours that are evenly spaced around the color wheel and tend to be very bright and dynamic.

The psychology of colour:

Colors have an extraordinary ability to provoke specific emotions for each individual and to attract people’s attention and harmony simultaneously.

While perceptions of color are somewhat subjective, some effects have universal meaning.

Warm V.S. Cool colours

Warm Colours:

Warm colors often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism and energy.
However, yellow, red and orange can also have an attention grabbing effect and signal danger or make you take action (think stop signs, hazard warnings and barrier tape).

Cool Colours:

Cool colors are usually calming and soothing but can also express sadness.
Purple is often used to help spark creativity as it’s a mixture of blue (calm) and red (intense).

Black Colour:

Black is often used sparingly – such as for text – but it works quite well as a primary colour element (like for backgrounds). Black adds an air of sophistication and elegance, and also mystery, though with much bolder confidence.

White Colour: 

As primary, white gives off an impression of clean, virtuous, healthy. White pairs well with just about anything, making it ideal as a secondary colour.

References:
Title: The fundamentals of understanding color theory
Link:https://99designs.com/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/

Title: An Easy Approach to Color Theory in Graphic Design
Link: https://medium.com/gravitdesigner/an-easy-approach-to-color-theory-and-graphic-design-8b9287c95e42

Title: 12 colours and the emotions they evoke
Link: https://www.creativebloq.com/web-design/12-colours-and-emotions-they-evoke-61515112

Title: Influence with Design – A Guide to Color and Emotions
Link: https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/colors-and-emotions

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Practical 7

Poster Design

Part 2: Define your concept

1. Visualize the theme from your Quotes of the day.
2. Sketch your mock up poster.

Scrapped idea:

Sketch (Hand drawing):

Sketch (Digital Sketch):

This was my initial idea. I wanted to make a medieval fantasy feeling of home, with modern elements mixed in painted in the genre of steampunk. The tree was supposed to be like a home, where nature can strive and live in harmony with humans and technology. I used many references for my sketch as I am not skilled enough to draw buildings and other complicated structures.

However, after consultation, Mr. Fauzi said that this is too complicated and there's too many elements to focus on. Once he explained this project again and showed me past examples from students, I realised I needed to use a portrait of myself or the picture provided from the competition as the main subject of the poster. I don't have to add so many elements, but to demonstrate a good amount of skills I have learned for this module. He suggested I could do surrealism or a collage type of artwork, with me as the center. I should work on the vertical poster first before expanding to the landscape poster, as the portrait is more important.

Changed:

Sketch 1 (Hand drawing):

I came out with several ideas of how I was going to portray hometown. I wanted to portray surrealism of a dream-like hometown, as I want to express my understanding of what home feels like and how I want it to be. After thinking about two sides of what I want to show, I decided that I can 'tear open' a piece of a person, as if looking inside to their inner desire of what home should feel like, while the actual place of hometown is at the bottom. 

Sketch 2 (Digital sketch):

I portray my idea with a digital sketch, where I would take a picture of myself and photoshop a cottage-core house into my face and a city at the bottom. This shows where I am currently living in the city, my hometown, where I feel like it isn't the most interesting scenery or place to be in. The inner place in my head is like a more peaceful and comfy home that I'd like to live in one day, which feels more like a dreamy scenario of a hometown.