ColorWise

Chapter 1. Color Theory and History

Mention the word “color” and most people’s minds explode into their favorite sights and memories. The deep blue of the ocean. Shades of green in a lush forest. The perfectly balanced blend of brown-and-white in a chocolate-vanilla ice cream sundae. The golden hues of sunlight bursting through the clouds on a stormy day (Figure 1-1).

Figure 1-1. Four images showing a view of the ocean, a forest, a chocolate-vanilla sundae, and sun shining through clouds

In this chapter, we will define “color” and take a brief walk through history to discuss its evolution through time. You’ll learn about how humans biologically see color, including an introduction to color theory and color psychology.

So What Is Color?

Color is the aspect of things that is caused by differing qualities of light being reflected or emitted by them. You need light to see color. When light hits an object, some colors bounce off the object and some are absorbed by the object.

Back in the 1660s, Sir Isaac Newton did more to contribute to science than letting an apple pop him in the head; he also started experimenting with prisms and sunlight, showing that the clear white light that made up everything people could see outside was actually composed of seven visible colors—the scientific establishment of the visible spectrum (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-2. Isaac Newton experimenting ...