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Color theory
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Color theory
Color theory, or more specifically traditional color theory, is a historical body of knowledge describing the behavior of colors, namely in color mixing, color contrast effects, color harmony, color schemes and color symbolism. Modern color theory is generally referred to as color science. While they both study color and its existence, modern or "traditional" color theory tends to be more subjective and have artistic applications, while color science tends to be more objective and have functional applications, such as in chemistry, astronomy or color reproduction. However, there is much intertwining between the two throughout history, and they tend to aid each other in their own evolutions.
Though, color theory can be considered a science unto itself that uses the relationship between human color perception and the interactions of colors together to build their palettes, schemes, and color mixes. Importantly, color theory relies upon objective standards in-order to be consistent in color mixing and presentation - i.e. to achieve the ideal color and effect, your ratios of colors must be consistent and often exact. As for functional applications, color theory intandem with color science is what allows humans to achieve ideal camouflage, designed paints that disperse more heat, and is often used by theme parks like Disney to achieve their ideal aesthetic.
Color theory dates back at least as far as Aristotle's treatise On Colors and Bharata's Nāṭya Shāstra. A formalization of "color theory" began in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy over Isaac Newton's theory of color (Opticks, 1704), followed by what we considered to be "primary colors", continuing onward for centuries with multiple artists-turned-scientists, and vice versa, putting forth their own color wheels and color theories.
By the end of the 19th century, a schism had formed between color theory and color science due to the schism in humanities and traditional sciences, alongside the rise of Munsell color theory.
Color theory is rooted in antiquity, with early musings on color in Aristotle's (d. 322 BCE) On Colors and Ptolemy's (d. 168 CE) Optics. The Nāṭya Shāstra (d. 200 BCE) composed in Ancient India, had an early, functional theory of color, considering four colours as primary, black, blue, yellow and red. It also describes the production of derived colors from primary colors.
The bluish white (kāraṇḍava) colour, is made up of the white and the blue, and the yellowish white colour (pāṇḍu) of the white and the yellow. The lotus (padma) colour is made up of the white and the red, and the green (harit) colour, of the yellow and the blue. The dark red (kāṣāya) colour is made up of the blue and the red, and the pale-red (gaura) colour of the red and the yellow. These are the derivative colours. Besides these there are [many] minor colours which may be made up of three or four [original] colours.
The influence of light on color was investigated and revealed further by al-Kindi (d. 873) and Ibn al-Haytham (d. 1039). Ibn Sina (d. 1037), Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274), and Robert Grosseteste (d. 1253) discovered that contrary to the teachings of Aristotle, there are multiple color paths to get from black to white. More modern approaches to color theory principles can be found in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c. 1435) and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1490).
Isaac Newton (d. 1727) worked extensively on color theory, helping and developing his own theory from stating the fact that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors, and that color is not intrinsic to objects, but rather arises from the way an object reflects or absorbs different wavelengths. His 1672 paper on the nature of white light and colours forms the basis for all work that followed on colour and colour vision.
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Color theory
Color theory, or more specifically traditional color theory, is a historical body of knowledge describing the behavior of colors, namely in color mixing, color contrast effects, color harmony, color schemes and color symbolism. Modern color theory is generally referred to as color science. While they both study color and its existence, modern or "traditional" color theory tends to be more subjective and have artistic applications, while color science tends to be more objective and have functional applications, such as in chemistry, astronomy or color reproduction. However, there is much intertwining between the two throughout history, and they tend to aid each other in their own evolutions.
Though, color theory can be considered a science unto itself that uses the relationship between human color perception and the interactions of colors together to build their palettes, schemes, and color mixes. Importantly, color theory relies upon objective standards in-order to be consistent in color mixing and presentation - i.e. to achieve the ideal color and effect, your ratios of colors must be consistent and often exact. As for functional applications, color theory intandem with color science is what allows humans to achieve ideal camouflage, designed paints that disperse more heat, and is often used by theme parks like Disney to achieve their ideal aesthetic.
Color theory dates back at least as far as Aristotle's treatise On Colors and Bharata's Nāṭya Shāstra. A formalization of "color theory" began in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy over Isaac Newton's theory of color (Opticks, 1704), followed by what we considered to be "primary colors", continuing onward for centuries with multiple artists-turned-scientists, and vice versa, putting forth their own color wheels and color theories.
By the end of the 19th century, a schism had formed between color theory and color science due to the schism in humanities and traditional sciences, alongside the rise of Munsell color theory.
Color theory is rooted in antiquity, with early musings on color in Aristotle's (d. 322 BCE) On Colors and Ptolemy's (d. 168 CE) Optics. The Nāṭya Shāstra (d. 200 BCE) composed in Ancient India, had an early, functional theory of color, considering four colours as primary, black, blue, yellow and red. It also describes the production of derived colors from primary colors.
The bluish white (kāraṇḍava) colour, is made up of the white and the blue, and the yellowish white colour (pāṇḍu) of the white and the yellow. The lotus (padma) colour is made up of the white and the red, and the green (harit) colour, of the yellow and the blue. The dark red (kāṣāya) colour is made up of the blue and the red, and the pale-red (gaura) colour of the red and the yellow. These are the derivative colours. Besides these there are [many] minor colours which may be made up of three or four [original] colours.
The influence of light on color was investigated and revealed further by al-Kindi (d. 873) and Ibn al-Haytham (d. 1039). Ibn Sina (d. 1037), Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (d. 1274), and Robert Grosseteste (d. 1253) discovered that contrary to the teachings of Aristotle, there are multiple color paths to get from black to white. More modern approaches to color theory principles can be found in the writings of Leone Battista Alberti (c. 1435) and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1490).
Isaac Newton (d. 1727) worked extensively on color theory, helping and developing his own theory from stating the fact that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors, and that color is not intrinsic to objects, but rather arises from the way an object reflects or absorbs different wavelengths. His 1672 paper on the nature of white light and colours forms the basis for all work that followed on colour and colour vision.
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