Video Summary: Color for Design and Art

I learned a great deal from Jim Krause's interesting and informative video, Color for Design and Art.  Below is an outline of some of the main points:

Color is a pulsation of electromagnetic energy.  

The color wheel is a designer's friend.  Get to know it! 

Primary Colors (red/yellow/blue)

Secondary Colors (orange/purple/green)

Tertiary Colors (one primary + one secondary color)

The properties of color can be described with three characteristics:

Hue (color)

Saturation (brightness or intensity)

Value (lightness/darkness)  

Without value there can be no hue or saturation.

Color Systems

RGB (red, green, blue) is used for digital images on screen.

CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) is used for process color printing, with images printed as densities of tiny dots. 

Spot Colors (aka Pantone/PMS) are pre-mixed single colors used for ink printing.

Programs such as Photoshop can convert colors from one system to another.  

Color Wheel Based Palettes:

Monochromatic

Analogous

Triadic

Complimentary

Split Complimentary

When choosing the "right color" for a client:
- Make sure it connects with the target audience
- Look for a color that's not currently being used by the client's competitors
- Choose a color that effectively represents the client's product

Methods of working with color when designing an illustration:
- Begin illustration by focusing on the value (all grays), and then substitute the colors.
- Choose a color you like, then create a palette based on that color
- Borrow color inspiration for famous painters: Vermeer, Klee, Klimt, Miro, etc.