Intro
Introduction to Color and Value
What Color is That?
Have you ever asked someone "Hey, what color is that?" If you have, you have asked a very common question. Color is important to us. Can you imagine looking at food that is only black and white? It wouldn't be very appetizing, would it? Color has a huge effect on us even though we may not be aware of it. Every day, our emotions, moods, choices, and even physical sensations like our appetite are influenced by the colors that surround us.
Brands and Color
Artists and designers use color to make us feel a certain way. Have you ever wondered why many fast food restaurants use red and yellow? It's because red triggers stimulation, appetite, hunger, and it attracts attention. Yellow triggers the feelings of happiness and friendliness.
Color is communicated more quickly to the brain than words or shapes and it works directly on our feelings and emotions. A basic knowledge of colors and how they relate to each other will help you to understand why artists use the colors they use and why you like the colors that you like as well.
Music and Art
Would you ever listen to music without a really clear melody? It would be kind of boring, wouldn't it? Well think about looking at art without value or color, that would be pretty boring too! Just like the notes and melody leads us through a piece of music, values and color move our eyes through a painting.
Value in Art
Without values in a painting or work of art we would just see a black or white or gray piece of nothing. Artists don't always include color in their artwork but they do need to use values. Values make it possible for us to see what is in the artwork. If they weren't there, the painting would be boring, have no life, and would appear flat and uninteresting. Value keeps our eyes interested in a work of art.
Albrecht Dürer, Study of Hands, 1506. Image is in the public domain.
Look at the two drawings of hands by the artist Albrecht Dürer. One has less value than the other and looks more like a sketch. The other one is more detailed and has a variety of values. Do you think that the artist was able to make his hands look more realistic by adding more values?
Albrecht Dürer, Study of Hands, 1506. Image is in the public domain.
Albrecht Dürer, Studies of Dürer's Left Hand, 1493-94. Image is in the public domain.
