Colour theory part 1

colour is defined as a single wavelength that generates monochromatic light.

Light reflects and changes the way we see colours. for example shining blue light on colours will change how the actual look of the colour. we can use colours effectively to make something interesting and that means you need to mix the right colours to generate shades or highlights without entering the grey scale.

we see colours through our eyes which has rods and cones.

-Rods, convey black, grey and white which is grey scale.

-Cones, have 3 different types which convey the rest of the spectrum of colour which is red green and blue.

there has to be light for us to see colour, without light we just dont get anything but black.

primary colours cant be made by other colours, the two types of primary colours are RGB and CMYK.

-RGB is used for many things such as computers, films and magazines. this is because our eyes see these colours through our cones.

-CMYK is used for print, like newspaper or billboards.

Whats the difference with RGB and CMYK?
RGB and CMYK make additive and subtractive colours, making white and black. RGB primary colours make secondary colours which is Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and key (black) and the same goes for CMYK being primary makes RGB as its secondary.

So why do we use CMYK if we have RGB?
Its mostly to do with print, which is best with CMYK because of the subtractive colours.

Alongside colours comes chromatic values, which are hues, tones and saturation and this is important when it comes to colouring in objects.

-Hue, changes of colours between all the primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

-Tones, adding grey colours into the hue colours and this makes each colour toned down and can mix colours with each other.

-luminosity, brightens or darkens the colours. Darks convey shades and lights convey tints.

colours mix with each other which gives us our primary and secondary colours but our view is not bright primary or secondary colours, we mostly see tertiary colours of greens, blues and grey's and it is pretty much impossible to define the exact colour of something from something that is taken from a camera and this is why we mix colours to produces something that resembles that colour.