Colors.
category: general [glöplog]
Playing with colour is very much like composing music. If you mix random notes, chords and or have a discordant tempo it's not pleasing to the human mind. Likewise, if you mix conflicting colours, it creates a natural repulsion and just feels wrong. Although there are textbook guidelines, I think a good eye for colour comes with experience and following your instinct.
For example, blues are considered "cool" colours while reds are considered "warm" colours. So if you want your demo/picture/room etc to feel warm and cosy, it's best to choose reds and colours that feature red (i.e. oranges and browns). This isn't just a written rule, however, it's related to the mental response people have towards them. Every colour has a different mental response or “feeling”.
Another aspect to consider is the effect of saturation. Low saturated colours generally feel calm and soft and create a relaxing harmony when combined together. High saturation, on the other hand, can create a more energetic feeling, while colours that are extremely oversaturated may feel unsettling and crazy. Values are also important. Values that are even will create a feeling of harmony, whereas uneven values and high contrast will appear harsh.
Many artists/designers use discordant colour and values on purpose to create unease or distaste. The punk movement is a good example. Punks are all about rebellion and causing a stir, and the high saturation and contrast featured in a lot in punk graphics is like a form of rebellion against accepted colour schemes. Same could be said for the hippie movement of the 60s. But in my opinion, if you don’t have a purpose or a theme for doing this, it’s not worth doing.
As for “coder colours” or “bad” colourschemes in demos, they are simply down to inexperience and not knowing what response certain colours will evoke in the viewer. Sometimes, it’s not the colours that are bad, but the overall inconsistency. In some demos, for example, the colourschemes don’t fit the overall theme or they change dramatically from scene to scene. It’s the equivalent of having an unsuitable soundtrack – i.e. a fast tempo with slow paced visuals or a cutesy demo set to death metal.
For example, blues are considered "cool" colours while reds are considered "warm" colours. So if you want your demo/picture/room etc to feel warm and cosy, it's best to choose reds and colours that feature red (i.e. oranges and browns). This isn't just a written rule, however, it's related to the mental response people have towards them. Every colour has a different mental response or “feeling”.
Another aspect to consider is the effect of saturation. Low saturated colours generally feel calm and soft and create a relaxing harmony when combined together. High saturation, on the other hand, can create a more energetic feeling, while colours that are extremely oversaturated may feel unsettling and crazy. Values are also important. Values that are even will create a feeling of harmony, whereas uneven values and high contrast will appear harsh.
Many artists/designers use discordant colour and values on purpose to create unease or distaste. The punk movement is a good example. Punks are all about rebellion and causing a stir, and the high saturation and contrast featured in a lot in punk graphics is like a form of rebellion against accepted colour schemes. Same could be said for the hippie movement of the 60s. But in my opinion, if you don’t have a purpose or a theme for doing this, it’s not worth doing.
As for “coder colours” or “bad” colourschemes in demos, they are simply down to inexperience and not knowing what response certain colours will evoke in the viewer. Sometimes, it’s not the colours that are bad, but the overall inconsistency. In some demos, for example, the colourschemes don’t fit the overall theme or they change dramatically from scene to scene. It’s the equivalent of having an unsuitable soundtrack – i.e. a fast tempo with slow paced visuals or a cutesy demo set to death metal.
After attempting to study this very topic I found out that color is an enormously complicated one. For example, everything you will read relative to the nature of one color (as an absolute value) as evoking this or that feeling is likely to be wrong. Likewise for simple relationships like saying this color is not in harmony with another color. Colors are rather relative concepts and encode things like the hue but sometimes even stuff that is relative to material (glossy vs mate for example)
The same way harmony actually has roots in the physiology of the ear and processing of sounds by the brain (see https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24080 for a good paper on that) likewise for "color harmony" : you have to study a bit how the eye/brain work.
And as optical illusions show, the eye/brain device is highly context-dependent. Colors don't matter alone, the relationships of colors AND shape make certain combinations pleasant and others unpleasant.
Certain combinations work on a large scale, and break on a small scale (high frequency) ..
The same way harmony actually has roots in the physiology of the ear and processing of sounds by the brain (see https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24080 for a good paper on that) likewise for "color harmony" : you have to study a bit how the eye/brain work.
And as optical illusions show, the eye/brain device is highly context-dependent. Colors don't matter alone, the relationships of colors AND shape make certain combinations pleasant and others unpleasant.
Certain combinations work on a large scale, and break on a small scale (high frequency) ..
good explanation Wade but even if there are common human likes and dislikes (which lead to popular demos like... the popular demo), colors are still a highly subjective matter.
i do enjoy the color intoxication (wink wink) offered by some demos that the common taste would dislike, and i do enjoy the 'naive' rainbow colors of optimus' oldschool demos, they fit his style :)
i do enjoy the color intoxication (wink wink) offered by some demos that the common taste would dislike, and i do enjoy the 'naive' rainbow colors of optimus' oldschool demos, they fit his style :)
in my childhood i liked turquoise very much, i still do!
my view on the colours is what mother nature gives us. thats pleasant colours for me.
also the colours on this avatar
are very nice imo.
my view on the colours is what mother nature gives us. thats pleasant colours for me.
also the colours on this avatar
are very nice imo.
By the way, some of the papers I liked regarding colors:
http://www.cis.rit.edu/people/faculty/johnson/pub/hue_CGIV04_sm.pdf
http://www.media.hut.fi/~as75192/tenttima/IPT.pdf
http://www.cis.rit.edu/people/faculty/johnson/pub/hue_CGIV04_sm.pdf
http://www.media.hut.fi/~as75192/tenttima/IPT.pdf
havocs more technical view is ofcourse also very acceptable ;)
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good explanation Wade but even if there are common human likes and dislikes (which lead to popular demos like... the popular demo), colors are still a highly subjective matter.
I completely agree. We can generalise, and I think for a majority it may be true, but everyone has different associations and different tastes so there can never be a universal rule.
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so there can never be a universal rule.
And your statement basically attempts to be one. :D
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And your statement basically attempts to be one. :D
It's more of a generalisation/guide from my personal experience studying and working with art and graphics. As I said, ultimately you're best following your instincts.