66 Artists&Illustrators
COLOUR THEORY
Applying colour
principles
I
t is well known that colour can
contribute to the illusion of spatial
depth in a two-dimensional image
or design. This is usually explained
in terms of each colour attribute:
hue, value, and saturation.HUE WARMER COLOURS
ADVANCE, COOLER
COLOURS RECEDE
In figure 1, a warm colour is flanked
by two colours that get progressively
cooler as they move away from the
centre. All three are equal in
saturation (bright muted colours) and
value (around mid-tone). There are no
linear signifiers such as overlap, size
variation, or perspective to influence
the spatial hierarchy, so hue is the
only active agent in this example.
The yellow-orange at the centre
seems to advance while its
neighbouring colours recede.VALUE DARKER COLOURS
ADVANCE, LIGHTER
COLOURS RECEDE
Figure 2 shows three colours unalike
in value, but similar in hue and
saturation. The dark colour at the
centre does seem to dominate the
visual field, but you can also flip the
figure-ground relationship in your
mind and see the dark centre colour
as dropping back behind two lighter
panels. This suggests that value may
be a more equivocal spatial indicator
than hue or saturation.SATURATION
PURER COLOURS
ADVANCE, DULLER
COLOURS RECEDE
Figure 3 below shows three colours
that are disparate in saturation,
but similar in hue and value.
The centre colour, a prismatic red,appears to advance in relation to
its neighbours.
All three of these assertions are
true under the right circumstances.
But, as often happens, when a colour
is light in value (receding) and warm
in temperature (advancing), or warm
in hue (advancing) and dull in
saturation (receding), these “rules”
come into conflict with each other.
Moreover, although these general
observations hold true under
hothouse conditions like those shown
in the last three illustrations, colour
is seldom seen in such isolation.
Linear devices – for example,
overlapping shape, relative size, and
formal and informal linear perspective- also create the illusion of space
independent of colour.
Colour, when applied, may agree
with or contradict one or more of
these other spatial signifiers.
Figure 1 Warmest colour advancing Figure 2 Darkest colour advancing and receding Figure 3 Purest, most saturated colour advancing