Sir Isaac Newton was one of the first scientists to investigate colour theory. Around 1671/72 he discovered the origin of colour when he shone a beam of light through an angular prism and split it into the spectrum - various colours of the rainbow; Richard Of York Gained Battle In Vain - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
This simple experiment demonstrates that colour comes from light - in fact, that colour is light.
Scientists investigate the properties of colour whereas artists explore the visual effects. Colour in art can be used in many different ways. Some artists are fascinated by the effects of light, some in the symbolic meaning of colour, and some use colour to express their emotions.
Colour theory can be summed up under 3 headings; Light, Symbol and Emotion.
Light; In France at the end of the 20th century, a new style of painting called 'Impressionism' emerged. The Impressionist artists were interested in trying to capture the changing effects of light on the landscape, by using a more exact analysis of tone and colour. Their ideas were inspired by Eugene Chevreul's scientific research into colour theory.
The artists abandoned the old idea that the shadow of an object was made up from the colour of the object with some brown or black added. Instead they enlivened their canvases with the new idea that the shadow of any colour could be mixed from pure hues and broken up with it's opposite colour. For example; the shadow on a yellow surface could have some strokes of lilac painted into it to increase it's vitality.
As the artists had to work quickly to capture the fleeting effects of light, they had to sacrifice some of the traditional qualites of outline and detail. Nevertheless, the freshness of their technique instinctively appeals to most people, and painting since, has been profoundly affected by it.
Claude Monet, probably the greatest exponent of the Impressionist style, created several series exploring the effects of light. Beneath are a couple from his series of about 30 paintings of 'Rouen Cathedral' (1892-94), showing the building at different times of the day, of the year and under different weather conditions.
Symbols; An understanding of colour theory has been around since ancient times. Colours have been recognised for their symbolic power across many cultures and in nature herself.
Red (magenta) through it's association with fire and blood is used to represent danger, anger, violence, aggression, power, strength and heat. For the same reason, it is also connected to love, passion, excitement, energy, desire, speed and all things intense and passionate.
Orange symbolises creativity and endurance. As a secondary colour it combines elements of the colours used to mix it; the creative passion of red with the clarity and wisdom of yellow. Orange is associated with energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant and demanding of attention.
Yellow is the colour of the sun - the life support for our planet. As such it has come to represent life, energy, happiness, hope, wisdom, joy, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination,sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness and hazard.
Green, as the colour of the plants and grass, is the colour of nature and all that is associated with health, growth, good luck, renewal, youth, fertility, spring, environment, vigor and generosity. However it is also used to represent more negative traits, such as envy, inexperience, jealousy and misfortune.
Blue (cyan) is the coolest and most calming of all the colours. As the colour of the sky, it has been used since ancient times to represent heaven. In classical mythology, blue was the colour linked to the gods; Venus and Jupiter. In Christianity, it became the symbol of the Virgin Mary as 'Queen of Heaven'. As the colour of the ocean, it also suggests qualities like freshness, purity, hygenie, peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, technology, depression and appetite suppressant.
Purple is the colour of royalty, wealth and power. In times past dyes were rare and expensive. Only the rich and powerful could afford to wear clothes of this luxurious colour. Purple, as well as nobility and royality, also represents spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance and mourning.
Brown is the colour of the earth, wood and stone. As such it evokes craftsmanship and the great outdoors. It is also linked to ,humility, a down to earth virtue, stability, hearth, home, reliability, comfort, endurance and simplicity.
Black and it's associations with darkness is used to represent death, evil, witchcraft, fear, sorrow, unhappiness, remorse, mourning, anger, anonymity. Yet it is also linked to power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, depth, style, mystery and it's a good technical colour.
Grey is the natural colour of some metals and stone, but it also has negative associations with the weather, boredom, old age and sadness. Good points are; security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative and practical. Silver symbolises calm.
White and it's association with light is used to represent peace, purity, goodness, reverence, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, sterlility, cold,clinical and marriage (in Western cultures). In Eastern cultures it represents death.
Pink symbolises love, romance and excitement.
Beige and Ivory symbolise unification, Ivory is for quiet and pleasantness, Beige for calm and simplicity.
Turquoise symbolises calm. Teal symbolises sophistication. Aquamarine symbolises water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal.
Lavender symbolises femininity, grace and elegance.
Emotion; Having knowledge about colour helps us to express our feelings in an artwork. The language of colour has even entered our vocabulary to help us descibe our emotions. You can be 'red' with rage or 'green' with envy. We often speak of bright cheerful colours as well as sad or dull ones. A 'grey' day may be depressing and result in the feelings of the 'blues'.
Hope and Joy; The paintings of Vincent van Gogh show an instinctive understanding of colour theory. In his 'Sunflowers' (1888) still-life, he used warm yellows to create an energetic image that radiates feelings of hope and joy.
Sadness and Despair; On the other hand a more conscious use of colour is found in the paintings of Pablo Picasso's 'blue period'. He chooses cool colours to evoke the chill of sadness and despair in 'The Tragedy' (1903), a typical subject from his work this time.
Noise and Activity; Andre Derain uses the clash between warm and cool colours to express the noise and activity of this busy dockyard painting called 'The Pool of London' (1906). He creates the illusion of depth in the painting by using warmer colours in the foreground, which gradually become cooler towards the background. This organised arrangement of colours in a landscape is called 'Aerial Perspective'.
Derain was one of a group of artists who were nicknamed 'Les Fauvres' (the wild beasts). This title was coined by a critic who was outraged by the bold colours in their art. The artistic establishment of the day were offended as they respected control and restraint in the use of colour. However the Fauvres believed that colour was a direct link to your emotions, and they loved to use it at it's highest pitch possible. The function of colour in their painting was not to describe their subject, but to express the artist's feelings about it. Their ideas liberated the use of colour for future generations of artists and ultimately gave them the freedom to explore colour as a subject in it's own right.
This work by John McTaggart called 'Rainbox' (2005), celebrates the radiant energy of colour as the subject matter of the picture. The artist uses a mixture of transparent colours, ranging across the spectrum to create an abstract image of refracted colour.
This simple experiment demonstrates that colour comes from light - in fact, that colour is light.
