COLOR • theory and facts

 We have some information on color theory and facts that might be of interest:

• Color and words
• Color wheel and theory
• Optics
• Learn a 'byte' (bit) about computer color
• Some color trivia

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After studying color words in 98 languages, anthropologists Brent Berlin and Paul Kay concluded that there are universal color terms. Some of the most interesting conclusions are: No language has only one color term; they all have at least two. Where there are only two, they are always black and white. If there are three terms, the third is always red. If four color terms exist, green or yellow is added. When there are five terms, yellow and green are added. When there are six terms, blue is added. If seven terms are present, brown is added. When they are highly evolved as with eight or more terms, purple, pink, orange and gray are always added. In nearly every language, the oldest color terms deal with value (lightness and darkness), rather than hue. Color vocabulary is most often related to culture, climate, history, tradition, plant life and animals. For example: Eskimos, always surrounded by snow, have dozens of words to describe nuances of white. The Irish of the Emerald isle have many greens, including, of course, Leprechaun and Kelly. Shades of blue appear in most languages as bodies of water indigenous to the country: Blue Danube, Biscay Bay, Capri Blue. Nomadic tribes had many words to describe the color of sand. Even current day color lexicons have been expanded to describe the American coffee phenomenon and are most often borrowed from other languages: Café au Lait, Espresso, Cappucino. The Japanese use a ritual word that speaks of their traditions to create a word for brown, which means “tea service.” Among the Bakaari Indians of Brazil, Emerald Green, Cinnabar Red and Ultramarine are all called “tu ku eng” which means parrot, as those are the combinations most often found in the resplendent birds.

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One color (or "hue"), used alone, is a monochromatic harmony (or "scheme"). Hues beside each other on the wheel, sharing the same undertones (e.g., red, red-orange, orange), show analogous color harmony. Hues opposite each other across the color wheel (e.g. red and green) are complementary, or opposite, hues. Use them together for high contrast. The triangle points out triadic color harmony, involving 3 hues equally spaced on the wheel (e.g., red, yellow, and blue). Rotate the triangle in either direction: the resulting 3-hue mix is vivid and contrasting. O P T I C S 1   2   3   1 — Contrasting color has a huge impact on the appearance of the main color. Here, the middle squares are actually the same shade of red. Setting one against a green background makes it seem more red than the square set against orange. 2 — Using complementary colors (blue and orange) creates exciting, even vibrating, effects. In contrast, an analogous color harmony (blue and blue-green) is less vivid, even calming. 3 — Don't have a color wheel handy to find a complementary color? Use the afterimage test. Stare at the purple dot for 30 seconds, then stare at the blank square. The complementary color, green, shows up in the afterimage. C O M P U T E R   C O L O R ... Learn a little bit about computer color.

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	Bees can see ultraviolet, blue, and yellow.			Mice eating colored crayons will produce droppings based on the color of crayon they consumed.
	Will bull's really attack a red flag? Yes, but because they respond to it being waved back and forth, not because its red. Red is just more eye-catching for the spectators in the bullfighting arenas.			Color psychodynamics, besides being an awesome score in Scrabble, deals with the effect of color on mood and behavior.
	Colorfield Digital Media, Inc. has developed a plug-in for Photoshop and other applications to allow designers with normal vision to see images the same way color-deficient people see them. For more information, visit www.colorfield.com.			Colors that increase blood pressure, pulse, and respiration are (in ascending order): red, orange, and yellow. Reds and oranges stimulate the appetite, while blue suppresses it. Although the exact reason is unknown, one theory is that humans do not associate blue with food, so it's less appealing.
	Fluorescent yellow-green has been approved for bicycle, pedestrian and school crossing warning signs by the Federal Highway Administration. Colors reserved for future signage: purple, light blue, and coral.			People with a certain form of synesthesia ("simultaneous sensation") see colors when they hear particular sounds. This phenomenon is not entirely understood, but it is caused when a single stimulus to the brain triggers more than one sensation.