Learn
Games

1.3 - Understanding Colour

Interactive Audio Lesson

Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.

Introduction to Light

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

Today, we are going to explore the interesting world of colours! To start, can anyone tell me what light is?

Student 1
Student 1

Isn't light just something we can see?

Teacher
Teacher

Great point! Light is indeed something we can see, but it's also a form of radiant energy. It’s part of the electromagnetic spectrum. What do you think this means for colour?

Student 2
Student 2

Does it mean that colours come from light?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Light is essential for us to perceive colour. When light hits an object, it can reflect or absorb certain wavelengths, which dictates the colour we see. Remember the acronym 'ROGGBIV' to help you recall the colours of the spectrum—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

Student 3
Student 3

How does sunlight relate to this?

Teacher
Teacher

Sunlight is composed of a mixture of all those colours combined. When it passes through a prism or raindrops, it scatters into different wavelengths, which we see as distinct colours. That’s why we have rainbows!

Student 4
Student 4

What about the other rays, like ultraviolet and infrared?

Teacher
Teacher

Great question! Ultraviolet and infrared rays are also part of sunlight but are invisible to our eyes. They play important roles, for example, ultraviolet rays can help in the production of Vitamin D.

Teacher
Teacher

To summarize, light, as radiant energy, is crucial for colour perception, forming the foundation of everything we see around us, including both the visible colours and the invisible rays.

The Spectrum of Colours

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

Now that we've explored light, let's dive into the spectrum of colours. Who can name the seven colours of the rainbow?

Student 1
Student 1

I think they're Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet!

Teacher
Teacher

Perfect! That’s the VIBGYOR spectrum. Can anyone explain how these colours are formed?

Student 2
Student 2

I guess it has something to do with how light scatters?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! When light refracts through raindrops, it bends and spreads into its constituent colours. This scattering leads to the beautiful rainbow we see after rain. Remember, you can use 'VIBGYOR' as a mnemonic to remember the order of colours.

Student 3
Student 3

Are all colours visible?

Teacher
Teacher

Not all! While the VIBGYOR colours are visible, light also includes ultraviolet and infrared rays, which we cannot see. However, they are crucial for various processes in nature, like photosynthesis.

Student 4
Student 4

So, light has both visible and invisible components?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! The visible spectrum is just a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. To wrap up, colours arise from light's interaction with materials, and our eyes detect those interactions.

Practical Application of Light and Colour

Unlock Audio Lesson

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson

Teacher
Teacher

Having understood the theory of light and colour, how do you think this knowledge applies to our daily lives?

Student 1
Student 1

Maybe in art or design? Choosing colours is important!

Teacher
Teacher

Absolutely! Artists and designers use their understanding of how light works with colour to create visual harmony and impact.

Student 2
Student 2

What about in photography? Lighting is crucial there too!

Teacher
Teacher

Spot on! Photographers must be aware of light's properties to capture the colours and details effectively. They often use specific lighting to highlight certain colours.

Student 3
Student 3

And in science, right? Like studying different wavelengths?

Teacher
Teacher

Yes! Scientists study different wavelengths, including those we can’t see, to understand various phenomena, like UV effects on skin or the infrared used in thermal imaging. Remember, understanding colour helps us in various fields, from art to science!

Teacher
Teacher

So in conclusion, recognising the interplay of light, colour, and their applications enriches our comprehension of the world around us.

Introduction & Overview

Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.

Quick Overview

The study of colour is primarily based on light, which is a form of radiant energy that includes a spectrum of visible colours.

Standard

Light is essential for understanding colour, as it forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Sunlight, when scattered by raindrops, produces a spectrum that includes the seven visible colours known as VIBGYOR, along with ultraviolet and infrared rays.

Detailed

In the study of colour, light plays a crucial role as it is a form of radiant energy that is part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Sunlight is the primary source of this radiant energy, arriving at Earth and scattering through mediums like raindrops, which leads to the formation of a spectrum containing seven visible colours: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red (collectively known as VIBGYOR). Additionally, sunlight includes ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) rays, which are not visible to the human eye but are integral to understanding the full spectrum of light energy.

Audio Book

Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.

The Importance of Colour in Textile Design

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

Colour is all around us in many forms. It is one of the most important aspects of all textile materials — be it for apparel, household, commercial or institutional use. The identity of the product is most often attributed to colour. Everyone responds to colour and has definite preferences. Colour reflects the season, events and the spirit of people. The choice is affected by culture, tradition, climate, season, occasion or purely personal reason. Colour is an important part of Fashion. Designers carefully choose fabric colours to make a definite statement.

Detailed Explanation

Colour plays a crucial role in textile design. It essentially defines the product and influences our perceptions and feelings. For example, bright colours may evoke feelings of happiness and vitality, while darker colours might feel more serious or elegant. Designers take these psychological effects into account when choosing colours for fashion products, ensuring their designs resonate with consumers and reflect current trends, seasons, and cultural trends.

Examples & Analogies

Think of colours in a traffic light: red means stop, green means go, and yellow means caution. Similarly, in fashion, a bright yellow dress might evoke feelings of summer and joy, while a deep navy suit may convey professionalism and authority.

Understanding Colour Theory

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

Colour Theory: Colour can be defined as reflection of light striking the surface of an object. It is the visual sensation resulting from reflection of visible light rays that strike the retina and stimulate cells in the nerves of the eye. The nerves send a message to the brain, which produces a sensation of a specific kind, and we see colour. The colour that is observed by the brain is dependent on the particular wavelength or combination of wavelengths of the light source.

Detailed Explanation

Colour theory explains how light interacts with objects to create the various colours we perceive. When light reflects off an object, it bounces back certain wavelengths, which are then interpreted by our eyes and brains. For instance, an object appears green because it reflects green wavelengths while absorbing others. Understanding the science behind colour helps designers make informed choices about how colours will appear in different lighting conditions and on different materials.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine looking at a blue ocean on a sunny day. The bright sunlight reflects off the water's surface, giving the ocean a vibrant blue hue. However, on a cloudy day, the ocean might look grey or duller, demonstrating how changes in lighting affect our perception of colour.

The Components of Colour

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

Colour is specified in three aspects: Hue, Value and Intensity or Chroma. Hue is the common name of the colour. Value describes lightness or darkness of a hue, which is referred to as tint or shade. Chroma or intensity is the brightness or purity of colour.

Detailed Explanation

To accurately describe and use colours, designers reference three main components: Hue, which refers to the 'name' of the colour, such as red or blue; Value, which indicates how light or dark a colour is; and Intensity, which refers to the brightness or dullness of the colour. For example, adding white to red creates a 'pink' which is a lighter value, while adding black creates 'dark red', a darker value. This understanding helps in creating colour palettes that are visually appealing.

Examples & Analogies

Think about painting your room: if you choose 'sky blue' (hue) and decide to make it softer by adding white (tint), that's making a lighter value. Conversely, if you want it to be deeper, adding black to make it a navy blue would be creating a darker value.

The Colour Wheel

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

To understand colours from a design point of view, reference is made to the Munsell’s Colour Wheel. This divides colours as; Primary colours: These cannot be produced by mixing any other colour. These are red, yellow and blue. Secondary colours: These are made by mixing two primary colours — orange, green and violet.

Detailed Explanation

The Munsell Colour Wheel is a tool for understanding colour relationships. It categorizes colours into three groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary colours are the base colours that cannot be created from mixing other colours. Secondary colours result from mixing two primary colours. Understanding these relationships helps designers create harmonious colour combinations and schemes.

Examples & Analogies

Think of painting a picture with watercolours. If you only have red, blue, and yellow (primary colours), you can create green by mixing blue and yellow, orange by mixing red and yellow, and purple by mixing red and blue (secondary colours). This is foundational knowledge for artists and designers.

Applying Colour in Fabric Production

Unlock Audio Book

Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book

Colour can be seen in fabrics in various design forms. We see fabrics which have uniform one solid colour, others where the colour seems to follow the yarn interlacing and still others may have colour in any shape. Stages of fabric production when colour is added give a vast range of designs.

Detailed Explanation

In fabric production, colour can be applied at different stages, including the fiber, yarn, and fabric stages. For instance, dyeing can be done at the fiber stage, the yarn stage (which adds more complex designs like stripes), or the fabric stage (which is the most common method). Each technique influences the final look of the fabric, allowing designers to choose the method that will best achieve their desired effects and patterns.

Examples & Analogies

Consider a cake: if you add chocolate at the batter stage (fiber), you can create a chocolate cake. If you layer chocolate icing on a vanilla cake (yarn), you can combine flavours and looks. Finally, decorating with chocolate sprinkles (fabric stage) adds visual appeal on top of an already established cake. Similarly, how and when colour is added affects the final fabric design.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Light: A radiant form of energy that is responsible for the perception of colour.

  • Electromagnetic Spectrum: The range of all electromagnetic radiation, including visible light.

  • VIBGYOR: The acronym that represents the seven visible colours: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.

  • Visible and Invisible Rays: The portion of light we can see versus those we cannot, such as UV and IR rays.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • Rainbows appear when light refracts and scatters through raindrops, creating the visible spectrum of colours.

  • Photographers adjust light settings based on the time of day to enhance colour quality in their images.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • When the rain falls and the sun shines, Out comes the rainbow with its colorful lines!

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Once upon a time, sunlight danced with raindrops, creating a magical arch of colours—VIBGYOR—every time they played together after a storm.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • VIBGYOR for remembering the order of rainbow colors: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red.

🎯 Super Acronyms

Remember VIBGYOR for the visible spectrum of color—Red to Violet!

Flash Cards

Review key concepts with flashcards.

Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Light

    Definition:

    A form of radiant energy that is visible to the human eye and forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  • Term: Electromagnetic Spectrum

    Definition:

    The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, ultraviolet, and infrared rays.

  • Term: VIBGYOR

    Definition:

    An acronym for the seven colors of the visible spectrum: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.

  • Term: Ultraviolet Rays

    Definition:

    Invisible rays that are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, responsible for various effects like sunburn.

  • Term: Infrared Rays

    Definition:

    Invisible rays that have longer wavelengths than visible light, commonly associated with heat.