Textbook

As you may suspect there are many textbooks about color theory available. This book was selected for one reason — the color swatches. An important part of working in the graphic arts field is the ability to distinguish between subtle differences in two colors. The swatch assignments in the first unit are excellent for training students in that regard.

However, the book has occasional quality control issues. Two of the most vexing are: when one of the zip lock baggies that contain the color swatches is missing one or more of the swatches, and when the swatches are packed before being completely dry causing them to stick together. When a baggie is missing a swatch, instructors may contact the publisher on behalf of the students who will readily send replacement swatches. Before doing that instructors should have the student very carefully go through the swatches and very carefully have them rub each swatch between their fingers to see if the student accidentally has two stuck together. Students should also inspect the space around where they are working to see if the missing swatch accidentally was knocked off the floor. The second issue has been more vexing. Again, if students are having an issue with swatches losing their color when peeled apart the publisher will replace the damaged swatches.

Supplies and Materials

1 Sobo Glue

The final project and many of the assignments in this course have components that need to be mounted onto another surface. Many of the common adhesives have problems — tape is unprofessional, Elmer’s tends to buckle, glue sticks tend not to, students with respiratory issues such as asthma struggle in rooms where spray adhesives are used or even off gassing, not everyone has access to a dry mount press, and so on — so if asked steer students away from those choices. Sobo is commonly used by architects but holds up well in a graphic arts context. Rather than use the glue straight from the bottle students should pour it into a jar lid of some kind then use one of the brushes they’ve set aside for this purpose.

1 Watercolor Set

This isn’t a painting course. With this in mind making students buy an expensive set of paints makes no sense. Not only are the watercolor cake sets linked to in the supply list easy to find during back to school sales and relatively cheap their translucency is comparable to the translucency of printer inks. By using watercolors students get some experience with the physical characteristics they will encounter when working with printer inks.

1 bottle of India Ink

See explanation for Watercolor Set

1 mixed set of Watercolor Brushes

Again, this is not a painting course. A cheap set of watercolor brushes is more than adequate — just make sure students do a thorough job rinsing after each use.

1 pad Watercolor Paper

Plain paper buckles when water colors are applied. A cheap pad of watercolor paper has the advantage of being able to take broad swathes of watercolor well, and when discussing paper later on in the course should provide samples of different weights and surface qualities.

Black Foam Core Board (as needed)

Students need to get used to presenting their work. Professionally, projects are mounted on large pieces of foam core or matte board. Since foam core tends to be cheaper and easier to access we go with foam core.

1 USB Flash Drive (as needed)

This is a foundation course in a CTE program. We try to develop and reinforce student work habits. Students need to get develop good back-up habits — even when working in a school computer lab.

1 Pixel Perfect Camera Color Correction Card

​As students turn in assignments on paper have them include this color swatch with their assignment. I know it's going to be a pain, but if any questions arise about color having the reference will provide a good starting point for resolution of the issue. 

1 Daylight balanced light bulb (as needed)

Evaluating subtle differences in color can be tricky if the lighting is bad. Few students will have access to a bonafide light booth, but a desk lamp with a daylight balanced bulb is nearly as good.

1 Desk lamp (as needed)

If students already have a desk lamp they can swap in the daylight balanced light bulb listed above. Otherwise any cheap desk lamp will do.

Other miscellaneous supplies

This could be anything from pencils, pens, markers, rulers — large and small, cutting mats, etc.

Software

Though not required for successful completion of this course if students are full time and following the curriculum outlined in the catalog they will also be enrolled in both Photoshop and Illustrator. When viewed online students will see they have the option of completing many of the assignments one or both of those software packages.

Discussion Board

One of our goals this semester is getting our learning cohort to gel. Students need to begin learning the strengths and weaknesses of both themselves and their peers. As the student description says this is an opportunity to share knowledge, resources, and skills while networking with peers. From an active learning standpoint an added bonus is it encourages students to be more engaged improving both learner outcomes and retention rates (Powell et al, 2019). 

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. List the three dimensions of color specified in the Munsell System.
2. Distinguish between different hues.
3. Distinguish between colors in the same hue family based upon their chroma.
4. Distinguish between colors in the same hue family based upon their value.
5. Define achromatic colors.
6. Explain how achromatic colors differ from other colors.
7. Create a ten-step grayscale ranging from black to white.
8. Define color gamut.
9. Explain how color gamut relates to color.
10. Utilize value contrast to create readable type.
11. Utilize color contrast to create readable type.

Exercises

01 HW | 1.1 — Hue Value/Chroma Chart

​This chart usually goes pretty smoothly. Make sure students don't start with their value swatches on the one already filled in with black. Another thing to watch for is students frequently get the B and PB swatches mixed up. 

Some astute students will ask why Munsell uses YR instead of Orange. Just sigh and smile. Then refer them to The Color Orange Touches Off a Testy Debate article on the Munsell website.

01 HW | 1.4 — et al.

The Fairchild video is pretty good. Some students will have no problem assembling the charts while others will struggle. As the instructions on the left note the 5GY chart is the easiest for people to see. The charts in the book usually start with 5R but you might want to have students start with the 5GY instead. 

Encourage students to work in sections. Have them pick out the number of dark swatches the correspond with the rectangles marked with Xs for the lowest row. Then have them shift to do the same with the lightest swatches for the top row marked with Xs. Next have the students try to identify the lowest chroma swatch for each remaining row. From there it is just a question of having them go from lowest chroma to highest chroma.

If students have difficulty seeing the difference in value between two swatches have them squint a little while taking another look. Students will often confuse swatches with high chroma as also being lighter or darker than the swatches on the same row. When looking at a completed chart with some swatches out of order rather than tell them where the mistake is try to ask them if they see where their errors are. If they don't identify a region. Students will often pick up on their errors at this point and be able to fix them. If a swatch chart is really off have the student brush all of the swatches off and start again.

Mastery is the key goal of these exercises. Students may resubmit any and all swatch charts with no penalty until they have successfully completely each one. Since many future exercises require the use of these swatches when finished it is important that all swatches have been located properly on the charts and the corresponding notation is properly marked on the back of each swatch. 

01 HW | 1.2 — Grayscale Swatches

​The most important thing to look for in this exercise is getting students to have an even value across the entire swatch. 

01 HW | 1.8 — Letter Legibility

This exercise introduces students to one of the typographic requirements of the discipline — and their typography class later in the curriculum. Students need to print their solutions to this problem so they can see how color relationships shift from the monitor to print. Red text on a black background may be popular in some situations, but red tends to be far darker in print than it appears on screen making text difficult to read. These are the sorts of comments to look for on the discussion board.

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. List the important philosophers whose insights helped us understand color and their contributions.
2. List the important scientists whose insights helped us understand color and their contributions.
3. List the important artists whose insights helped us understand color and their contributions.
4. Define linear perspective.
5. List the components of linear perspective.
6. Utilize linear perspective in a composition.
7. Define aerial perspective.
8. Utilize aerial perspective in a composition.
9. Discuss the interrelationship between art and science in our understanding of color.

Exercises

Exercises 01 - 04 are straightforward. When it comes to exercise 05 it is important to emphasize that (while truly one of the greats) this is not a Bob Ross course where students need to make happy little clouds and trees. The assignment is looking for demonstrated mastery of aerial perspective. 

Discussion Board

​Case Study 01 ​

Discuss how Michelangelo was able to use his understanding of linear perspective to compensate for the distance and curvature for the images that were painted where the walls meet the ceiling. On a side note it is nice to share with students that if they ever find themselves in the Sistine Chapel or any other place with artwork on the ceiling they should take a mirror with them. That way they can look down while holding the mirror to see the ceiling and avoid neck strain.

Case Study 02

Discuss how Deacroix used simultaneous contrast to heighten the tension and drama within his paintings by using complementary color schemes.

Case Study 03 

Discuss how Ogden Rood's explorations of the physical differences between colored light and colored paints led to our understanding of additive color mixtures and subtractive color mixtures. His writings were especially influential on post-modern artists such as Seurat. Pointillism has its origins in Rood's work.

Throughout all of these case studies emphasis should be placed on the interrelationship between art and science. Obviously people such as Da Vinci were by the classical definition "Renaissance Men" spending their energies on both the arts and sciences. But Chevreul was looking for a way to accurately reproduce famous paintings as tapestries (I jokingly refer to them as the equivalent of "college dorm room" posters today) while working at the Goebelin Manufactory in Paris. His frustrations trying to match with thread what was depicted with paint led to his study and eventual discovery of simultaneous contrast. Finally, among other things Ogden Rood was himself a painter watercolorist. 

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Describe Newton’s experiment breaking white light into the spectrum.
2. List the hues of the spectrum.
3. Explain why Newton added a seventh hue to the spectrum.
4. Identify the part of the electromagnetic spectrum where visible light resides.
5. Explain an Ultra Violet (UV) light.
6. Describe how UV light affects some inks and works to create neon and blacklight colors.
7. Describe how glossy surfaces affect color.
8. Describe how matte surfaces affect color.
9. Explain a specular reflection and why we avoid using it when color correcting images.

Supplemental Materials

Make sure to discuss the practical implications of the science discussed in the chapter and videos.

• While important to our understanding of color mention that Newton added the seventh color to his ROYGBIV model in order to make an analogy with music.
• While we can only see a narrow (though very important) part of the electromagnetic spectrum we do rely upon other parts as well. For instance UV light is used to both create neon colored inks and for drying purposes while printing (see below).
• Color temperature is especially important for lighting purposes in photography and evaluating colors pretty much everywhere.
• UV light is primarily responsible for inks fading. This is an issue when something is going to be displayed outside - billboards, posters, etc. It is also used for glow in the dark purposes and to simulated neon effects.
• Specular and Diffuse reflections have two graphic arts related topics. When color correcting specular reflections should be avoided for determining neutrality since they are a reflection of a light source which is not necessarily neutral. Bumpy surfaces (diffuse reflection) tend to appear dull both value and color-wise

Exercises

​03 HW / 7.3 — Matte vs Glossy

Students have a couple of options with this exercise. Given the use of spot varnishes in the graphics industry there is value in having students apply a gloss coat to a painted / printed piece just to see the impact. Have them make large 4+ inches samples then mask off (they can take a piece of cardboard to block the section they want to mask) half of the sample. The nice thing about this approach is the student can see the color change when a gloss coat is applied.

However, some students will have respiratory issues so printing the same swatches on both glossy and matte paper on the same printer should yield a comparable effect as long as they are printed with the same ink cartridges.

Discussion Board

As students examine their cards they should focus on the neutral swatches first. The white swatch especially should readily show any color shifts between one light and the next. Depending on conditions and lamp type colors shifts should vary between warm and cool.   

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. List the parts of the human eye responsible for color vision.
2. Specify which kind of cells are responsible for color vision.
3. Specify which kind of cells are responsible for black and white vision.
4. Explain the difference between scotopic and photopic vision including the type of cells that are responsible for each one.
5. Explain how a blind spot works.
6. Compare the two competing theories for color vision.
7. Discuss color deficiencies and how they relate to the different types of cone receptors.
8. Describe the method that is used to determine if a person is colorblind.

Discussion Board

Trichromatic theory is the underpinning of both CMYK and RGB, so any example related to printing and viewing on screens is appropriate.

L*a*b* is based upon opponent process theory. While students will probably be less familiar with this concent, point out that the ability to distinguish between a ripe and unripe tomato is useful.

Sources: biointeractive. (2014, April 24). The Origins of Human Color Vision — HHMI BioInteractive Video [Video]. https://youtu.be/1zw2RE-PavQ

Even more important, given the infinite color gamut available within L*a*b* it is used as a transitional color space when going from one ICC color profile to another. In other words every device profile provides comparable values in L*a*b* though users never see them. Last but not least, we use L*a*b* heavily when color correcting pictures later in the program.

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. List the most commonly used color spaces.
2. Specify which device types use each color space.
3. Describe how Red Green and Blue (RGB) and Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black (CMYK) relate to each other.
4. Explain what a color profile is.
5. Specify which devices typically use each color profile.

Exercises

05 HW | Color Mapping. For this assignment students need to think critically about what are the key colors used to make the image. Students should create a new document in Photoshop, then place their image on one half of their document then build their swatch grid on the other. Swatches should be aligned both horizontally and vertically.  

05 HW | 8.1 — Additive Color. There's an easy way to both this and the next exercise. Have students create their three overlapping primary color circles on separate layers in Photoshop (make sure each color is pure R or pure G or pure B — otherwise their central color won't be white). Then have them change the layer blending mode to screen for all three layers. Voila! They should have a white shape in the middle where all three overlap and the appropriate secondaries where two primaries meet. 

05 HW | 8.2 — Subtractive Color. There's an easy way to both this and the previous exercise. Have students create their three overlapping primary color circles on separate layers in Photoshop (make sure each color is pure C or pure M or pure Y — otherwise their central color won't be black). Then have them change the layer blending mode to mulitply for all three layers. Voila! They should have a white shape in the middle where all three overlap and the appropriate secondaries where two primaries meet.

05 HW | 9.1 — Opaqueness. Students must do this one with their ink and watercolors. Warn them they need to let the ink dry before applying the watercolor on top. 

Discussion

Most pictures should show some variation. Look for students application of their understanding of the concepts. Now is also a good time to point out that while RGB is an additive mixture and CMYK is a subtractive mixture both color spaces are interrelated. The primaries of each color space are the secondaries of the other color space.

Another point to bring up is why is black ink (K) added during the printing process.

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Recognize designs based upon the various color harmonies.
2. Create designs that are based upon the various color harmonies.
3. Utilize color to balance a composition.
4. Utilize color sequences to create harmonious color schemes.
5. Differentiate between value and color contrast.
6. Utilize the two types of color contrast in a design.

Supplemental Materials

Links to the Munsell site expand upon the text. However, this unit is really meant to be hands-on. In order to internalize the material students need to get their hands dirty — figuratively speaking of course  

Exercises

04 HW | 4.1 - Color Groupings

Don't let students get carried away with this exercise. The focus is on color, not illustration. Students should work with come up with a basic composition using simple abstract shapes (blobs are fine). Discuss how the addition of the complement changes the focal point of their image.  

06 HW | Monochromatic Line Study

When restricted in their use of hue students will find they need to rely upon the other elements of design to create interest. Limiting them to line allows them to focus on scale, repetition, and rhythm to build their composition. 

06 HW | 4.2 - et al

This is a simple series of exercises that allow students to build their own color harmonies. Make sure students do not repeat any colors in their checkboard designs!

06 HW | 4.3 - Harmonizing Ugly Colors

This one is actually pretty fun. If a student tries to pick out boring color combinations (say: blue and green) while arguing they don't like the combination send them back to try again. Students are usually surprised at how the ugly colors tend to work together when they follow the process outlined in the book. As with 4.1 above students should be working with simple abstract shapes.

06 HW | 4.5 - et al

See discussion board for more info

Discussion Board

​It's always interesting to see the combinations students come up with for this assignment. However, look for student use of Munsell terms — value, chroma, hue — in their responses. 

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Explain the effect of simultaneous contrast and its variants on a design.
2. Explain how the human eye emphasizes similarities between colors that are not adjoining each other.
3. Explain how the human eye blends small patches of color to create new colors.
4. Explain how the human eye compensates for different color temperatures of light and how this can be applied to color correcting images.
5. Describe what the resulting color will look like when two transparent shapes overlap each other in RGB.
6. Describe what the resulting color will look like when two transparent shapes overlap each other in CMYK.

Exercises

03 HW | 3.1 - Successive Contrast
This exercise is done most easily with Photoshop or Illustrator. Students should: 1) Create a new RGB document. 2) With the shape tool draw two partially overlapping rectangles. 3) Turn of the stroke of the two shapes and change the color of one to Red (255,0,0) and the other to Green (0,255,0). 4) In the layers panel place their cursor over the visibility icon (the eye) of the top rectangle. 5) Keep their finger on the mouse while staring at the screen for 60 seconds then click the mouse button to toggle off the visibility of the top layer. They should clearly see the result.

07 HW | 3.2 - 3.4

Though an important figure in 20th century color education the Munsell book used for this course doesn't discuss Josef Albers very much. His book The Interaction of Color is available as a beautiful app. As more students have access to tablets the app may become a required text for future classes.

Source: YaleCampus. (2013, July 29). An iconic book reimagined: Josef Albers' "Interaction of Color" [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/H-hFOZ3XdIQ

07 HW | 3.5 - Four Like Three
Given the recursive nature of this exercise it is done most easily in Photoshop or Illustrator. As students try to push the two swatches as close as possible make sure they have the preview button turned on so they can get live update feedback for their changes.  

07 HW | 3.6 - Color Assimilation
There are two points for this one: sometimes students overthink this exercise, and this is one those times where Illustrator may be faster than Photoshop — though both are fine. On the first point have students just make a solid fill color for the background. Then they can add their lines (suggest they do one then copy paste to fill the rest of the space). The trick to doing this one in Illustrator more quickly than Photoshop is to have them create a color swatch first and change it's settings to Global. Now, as they change the color of the swatch all of the objects with that color assigned to it will collectively change.

07 HW | 3.7 - Subtractive Transparency
There is a shortcut for creating this effect. If students create their document in CMYK then place their overlapping rectangles on separate layers, toggling the Layer Modes drop down menu on the Layers Panel to Multiply will give them a simulated transparency effect

07 HW | Bezold Effect

Again, don't let students get too creative with this one — simple abstract shapes. If working in Photoshop I recommend having students come up with the composition first then selecting Image --> Duplicate to create their second copy. The only thing that should change between the two designs is the background color.

07 HW | Color Emphasis

Similar suggestions as for the Bezold Effect exercise only this time the background and all shapes must change color. 

Discussion Board

Audience members were viewing the example under the same conditions. Variability in monitor calibration could result in subtle shifts between viewers of the video. 

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. List the colors classified as warm.
2. List the colors classified as cool.
3. Describe the advancing and receding phenomenon.
4. Utilize advancing and receding colors to create the illusion of depth.
5. Explain the effect of vibrating boundaries.

Exercises

08 HW | 2.1 - Vibrating Boundaries. This one is easiest to see in Photoshop or Illustrator. Make sure students created an RGB document and are using pure RGB primaries for each of their swatches. 
08 HW | Advancing & Receding Color 1. Make sure stuents don't have a stroke assigned to their squares. Also, though not required, pure primaries tend to be easy to see.
08 HW | Advancing & Receding Color 2. As has been said before don't let the students get carried away with this one. Simple organic shapes on a solid black background. 
08 HW | 2.2 - Yellow Cube​. There's an easy way to do this in Illustrator or Photoshop.

Source: Legel, 2020.

Discussion Board

Any situation where they want the viewer to be uncomfortable works for this discussion.

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Discuss the effect color has on mood and emotional response.
2. Discuss the relationship between color and flavor from a marketing perspective.
3. Discuss the hypotheses related to the effect color has on cognition.

Exercises

09 HW | 2.5 et al. — There may be some argument here, but whispered should have low chroma / low contrast colors, spoken should have roughly like same contrast as a newspaper article, and shouted should lean toward a complementary color scheme with high chroma colors.

09 HW | 2.7 & Personal Palette. — These are more subjective. Given how personal students may get with both of these (sometimes students get way too personal with these) recommend to students that they speak in general terms — esp on 2.7. IE: "I remember high school being pretty tough," or, "Even though we moved when I was in middle school I made fast friends and liked my new school better than the old one."  

Discussion Board

Once the novelty wore off for kids they lost interest. Parents never were comfortable with purple or green ketchup and were happy to stop buying it. Nobody else bought the stuff (blech!)

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Discuss how certain colors tend to be preferred by different classes.
2. Discuss the similarities and differences in how colors are perceived in different cultures.
3. Discuss how colors tend to be perceived by various religions such as Christianity, Islam, Shinto, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism.

Supplemental Materials

This makes me really sad. These were fun little articles with good content, unfortunately they haven't been maintained. Some of the images are missing. Sigh. 

Exercises

By now students should start looking at and working on the final project. No exercises assigned. 

Discussion Board

Designing for international audiences means being aware of cultural differences in interpretation and expectations of colors. I remember once reading an article (I can't for the life of me find the reference at the moment) about The Simpsons where one of the artists was discussing how the basic art is done in the US then shipped to South Korea for coloring. Producers here in the US were surprised when the cels returned that the bananas were green not yellow. Artists in South Korea were surprised we eat yellow bananas ... 

Unit Competencies

Competencies identified in the CDM for this unit are listed below

1. Explain the purpose of color calibration for devices.
2. Perform a simple color calibration of a monitor using a colorimeter.
3. Define what a spot color is.
4. Explain the purpose of a spot color.
5. Explain how Pantone color libraries are used in the graphic arts industry.
6. Recognize the notation used by Pantone colors.
7. Pick a Pantone color and add it to the swatch library of a graphics software package such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
8. Discuss how the graphics industry forecasts color fashions from year to year and season to season.
9. Discuss the relationship between color and flavor from a marketing perspective.
10. Discuss how color is used in the design of packaging.

Supplemental Materials

There's a lot to look at. The most important elements are ink, Spot Color — if you have access to the Pantone swatch books show them students, and paper — paper is still big, big business. The rest is just (amusing) background reading. 

Exercises

05 HW | 5.1 — Metamerisms​. Students may not encounter enough objects in their daily lives that meet the criteria for this assignment. That's why it's optional. They can earn up to 4pts extra credit for completing the exercise. 

05 HW | 5.2 — Matching Colors. Students need to familiarize themselves with the color shifts that happen when they go from a computer monitor to paper. Warn them to avoid holding their samples up to the computer monitor when matching their samples to the screen — simultaneous contrast issues ...

Discussion Board

See 05 HW | 5.1 Metarmerisms above

Capstone Project

It should be noted from the outset this project is not created in a vacuum. Students must get instructor approval for the thumbnail and rough stages identified in the project description. Even though this is an introductory class in the program this project serves not only as a capstone project for the semester, with elements crossing over from the other graphic arts classes they have been taking, students are also expected to practice the process they will be expected to follow when working professionally. Everyone must create and present for approval a minimum of 20 thumbnails or they will not be allowed to move onto the next stage. Everyone must create and present for approval a minimum of 3 roughs or they will not be allowed to move onto the next stage. If a student tries to present work that has not been signed off on it will be rejected and they will be required to start over from the last point they received approval. If they never sought approval at any stage they must start the entire project over. No shortcuts.

When students create their 10 color variations these variations are shown to the entire class. The class then collectively identifies by voting on each student's variation that serves as the best solution for the project. Each student then prints, mounts, and presents for program critique their own variation that received the most votes.