Mastering Color Theory, Light, and Shadow in Art

Understanding Color and Its Properties

Color is a surface quality associated with objects. It depends on light and the sense of vision.

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors

• Primary colors: These are colors that are not created from the mixture of other colors. They include magenta, cyan, and medium yellow.
• Secondary colors: These result from the mixture of two primary colors.
• Complementary colors: These are the most contrasting pairs and are those positioned opposite each other on the chromatic circle.
• Tertiary colors: These are composed of a primary color mixed with a secondary color.

Temperature and Emotional Expression

• Cold colors (Cold range): These express chill or melancholy and include blue, green, and violet.
• Warm colors (Warm range): These express warmth and joy and include red, yellow, and orange.

The Dimensions of Color

• Range (Gamut): This is the degradation or graduation of a color by adding white, black, or another color.
• Saturation: The degree of purity a color possesses. Therefore, the most saturated colors are the primaries.
• Value: The degree of brilliance a color has. For example, yellow has a clear or high value, while dark brown has a low value.

Light, Shadow, and Volume

Light is a form of energy that acts on our eyes and allows us to see objects. Thanks to the perception of surfaces in shadow, we recognize the volume of things around us.

Effects and Sources of Light

• Natural light: Since the light source is the Sun, it is set on a cylindrical surface formed by parallel rays.
• Artificial light: This refers to any man-made light source. It is configured on a conical surface formed by divergent rays.

The Nature and Classes of Shadows

A shadow is the part of an illuminated object that does not directly receive light rays.

• Own Shadow (S. Propia): This is found on the unenlightened areas of the body itself.
• Cast Shadow (S. Dropped): This is an opaque projection of light onto a surface or another object.
• Self-shadow (S. Autorrojado): This is the part of the shadow that an object casts onto another part of itself.

Chiaroscuro and Three-Dimensionality

Chiaroscuro (degradation) is the fusion of light and shade. It behaves like a conical surface on a surface of revolution. Volume is appreciated through the senses of sight and touch: in sculpture and architecture in a real way, and in drawing and painting using techniques such as chiaroscuro to achieve three-dimensionality.