Perception of Spaces and Color Theorists

 Perception of Spaces and Color Theorists

This week we understand the perception of color and spaces as they are and appear to be around us. Isaac Newton discovered that as a ray of white light passes and is refracted (bent) through a prism, it is broken down into spectral hues (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). Today, we know these as the 3 primary colors and 4 secondary colors. 

Moses Harris

In addition to Newton, Moses Harris assessed that red, yellow, and blue were the primary, or primitive, colors. He went on to confirm that a mixture of two primary colors creates a secondary color (orange, green, and violet), and when you mix a secondary color with a primary color you got a tertiary color (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue green, blue-violet, and red violet). Unlike Newton's wheel, however, Harris' wheel was divided into eighteen equal parts that are further graded by value, light to dark. 

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

One of the first modern thinkers to investigate and record the function of the eye and

its interpretation of color, Goethe strongly countered Newton's physics around light. His 2-D wheel was based on the three primary colors but established the secondary colors as compliments to the primary's. With this, Goethe created a color triangle that reinforces his belief of hues based on their luminosity. His research on successive contrast, simultaneous contrast, the effects of cast light on an object, and proportional color use, led us to one of the most research references known to all types of artists today.

Conclusion

Although only two theorists were mentioned, there were well over a handful of others who dove into research and came up with their own versions of the color wheel. These include people like Philip Otto Runge, Ewald Hering, Albert Munsell, and many others. It is important to know that, as designers, we are responsible for how color makes people feel and their reaction to certain colors. If a client is a homebody or introverted, it's important to avoid bright, bold colors due to their strong pigmentation and heavy, electric feeling they give to a space. 

Sketchbook #4

This week's sketch, from our textbook Sketching Interiors, was focused on the effect that negative space had on positive space. We were tasked with sketching a contour drawing of a chair and shading in the negative space (the space where the object was not). By doing this we practiced a few different techniques.

When filling in the negative space, we focused on hatching. Hatching is known has a way to create shade using closely spaced parallel lines. In doing this, we are able to control the depth, or heaviness, of the medium on the paper. We also continued to practice our contour drawing skills in reference to drawing the chair how it is and not how we think it is. While this can be difficult, it forces us to use the right side of our brains, as opposed to our left side, which is more logical. 

By analyzing the effect that negative space has on an object is crucial in understand the object itself. It helps us to see proportions clearly and yells at us when any angle or length of lines are off. While contour drawing, I think it is important to assess these characteristics because it helps designers to fine-tune their skills so that they are able to do quick sketches that communicate a space in the most effective way.