Color Concepts

Hue

Hue is the color quality of a pigment or object. Hue and color are interchangeable terms, but in color theory the term hue implies a specific discussion of only hue. For example a “light red” color has the hue of red and a high value.

Value

Value is the amount of light in a pigment or object. Color hues a have intrinsic value qualities.For example, yellow is the “lightest” or highest value hue.Blue-violet is the “darkest” or lowest value hue. Red has a more middle value. The value of a dark hue is made lighter by adding a higher value hue (or white). The value of a light hue is made darker by adding a lower value hue. Imagine the values of the hues below in a black and white picture.

Tints and Shades

Adding white to a color creates a tint. Adding black creates a shade. For example pink is a tint of red; maroon is a shade of red. See the tints and shades of blue below.

Intensity

Intensity is the amount of brightness in a pigment or object. This is a quality of pure hue that creates a visual vibration. Which green is more pure, or intense?

Tone

Tone is a hue mixed with gray.The gray will neutralize or tone down the color. This also decreases the hue intensity. Depending on the value if the initial hue, the addition of gray may also change the value appearance, making the hue lighter or darker.

Warm and Cool Colors

Temperature is an associate quality of color. In general warmer colors are orange, red and yellow. These colors “feel” warm and also emerge or move forward in space. Cool colors are blue, green, and purple. These colors “feel” cool and also recede or move back into space.

Now forget these categories and think more precisely in terms of relationships. A bit of color ying and yang, as warm color is defined by cool and vise versa! This means that in a comparison of red and blue, red is warmer. But in a comparison of red and red, one red will be warmer then the other.

Complimentary Colors

Complementary hues are defined as two hues, which create after-images of each other. Yellow has a blue-violet after-image and blue-violet has a yellow after-image. On most color wheels complimentary colors are across from each other. Placed next to each other compliment hues have the greatest possible contrast. When mixed together the result is a neutral hue.

The After image

The phenomena of after image causes the eye to see the complimentary hue after an extended period focusing on said hue. For example, stare at the yellow dot below for 30 seconds then look immediate at the black dot below.

Contrast of value.

Contrast of color value

Contrast of of hue.

Facial Features

The eye is an important yet complex element within a portrait. A great deal of emphasis is placed in the eyes as they relate to likeness and psychology. Understanding its form is the beginning of depicting it properly. In words, think of its structure, a ball settle into a bone socket. The brow bone or ridge overhangs the ball slightly. This ball is then draped, above and below, with two lids that have thickness. To the center of the face and slightly below middle we find the tear duct. These lids do not make an opening like a symmetrical football, but rather peak closer to center on the upper lid, and slightly toward the outside in the bottom lid. In the eye ball we the sclera (whites of the eye) the iris (the eye color), pupil (dark spot the resides in the iris), and the cornea (the lens on the surface). While drawing the eye it is important to remember these structures as light falls across all differently.

The mouth find find a structure that wraps around the cylinder of the teeth and head. It is composed of three masses in the upper lip, a center flanked by two wings. The lower lip is composed of two masses parted slightly in the middle. The upper lip tappers quickly at the corners and curls down. The upper lip is usually in shadow since its top protrudes and then rolls under as it meets the opening. The lower lip receives light, along the two masses, and sharply descends to shadow along the middle underside, yet descends to shadow slowly along the edges as the lip rejoins the facial mass.

The nose is often one of the hardest features to capture. Again think of its structure as an aid in depicting it properly. There are three basic masses to consider- the ball, nostrils and bridge. It has four basic planes- one top, two sides, one bottom.

Large Scale Portrait

Examples below demonstrate the scale we are attempting in this project as well as a concrete sense of form. This is the basis for your exploration into lighting the subject. A form and mass of the head must be indicated as you then begin to investigate light.

Olmec Heads from Mexican History

Kollwitz

Seurat

Lucien Freud

Andrew Wyeth

Chuck Close

Below we have an image turn upside down and slightly blurred. In this exercise, attempt to draw the image as is, focusing on abstract shapes of light and dark to create form. The likeness will follow.