No matter what capacity you work with color in your daily life, having a working understanding of color theory will always come in handy.Ĭolor is vital to making a product recognizable and appealing in branding and marketing. That is the idea that specific color schemes are more appealing to the human eye and depend on the context. On a more practical level, color theory also explains how specific colors can be replicated in printing, computers, art, and more – it’s an overarching, multifaceted field.Īt its simplest, color theory creates a logical structure to something we deal with every day but might not always fully understand or have the proper terminology to discuss in detail.īasically, color theory is the set of best practices for picking colors together for harmonious designs and contextual color combinations.

It also factors in the messages that colors communicate. It explains how humans perceive color (both physically and psychologically) and how colors mix, match, and contrast with one another. Paul Klee What Is Color Theory?Ĭolor theory is the art and science of using color. Our brains pick up on these wavelength combinations, interpreting them as a phenomenon known as color.Ĭolor is the place where our brain and the universe meet. Objects reflect light in different combinations of wavelengths (radio, gamma rays, and more). Our eyes see something and the data sent from our eyes to our brains interprets it as a particular color. We spend so much time around color that we often assume we know what color is without really thinking about its definition.Īt its core, color is perception. In this post, we’ll explain what color theory is, why color theory matters, the different color models, and how you can more effectively use color in your life. But few of us learn about the fundamentals of color theory.Ĭolor theory can be a valuable tool to not only help us understand more about the world around us but also to create harmonious designs (or decorate your home).

As children, we spend time in school learning about the basics of color.

Primary colors on a color wheel