Color* is an element of art that is derived from reflected light. You see color because light waves  are reflected from objects to your .  White light from the   is actually a combination of all .

    When light passes through a wedge-shaped glass, called a prism, the beam  of white light is bent and separated into bands of , called the color spectrum.  The colors of the spectrum always appear in the same order: RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE AND VIOLET.

   A rainbow is a natural example of a spectrum.  Rainbows occur when  -light is bent by water, oil, or a glass prism.  You can find rainbows in the
,  in the spray  from a garden hose, or in a puddle of oil in a parking lot.

   Objects absorb some  waves of light and reflect others. An  looks red because it reflects red waves and absorbs the rest of the colors.   Special color receptors in your  detect these red  light waves, and your  then reads the light as being a certain color.  The light enters your  and travels to your retina,  at the back of your .  There two types of cells react to the light.  One type receives impressions of lightness and darkness.  The other type receives color.

   Colors  really don't change, but your ability to distinguish between them does.  When you are looking at , your  can sometimes fool you!

    There are many ways to use color- Artists reproduce them as they see them.  The placement of / and / colors create illusions of depth .  Color can also create a sense of movement.
 
 

PRIMARY	SECONDARY
RED	ORANGE
YELLOW	GREEN
BLUE	VIOLET

WARM /RED, ORANGE & YELLOW     COOL /         B LUE, GREEN & VIOLET

*from ART TALK by Rosalind Rogans published by Glencoe McGraw Hill
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