Color Interaction

Perhaps the most predominant property of color is its relative character.  No color can be evaluated outside the environment in which resides. In his book "Color Interaction" author Josef Albers states that "the same color allows innumerable interpretations." The same color may appear different when it is placed on other colors, and different colors may appear the same when placed on diverse other background colors.

In the example above, the letter B is of the same exact color and size on all the square backgrounds.  However, the different colors make the B appear of different tone and value; and even of different size, depending on the color with which it interacts.

In addition to the differences of tone, colors are influenced in other ways, such as luminosity and darkness, warmth and coolness, depending on the colors that surround them. The only educated way to see a color is in relationship to its environment.  That is the theory behind color interaction.

We present now three exercises that will teach you the concept of color interaction in an interactive way:

Color Interaction-Exercise 001
Color Interaction-Exercise 002
Color Interaction-Exercise 003

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