Color is one of the seven elements of art. For today’s post, I’ve linked to some websites and videos that focus on color theory. The sites listed below offer something for all ages.
The better you understand how color works, the more you will be able to do. Plus, playing with color is just plain fun!
So here are some great color theory websites:
1. Super-easy Color Wheel Page for Young Children — http://www.kidzone.ws/science/colorwheel.htm
This one is great for very young children. Nothing complex, just the basic primary and complementary colors and how they relate to one another.
2. Easy and Fun Color-mixing Tutorial — http://www.artgraphica.net/free-art-lessons/watercolor/watercolor-color-wheel.html
I’d recommend this site for middle graders. There’s a little more in-depth explanation of how colors work and relate, plus an easy exercise in color mixing using one brush, watercolors, and paper plates.
3. Color Theory Tutorial — http://www.worqx.com/color/color_wheel.htm
Send your jr. high and high-schoolers to this site. It’s still very concise, but provides more detail than the other sites and is a bit more complex.
4. The History of the Color Wheel — http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/
Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton was influential in the development of the color wheel? Neither did I until I visited this page. If you’re interested not only in color theory, but also the history of color theory, check out this site.
5. Finally, here are a few videos about color wheels that may help you better understand how color works, and how to work with color!
The Color Wheel for Children
This video is very basic and great for young children:
For Older Students: A “Different” Color Wheel
Why is this color wheel different? Because it uses a slightly different set of primary colors. In most beginning art classes, students are taught that the three primaries are red, yellow, and blue. That is true, as far as it goes! But there are other sets of primaries. For example, if you’re working with light (as opposed to pigment), the primaries are red, green, and blue. And if you’re working with photography or printing, the primaries are cyan, magenta, and yellow. This video explains the differences between the color wheels.
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