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CHAPTER THREE  
 

Colour Studies: Theory and Practice 
Chidiebere Onwuekwe, Chika Chudi-Duru, Valentine Ani  

 
Introduction 

he study of colour is interesting. The value of 

human life would be meaningless without colour. 

This is because colour helps to enhance the beauty 

of both man-made and natural phenomena. Colour is not 

easy to define, it simply explains what the eyes see or 

interpret in the presence of light. According to Ngumah, 

Ayoola, Dalhatu, and Samkay (2013), colour is the 

interplay of the eyes with the light. In other words the 

word colour cannot exist without the presence of light, it 

depends on light. Ogumor (2007) sees colour as the waves 

of light separated by different things before reaching our 

eyes.  Colour is perception. The eyes see something (the 

sky, for example), and data sent from the eyes to the 

brains tells one it is a certain colour (blue). Objects 

reflect light in different combinations of wavelengths. 

The brains pick up on those wavelength combinations 

and translate them into the phenomenon called colour 

(Decker, 2017). 

In basic design, colour is seen as a pigment applied 
on a design surface. Therefore colour is the application of 
pigment to a surface, shape, or design. There are varieties 
of colours and for easy understanding, colours can be 

T 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

24 
 

discussed under the following terms; as, the visual 
response to different wavelengths of sunlight identified as 
red, green, blue and so on, having the physical properties 
of hue, intensity and value. In the field of arts and basic 
design, colour is seen as a pigment or substance used in 
organizing or arranging the other elements of art on a 
design or an object to satisfy our sense of beauty.  
 
Features of Colours  
Light 

This is an agent of illumination that stimulates the 
sense of sight. It is the source of colour which begins and 
is derived from electromagnetic wavelengths from 
ambient light (sun) or artificial sources such as spot lamps. 
Where there is light, there is colour. Where there is little 
light there is little colour, and here there is strong light, the 
colour is likely to be intense. Whenever the light is weak, 
such as at dusk or dawn, it is difficult to distinguish one 
colour from another. Under bright strong, sunlight, as in 
tropical climates, colours seem to take an additional 
intensity; Ocvirk (2006). Every ray of light coming from 
the sun is composed of waves that vibrate at different 

speeds. Humans see colours in light waves. Mixing 
light—or the additive colour mixing model—allows one 
to create colours by mixing red, green and blue light 
sources of various intensities. The more light someone 
adds, the brighter the colour mix becomes. If one mixes 
all three colours of light, the result is pure, white light 
(Decker, 2017). Again, there is the pigment colour 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

25 
 

mixing model. Among the colours to be mixed as such 
are red-yellow-blue and cyan-magenta-yellow ones. 
 
Tints, Shades and Tones 
Tint: If white is added to any hue or colour, it is made 
lighter and the result is called a tint.  
 
Shade: Are relative darkness, dimness and the absence of 
light Ocvirk (2006). Shade is also the dark part of 
anything. It is the shadow. It can also be seen as a shield 
or screen protecting from bright light. Shade is a place 
sheltered from the sun. If black is added to any colour, the 
darker version of it is called a shade.  
  
Tones: This is when grey (black + white) is added, and 
the result is a different colour level of the same colour. 
 
Hue: Hue or colour is characteristic to which a name such 
as blue, red, or yellow is given to distinguish it from 
others. Ocvirk (2006) explains hue as the name which 
differentiates one colour from another; there are red hue, 
yellow hue, and blue hues. Hue is therefore another name 
for colour. In a colour chart, there are primary hues, 
secondary hues, and intermediate hues as the case may be. 
The hues of colour are divided into warm and cool hues. 
Warm hues are very bright and appear to advance towards 
the viewer when they are in the company of other colours. 
Warm hues are red, orange, and yellow. Cool hues are 
those colours that do not appear very bright and they tend 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

26 
 

to move backwards in the group of other colours. The 
cool hues are green, blue, and purple. Therefore warm 
hues advance (i.e. coming forward) while cool hues recede 
(i.e. going backwards).  
 
Intensity: Intensity is the degree of brightness of a hue, 
rather than value (Ocvirk 2006). Intensity depends on the 
amount of greyness in a colour. The intensity of a colour 
is its relative purity or brilliance. Chroma is another name 
for intensity, that is; the brightness or dullness of a hue. 
The word ‘Chroma’ is used to differentiate a bright colour 
from a dull colour of the same hue, for example, bright 
blue and dull blue, bright red and dull red. Similarly, 
(Mckinley, 2016) observes that Intensity is also the 
dimension of colour that tells the brightness or dullness, 
its strength or its weakness. Intensity describes the 
distance of the colour from grey on the colour wheel  
 
Classification of Colours  
Ngumah, Et Al (2013) classified colour as follows;  
 
Primary Colour 

The primary colour is a basic colour which cannot 
be derived from a mixture of other colours. Primary 
colour is the three colours that cannot be got through 
mixing other colours. Primary colour is used to obtain 
other colours depending on their mixture; they are red, 
blue and yellow. However, there are two categories of 
primary colours; additive primary colours (pigment) and 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

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subtractive ones (light). Decker (2017) adds that TVs, 
screens and projectors use red, green and blue (RGB) as 
their primary colours, and then mix them to create other 
colours. 
 

 
 
Fig 1: three primary colours (additive); Red, blue, and yellow (Vector 
Art: Emodi, 2021) 

 
  
 
Fig 2: Another set of primary colours (additive, pigments); Cyan, 
magenta and yellow. (Vector Art: Emodi, 2021)  

 

 
Fig 3: An illustration of the additive colour mixing, red light, blur 

light and green light. Source: https://99designs.com/blog tips/the-
7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/ 

 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

28 
 

Secondary Colour 
Secondary colours are those colours which are derived 
from a mixture of two primary colours in equal 
proportion. The secondary colours are orange purple and 
green.  
 

 
 
Fig 4: The secondary colour chart. Source: Color mixing clipart 20 free 

Cliparts | Download images on Clipground 2023 

  
Tertiary Colour 

Tertiary colour is the mixture of two secondary 
colours (Ocvirk, et Al 2006). For example, Tertiary Yellow 
appears like Smoky Yellow, Tertiary Blue is known as Slate 
Blue, and Tertiary Red is known as Old Red Brick. 
According to (Ocvirk, et Al 2006), Tertiary colours are 
partly neutralized colours that can be obtained by a 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

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mixture of two secondary colours or they can be called 
neutralized primary colours. For example, blue dominates 
tertiary blue while yellow dominates tertiary yellow and red 
dominate tertiary red. The tertiary colours are identified by 
colours common to the two secondary colours, for 
example, purple and green have blue in common, while 
green and orange have yellow in common, and orange and 
purple have red in common.  
 
Harmonious Colour 

Harmonious colours are colours that have a 
relationship with each other, Ogumor (2007). They seem 
to belong to one family group and can be grouped into 
three Monochromatic, Analogous, and Opposites (Ocvirk, 
et al, 2006). Monochromatic is a variation of a single hue, 
Analogous is a family group of three or more closely allied 
colours,  while Opposites are complementary colours, they 
are pairs of diametrically opposite hues with regards to 
dominance in the colour wheel.  

Complimentary colours are colours opposite each 
other in the colour wheel. They are colours that show 
marked differences when placed near each other, therefore 
red is said to be complementary to green, yellow is 
complementary to purple and orange is complementary to 
blue. 
 
Intermediate or tertiary Colour 

These are derived by mixing one primary colour 
and one secondary colour. The intermediate colour is a 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

30 
 

result of a colour got from the mixture of a secondary 
colour and a primary colour. In a colour wheel, the 
intermediate colour lies mid-way between one primary and 
one secondary colour, Ngumah, Et Al (2013) state the 
intermediate colour as;  
 

 
Fig 5: The tertiary colour chart (Vector Art: Emodi, 2021) 

 
Neutral Colour 

Neutral colours are black, white and grey, (Ocvirk, 
et Al 2006),. They do not belong to any of the colour 
classes mentioned above. The neutral colour can go well 
with any other colour. According to (Ocvirk, et Al 2006), 
in colouring, tint is white, while shade is black. Neutral 
colours, are colours of very low saturation, approaching 
greys. 
 
 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

31 
 

 
Warm and Cool Colours 

Warm colours are colours which in their nature 
appear to be hot and appear to advance towards the 
viewers. Warm colours are orange, red, and yellow. Cool 
colours appear calm, dull, and seem to recede from the 
viewers. The cool colours are green, blue, and purple, 
Ocvirk (2006). 
 
Colour Wheel  

Colour wheel is a diagram that shows the placement 
of colours in relationship to each other, Hornby (2012).  
 

 
   

Fig 6: Primary Colour Wheel (Vector Art: Emodi, 2021) 

 
 
 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

32 
 

 
The colour wheel theory 

 

Fig. 7: colour wheel consisting of primary, secondary and 
tertiary colours. pngwing.com/en/search?q= color+Wheel 

Colour theory is the collection of rules and 
guidelines which designers use to communicate with users 
through appealing colour schemes in visual interfaces. 
Having introduced the primary, secondary and tertiary 
colours, it is obvious that some people still find it difficult 
to choose colour combinations while designing or 
painting. To pick the best colours every time, designers 
use a colour wheel and refer to extensive collected 
knowledge about human optical ability, psychology, 
culture and more(Interaction design foundation). 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

33 
 

Understanding how colours interact and their relationships 
on the colour wheel is important for successful colour 
combinations. In the colour wheel, there are several colour 
schemes which help a beginner while embarking on a 
work of design. According to Schippers (2019), 
remembering all the gradation of the colour wheel can be 
tricky, but there are a few major things one can easily 
recall when crafting your art and design.  

Of recent, artists and designers use rules of colour 
combinations to find colour harmonies on the colour 
wheel which results in pleasing and harmonious colour 
combinations. In colour theory, colour harmony refers to 
aesthetically pleasing and harmonious colour 
combinations based on geometric relationships on the 
colour wheel (colours explained –an internet blog).  It also 
suggests that in a work of art or design, one can use any or 
a combination of the colour harmonies below. Still, 
regardless of which harmony one chooses, it is essential to 
pay attention to the use of warm and cool colours so that 
the design will not look gaudy. 

Last but not least, consider shade, tint, and tone 
when working on the colour harmony or scheme of a 
design, as they allow one to create rich, layered colour 
combinations. The seven major colour harmony or 
schemes are monochromatic, analogous, complementary, 
split complementary, triadic, square, and rectangle (or 

tetradic).  

https://www.colorsexplained.com/color-theory/
https://www.colorsexplained.com/shade-tint-tone/


Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

34 
 

 
 
Fig. 8: colour harmony. Source: google.com 
 
Complementary colour harmony    

Complementary pairs are colours placed on 
opposite ends of the colour wheel (or colour circle), and 
they can be primary, secondary, or tertiary colours. These 
harmonious colour combinations create vibrant colour 
palettes with high contrast.  It can be inappropriate if not 
properly managed. 
 
Split-complimentary colour harmony 

Split complementary combinations are slightly more 
complex than complementary colours because they have 
three hues. It has one key colour and two colours adjacent 
to that key colour’s complement. Because of that, this 
colour harmony has a vibrant contrast that is generally 
easy to use.  



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

35 
 

Beginner artists and designers often move towards 
these types of combinations as they start to branch out 
into more complex colour schemes since they’re 
approachable and intuitive. 
 
Analogous colour harmony  

The analogous colour harmony consists of three 
hues all placed next to each other on the colour wheel 
quite unlike complementary colour harmony which 
consists of complementary pairs. They usually consist of 
one dominant colour, and then a supporting colour. The 
third colour can be the first two colours blended or an 
accent colour that pops. Analogous colour schemes are 
widespread in decorating and interior design. These colour 
harmonies tend to be eye-soothing and have a sense of 
visual cohesion without being too flat, overwhelming, or 
monochromatic. 
 
Triadic colour harmony 

Triadic colour combinations consist of three 
colours evenly spaced on the colour wheel. They are very 
versatile, and more often than not, they create a vibrant, 
bold colour palette. When choosing colours in harmony 
for a design, let one hue dominate and use the others for 
accents only. This way, a child-like effect could be avoided 
that can ruin a design. 
 
 
 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

36 
 

Tetradic colour harmony  
Tetradic colour harmony has four individual 

colours: a key colour and three more colours, all 
equidistant from the key colour on the colour wheel. This 
colour harmony can also be referred to as a “double-
complementary colour scheme" because it consists of two 
complementary colour pairs. Let one colour dominate and 
balance the use of warm colours and cool colours wisely, 
and use neutrals so that the colours are noticeable where 
they are supposed to be.  
 
Square colour harmony  

This consists of four colours spaced evenly around 
the colour wheel. To create a square colour palette, pick 
the key colour to start with. Then identify the other 
colours that are equidistant from that colour. One will end 
up with two complementary pairs. This colour harmony is 
very similar to the tetradic above, however, instead of a 
rectangular colour scheme; it is a square colour scheme. 
Beyond that, square colour schemes are less common than 
some of the other colour combination options, which can 
provide an opportunity to utilize one and set the design, 
one can always let one colour dominate and balance the 
colour temperature to make a square colour scheme work 
for a project without it looking childish. 
 
Monochromatic colour harmony 

Monochromatic colour schemes use a single colour 
with varying shades and tints to produce a consistent look 



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

37 
 

and feel. Although it lacks colour contrast, it often ends 
up looking very clean and polished. It also allows one to 
easily change the darkness and lightness of the colours. It 
uses a single base hue and extends the colour scheme by 
using different shades, tones, and tints of that colour 
family. The result is a complex and rich design very 
different from the common misconception that 
monochromatic colour harmonies are dull and lifeless. 
When choosing the colour schemes, make sure to add 
enough contrast in the shades to create visual interest.  

With colours in harmony, one can set a mood, draw 
attention, or make a statement in a design. By picking a 
harmonious colour scheme, one can energize or cool 
down the project, create an ambience of elegance, warmth, 
and tranquillity, or convey an image of playful 
youthfulness. 

Whatever is chosen, use the concept of colour 
harmony to make a design stand out from other art and 
design works. Colours in harmony have the power to 
convey messages effectively and evoke the right feelings. 
In other words, it is the most powerful design element. 
 
Importance of Colour in Basic Design  

Colour generally plays a vital role in Art, especially in 
designing and painting. Ngumah, Et Al (2013) states the 
importance of colour in design and painting as follows;  

• Colour increases the visual effect of any art 
form, it makes the work beautiful.  



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

38 
 

• Colour helps to make an artwork look real and 
interesting.  

• The application of colour in design and painting 
helps to evoke or arouse feelings in the viewers 
about the artwork.  

• Colour aids in attracting attention.  

• Colour aids in defining and interpreting forms.  

• Colour helps to suggest mood.  

• Colour has cultural significance. 

• Colour helps to speed up visual search. 

• Use colour to improve object recognition. 

• Use colour to enhance the meaning of a piece of 
artwork or design.  

• Use colour to convey structure in some book 
designs.  

• Colour projects symbolism in a design. 

• Colour communicates mood in a design piece or 
artwork. 

• Colour improves usability, especially in road 
signs and other signs placed in the environment. 
  

Questions 
1. Explain colour  
2. Prepare the colour wheel of primary colours and a 

colour  wheel of secondary colour 
3. Describe how secondary colours may be achieved.  
4.       Create a design using the primary colours only.  



Colour Studies: Theory and Practice  

39 
 

5.       Explain colour harmony in a design. 
6.       Explain the Analogous colour harmony 

 
 

References 

Interaction design foundation. (2016) Colour Theory. 
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/ topics/colour-

theory. 
 
Decker, Kris. (2017). The fundamentals of understanding colour 

theory.  https://99designs.com/blog/tips/ the-7-step-
guide-to-understanding-color-theory/.  Assessed 
24/6/2021. 

 
Hornby. A. S. (2012). Oxford Advanced Learners’ 

Dictionary 12th Edition. London: Oxford University 
Press. 

 
Mckinley,  J. (2018). A colour guide.  College of Agricultural, 

Consumer and Environmental Sciences. 
https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_c/C316.pdf 

 
Ngumah, H. C, Ayoola, O.,  Dalhatu, S., and Samkay, A. 

(2013) Cultural and Creative Arts for Junior 
Secondary Schools. Ibadan: Evans Brothers Nigeria 
Ltd. 



Onwuekwe, Chudi-Duru, & Ani 

40 
 

Ocvirk, O., Stinson, R., Wigg, P.Bone, R, & Cayton, D. 
(2006). Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice 8th 
Edition. New York: McGraw Hill publishers. 

Ogumor, E. (2007). Certificate Art. 4th Edition. Ibadan: 
Evans Press Ltd 

 
Schippers, H.L. (2019). How the Nail Color Wheel Can 

Enhance Your Art.  cnd.com/blog/how-the- nail-
colour-wheel-can-enhance-your-art/ 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Otto+Ocvirk&text=Otto+Ocvirk&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_2?ie=UTF8&field-author=Robert+Stinson&text=Robert+Stinson&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fundamentals-Practice-Otto-Ocvirk/dp/0073379271
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fundamentals-Practice-Otto-Ocvirk/dp/0073379271

