Traditional Color Theory and the Importance of Color in Design/Art Education

Color is a critical part of design--whether your project is destined for print, web, video or other media. A clear understanding of color theory and practical applications is the key to using color with confidence. Learn to apply theory in digital applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver and more. Learn the differences and applications for Pantone, CMYK, RGB, Hexadecimal colors, and other important color tools. The psychology of color and color harmonies are also addressed in traditional color theory classes.

I would like to see traditional color theory course begin to offer methods and exercises for the study of color, using the computer. The reasons for exploring color on the computer are numerous. Many educators prefer to use computers for color study so students can work quickly and avoid some of the drudgery of traditional paint/colored paper methods. Though there are some concepts that cannot be translated to the computer this tool does give students the advantage of speedy experimentation with many color solution and immediate applicaqtion of these solutions to art works. This makes the study of color immediately relevant as the student moves from color study to color application.

Art educators have not always had such a wide variety of media available to to teach their curricula and help students express their ideas but their addition of the computers to this tool set broadens these options enormously. Students could quickly recognize the value of being able to choose the most appropriate tools that best fit what they want to say. In the last ten years, the addition of computer technology to our media choices in the arts offers this generation of computer literate students wide choices for learning in a medium which they find completely natural to use.

Something I find to be key in color application, but sometimes overlooked in traditional color theory education is color management and calibration. It is important to find out how to get what you see on your monitor to match what comes out of your printer. The key is calibration and consistent color management. A successful designer needs to learn the basics, so that you can select and use calibration hardware and color management software to get consistent results for your digital photos, design proofs, and more.

I think it would be interesting and beneficial if students experimented with color systems and then applied color exercises to computer painting, storyboarding, or design assignments intended to illustrate expression or communication through color. This concept would allow pieces produced in color class to go on to become a portfolio piece and prove valuable in obtaining employment in design and animation industries.