The Colour Wheel & All It Encompasses

In the past Digital Media lecture, we discussed colour schemes and various terminologies associated with the colour wheel. Therefore, I have decided to discuss all aspects of the colour wheel in great detail. The colour wheel is said to be a visual representation of the underlying color theory which is a set of principles used to create harmonious colour combinations. The colour wheel was first invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1706, who associated each colour with a note of a musical scale. Sir Isaac Newton began this colour wheel by splitting white sunlight into a variety of colours. His original colours included red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, and blue light beams. After making these distinctions, Sir Newton joined the two ends of the spectrum together which showed the progression of the colours. A century after Sir Isaac Newton made his discovery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe decided to take a deeper look into the psychological effect that colours seem to have on people. He observed that yellow gives the feeling of warmth whereas blue gives the feeling of coolness. He then divided the colour wheel into a plus side and a negative side. Colours on the plus side of the spectrum appeared to produce excitement and cheerfulness such as red, yellow, and orange. Colours on the negative side are associated with weakness and unsettled feelings such as blue, green, and purple.

The colour wheel most commonly used today was developed by Johannes Itten, who is a Swiss color and art theorist. His colour wheel is based on red, yellow, and blue as the primary colours and includes twelve hues. The twelve hues are made up of the three primary colours, three secondary colours, and six tertiary colours that are made up between the primary and secondary colours.

There are six major colour schemes that are most commonly associated with the colour wheel. The first is a monochromatic colour scheme. This scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. It looks clean and can go well together with other monochromatic schemes of a different color, and it is especially easy on the eyes in the hues of green or blue. The second is an analogous color scheme. It uses colours that are adjacent to each other; one color is dominant while others around it are used to enhance the image. The third colour scheme is a complementary colour scheme. This consists of two colours that are opposite of each other on the colour wheel. It's best utilized when you compare a warm colour against a cool colour since it creates a high contrast. The split complementary colour scheme is the fourth major colour scheme. It's a variation of the standard complementary colour scheme, but it not only uses colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, it includes the colours adjacent to them as well. It provides a high contrast like the complementary scheme, but with less tension. A fifth common colour scheme is the triadic colour scheme. It uses three colours equally spaced around the colour wheel and is popular due to retaining harmony and rich colors. The last common colour scheme is known as the tetradic colour scheme. This is the most varied colour scheme because it uses two complementary colour pairs. A characteristic of this scheme is that it is hard to harmonize.

By learning the background of the colour wheel and all the various colour schemes, I now have a better understanding of Digital Media. This information will help me when it comes to creating visual projects such as the poster or CD cover. I will be able to utilize the colour schemes in order to make my projects visually stimulating. I look forward to incorporating the colour wheel and all that it produces into my future Digital Media projects.




Works Cited:
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html

Photoshop!

the "before" picture...




We did a variety of tutorials that worked with Photoshop this past week in my Digital Media Lab. In the above picture, I had to convert the image to a black and white image. I also isolated the blue helmet in order to have the main focus of the picture on the biker and his helmet. The blurred background is another element that makes the viewer focus on the biker. It was a fun tutorial and very useful for future projects!



...the after picture!

C.R.A.P. Images

This Koodo ad demonstrates aspects of the CRAP principle through the various design elements it incorporates. The contrast element is shown through the disproportionate mouth and head. People are drawn to an ad like this because of the distorted image of the person's head shown on the billboard, not just the vibrant color. Also, the contrast of the lettering size is another visual element that draws attention to this Koodo ad. The element of alignment is shown in this ad through the placement of the main attraction, which is the person, as well as the company's name in the corner. The text is uneven which makes the advertisement even more interesting for the viewers walking by. Overall, Koodo did a good job of incorporating the CRAP principle to their commercial as well as making it humorous for potential consumers.



DKNY did an incredibly well-crafted CRAP advertisement. This ad is visually captivating through its unique projection of a "cartoon-like" picture and particular attention to small details. Contrast is shown by the use of green and red which are complementary colors therefore even more eye-catching. The different sized text and text colors also make the readers' attention focus on the more important words such as "BE DELICIOUS". The CRAP principle is also represented in this DKNY advertisement by the repetition of the apple theme. The red apples, green apples, and then apple-shaped bottle of DKNY perfume bring another interesting visual aspect to this ad. The apples also represent the proximity aspect of the CRAP principle due to the distinction between the red apples and the green apples. Being grouped together on different sides of the page contribute to the consumers' visual stimulation when seeing this advertisement. This DKNY ad caught my attention and made me want to go sample, if not buy, their perfume.



In this Febreze commercial, the CRAP principle of repetition plays a large role. The actual image of the shade outlines are repeated many times as well as the shade designs themselves. Each separate shade pattern is shown at least twice in the two rows of shade outlines. The alignment principle can also be applied to this Febreze Flameless Luminaries advertisement. Although the top of the ad has centered shapes in rows, the off-centered, tilted luminary shade draws the viewers' attention. In the bottom right corner, the company name "Febreze" also demands the audience's attention due to the placement as well as the background shape of the "wafting scent". This Febreze advertisement layout was well done based off the CRAP principles that it followed. Even though Febreze incorporated repetition and alignment into their ad, I feel that they could have utilized the CRAP principles of contrast better. Contrasting elements add more interesting images for the reader to be enticed into buying various products.



Quiznos utilized the CRAP principles well in their display window sign. They incorporated the element of contrast in their signature symbol of the big "Q" as well is in their name. By using the complementary colors of green and red, Quiznos made it hard for people passing by to miss their company title. Also, through the utilization of the text formatting, this advertisement draws the customers' attention to the word "TOASTY". Since it is written in such a large font, this word is the first thing people see when looking at the window sign. Such a large word with a very delicious meaning behind it entices viewers into ordering a "toasty" sub sandwich. The repetition CRAP principle is shown through the color scheme of mainly red and white found on this Quiznos advertisement. The green word Quiznos therefore stands out, creating another contrasting element. The alignment of the sandwich and the company name "Quiznos Subs" add a separate aspect to the sign. The viewer first sees the delicious picture of a sub sandwich and then is shown who will sell them such a delicious meal. The whole sign, from the top with "mmm...TOASTY" to the bottom, draws customers in due to the delicious thoughts that it brings to mind.


The CRAP principle can be very effective when utilized properly. Some of the elements are more useful than others due to the visual stimulation that they create. By contrasting fonts, colors, font sizes, etc. people can be drawn in to the advertisements. Based off the above advertisements, such as the DKNY perfume ad, the element of repetition can also be very effective. In order to create a certain type of mind set for the reader to gain off the ad, the use of repetition is imperative. I feel that alignment is a shortcoming of the CRAP principle. Although it can add to the uniqueness of an advertisement layout, it does not always contribute to the advertisement over all. In many advertisements I came across, the alignment of the ad was centered, but it was still effective. I also found that the proximity aspect of the CRAP principle was one of the lesser used, less effective elements. Although the DKNY ad used it properly, many times ads cannot contain the same images over and over while keeping the advertisement interesting due to limited space. Depending on how they are executed, the CRAP principles can really make an advertisement interesting and eye catching. If not utilized properly, these principles really can make an advertisement look like CRAP

Works Cited:
Cosmopolitan Sept. 2009: 49+245. Print.

Vegas Night Postcard

This Las Vegas Night postcard was designed and edited through Photoshop in my Digital Media laboratory class on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. My first experience with Photoshop went pretty smoothly when it came to cropping images and importing outside pictures. I also was able to use my own judgment when it came to the color scheme and sizing of certain elements in this postcard. I enjoyed working with Photoshop and look forward to my year ahead and the projects to come that deal with Photoshop.

First impressions of Digital Media

Before coming to Ryerson, digital media used to be a sparingly used term in my life. Whenever the term 'digital media' was brought up, which was a rare occasion, images such as magazines, television, or video games would pop into my head. I had a general idea of the term in the sense that I knew it was a big part of our culture in this day and age. Technological advances have definitely made digital media into a huge part of society, as we know it.

After the first lecture on Tuesday, my impression of digital media was definitely altered. Not only did the ideas of magazines, television, and video games come to mind, but I also realized the huge network that happens behind the scenes for digital media. I realized that the term digital media also encompasses technologies such as cell phones, Internet, and iPods. Devices such as these are used to communicate more efficiently and have advanced our society as a whole.

The lecture made me interested in discovering the different ways that digital media affects everyday life. Although I was a little wary about the course, based off of the description, the lecture made me anxious to begin and better myself in the terms of digital media and everything that it consists of.

I think that it’s important for Radio and Television Arts students to take a course such as digital media in order to have a complete understanding of the industry. It gives students an advantage to be able to know how everything works, especially in such a technologically advanced program such as RTA. With the knowledge that digital media will provide for me, I’m fully confident that I will be able to become an advanced and well-rounded student.

Marshall McLuhan stated that the “medium is the message.” Essentially, he meant the information is less important than how you are sending that information. Based on my limited knowledge of digital media and what it entails, I disagree with McLuhan’s statement. I feel that the message is equally important as how the message is sent. The audience must be able to comprehend the message, but they also must be able to easily access the message via Internet, television, radio, etc. The medium and the message are both crucial to the public. Once learning more about digital media, I may change my opinion depending on the knowledge I gain, but as of now, that’s my conclusion for McLuhan.