Colour Proportion

When colours are put alongaise eachother in a composition our eyes will perceive a visual mix. This mix will vary depending on a variety of factors.

• Dominant colour - This is the colour that covers the largest amount of the composition, the main overall colour.
• Sub- dominant colour - The next in line is the sub-dominant colour which also covers much of the composition but not as much as the dominant.
• Accent colour - This is a small amount of colour however it adds a contrast to the overall hue of the composition and so draws our eye towards it.

These colours can alternate between intensity aswell as proportion to create a variety of mixes.

In Goethe's colour theory he stated that white and warm hues have greather strength than black and cool hues. In particular he spoke on complimentary colours and how our minds constantly seek balance. Seeing complimentary colours in a composition satisfies this need.

Similarly contrast can determine the overall impact of a composition, this is known as dominant elements of design.

A composition where neighbouring colors have an overall moderate contrast and hue will overall create a moderately contrasted composition. This is the same for colour values in a composition. A composition made up of tints will create an overall light value to the composition and vice versa. An understanding of this can impact your control of the emotion or feeling you wish to reflect in a composition.