What Is Color Theory?

I’ve been working on building styles and themes. Learning about fonts and typography and styles. Contemplating going back and getting a design degree. The more though I devote to going back the more I ask the question, why? What do I want to do with this degree that I can’t do on my own.

The answer is simple, there is a ton I want to learn about illustration and design. There is artwork I want to make. Ideas that I’d like to realize. The rub is that I don’t have to go to school to learn to make these things. I can start with the knowledge and abilities I currently have. I can learn the skills along the way.

This leads me to an area where I’ve been curious but never invested time, Color Theory. The goal for my learning here is to understand how to use color to convey emotion with my color choice in my designs. I think of one of my favorite illustrators, William Jennings, and how his art always has such contrasting vibrant colors. How does one pick colors for designs? This is the question I’m out to answer.

I’ve started by collecting a handful of books and starting to read them to learn about colors. I started painting earlier in the year and I’m hoping to come back to that and bring it forward as I create more art and explore the colors available to me.

So far, all I’ve really learned is about the color wheel. It’s funny, while I knew that blue and yellow made green, I hadn’t put together that blue and red made violet and red and yellow make orange. This is simple, obvious stuff I probably learned in college, but haven’t thought about it in years. The journey continues and I will tell you more about it as I learn.