Core concepts for a universal foundation in colour literacy
Key exercises and supporting materials
The Colour Literacy Project re-frames colour education as a broad, meta-disciplinary, exploratory experience, structured around four cornerstones of colour knowledge. A set of core concepts for a universal colour foundation is described below, along with key exercises and supporting material. Note that the exercises can be done in any order. The overarching framework of knowledge adapted by the CLP encompasses many disciplines, and sets the stage for acquiring higher order, discipline-specific knowledge. Please also read our FAQ, for additional background on our approach.
EXPERIENCING COLOURS
Core concepts:
Colour is a visual phenomenon
Colours play many essential roles in our lives
Colour impacts us in complex ways
Key exercises:
Colour diary
The changing colours of nature
Supplementary exercises:
Surrounded by colours
Scavenger hunt
Background reading:
Experience colours all around us
Colour plays many roles in our lives
DESCRIBING COLOURS
Core Concepts:
Colours can be described by more than just a hue name – they can be vivid, pale, dark or muted
Colour organization is 3-dimensional
Key exercises:
Arranging hue families
Arranging characters
Achromatic vs chromatic
Hue planes model
Supplementary exercises:
Lightness chroma model
Background reading:
Intro to CHROMO sorting set
See FAQ entry on Can the exercises be adapted for students with limited colour vision?
PERCEIVING COLOURS
Core Concepts:
Light is key for colour
Colour is a perceptual experience
Not everyone perceives colours in the same way
Colour perception is contextual
Key exercises:
Koffka ring
Munker-White illusion
Lights on and off
Orange cube
Supplementary exercises:
Simultaneous contrast
Changing spatial contexts
Examining the rainbow
Background reading:
Colour is a perception
Non-spectral hues
WORKING WITH COLOURS
Core concepts:
Colours communicate
Mixing results depend on process
Key exercises:
Character associations
Squares & diamonds
Comparative mixing
Comparing complements
Background reading:
Why can’t you mix colours?
