Contents

Introduction
Syllabus
Activities
Links

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School of Art

Bibliographical Reference:
"When combining colors, we must pay attention to the effects of simultaneous contrast, which can alter the way colors are perceived. Simultaneous contrast refers to the apparent changes in hue, value, and/or chroma that are created by adjacent colors. Visual stimulation causes the eye to generate an after-image that is in the hue complementary to the original image. This most often occurs when one color surrounds anoth-er (the surrounded color is altered by the surrounding color)". (W. Wong, pg. 53)

Value Shift
Selected Reading: "A change of value occurs when a surrounded color is much lighter or darker than the surrounding color. If the surrounding color Is light, the surrounded color appears darker; If the surrounding color Is dark, the surrounded color appears lighter" (W. Wong, pg. 55).

Figure 3. Observing gradual
change in value

Project's Description

In this assignment, you will observe the change in vlaue due to the effect called "simultaneaus contrast."By following the instructions of this exercise, your eye will spontaneously produce "value shifts" of the color it has been focusing on. Follow the directions as outlined.

Supporting Tools

• Web site readings/handout.
• Bauhaus SoftCanvas¨ Software
  

Activity 1 - Observing Value

The basis for this activity is a black background divided by a dark gray strip with a white rectangle on each side of the strip as shown in figure

Using the B@uhaus softCanvas recreate figure 1. Use black (N 10) for the background and a mid gray (N 4) for the strip and white (N 10) for the rectangles. See grid structure (Figure 2).

1. Select RY 5/10 and place it in the color scheme area of the software.

2. Drop the RY 5/10 color sample in the left and right white rectangles. Replace the right black background color with white.

3. What happened to the value of the color on the white background?

Activity 2 - Value Gradation

Recreate figure 3 in the B@uhaus SoftCanvas. Make sure the rows have the neutral (N) colors as indicated below:

Row 1 = N 0
Row 2 = N 0
Row 3 = N 4
Row 4 = N 6
Row 5 = N 8
Row 6 = N 10
Row 7 = N10

A. Replace the diagonal line with a single color of your choice (e.g. YR5/10). Notice how the color change value gradually depending on the gray background it is seen against.

B. Try different colors on the diagonal line until you find one that has a dramatic visual effect. Make sure you use only one color.

C. Take a snap shot of your color study

D. Write down the Perceptual Notation (PN) of your final selected color. That is, the one placed in the diagonal line.

Activity 3 - Your own design!
The desing in figure 3 was created by your instructor to show value shift. Come up with your own design to show this phenomenon.

Submission Checklist

• File saved as "gif" (this is a screen shot converted to gif in photoshop)
  
• Each File labeled as following:
  Examples:
  PaulG_Value_Shift_act1.gif
  PaulG_Value_Shif_act2.gif
  PaulG_Value_Shif_act3.gif