For week 4, we were taught colour theory. We learned the emotional effects that colours have on the viewer and how we can use that to portray desired emotions to the audience. We also learned how to make a piece look more unified through colour schemes like complementary colours or analogous colours.
We were tasked with three things for homework. The first was to colour one of our previous thumbnails using one of the following colour schemes:
- Monochromatic
- Analogous
- Complementary
- Triadic
I like the way my coloured thumbnails look. It was a good way to experiment and practise different colour schemes. My favourite has to be the analogous thumbnail (top right). I like how warm and welcoming it feels.
The second was to colour the same image and convey two different emotions. For example, wonder, fury, hope, etc.
It was interesting to see how much colour affects a setting. I like how they both turned out but the clouds could be better in the first one and the second one is too dark. It’s very difficult to distinguish the different aspects of the landscape from each other.
The third was to pick stills from animated films or television and create a colour script.
Reference: Treasure Planet
A limited colour palette of blues and purples was used in this scene to show the audience that Jim is saddened by having to do all the chores on the ship like peeling potatoes and mopping the deck.
A monochromic colour scheme of reds was used to convey the potential danger of following the map to the treasure planet. It can also show the anger within the mother as she knows that the journey will be dangerous and she may never see her son again.
The limited colour palette of purples and blues shows that audience the mystical side of the world of ‘Treasure Planet’. It also shows the audience the wonder that Jim feels about the space around him and how it feels like an unexplored mystery to him.
It was interesting to see that the industry uses the same theory to create interesting shots and emotions through their use of colour.