The History of the Color Wheel

alanocu

5-11-2008 3:23 PM

492 views

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/484d2c9e-b694-4697-b3b9-2f91d151b4ce/D86AABC8-64C9-4864-B978-0E2BCFA22A7A/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/" href="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/" style="font-size: 11px;">www.colourlovers.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><DIV><A rel="bookmark" href="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><IMG alt=" " src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/images/2608.pic.jpg" />
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<P>The first color wheel has been attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1706 arranged red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet into a natural progression on a rotating disk.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><P><STRONG>The First Color Organization Systems</STRONG></P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/006_gautier-a.jpg" />
<SPAN>Gautier’s color-printed picture accompanied one of his many anti-Newtonian publications about color theories. The band of color at the center imitates an illustration in Newton’s Opticks but “proves” Gautier’s assertion that all colors cannot be found in Newton’s spectrum of light.</SPAN></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><P>
Color tables expand the color bar, literally and figuratively. They offer a similarly recognizable display of information, but one that suggests interior relationships through size, shape, or placement of the colored areas.
</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>Richard Waller’s Basic Chart</STRONG>
<IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/richard-waller.jpg" /></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>Schäffer’s Table</STRONG>
<IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/schaffer.jpg" /></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>Mayer’s Color Triangle</STRONG>
<IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/013_lichtenberg.jpg" /></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><P><STRONG>An Early Eighteenth-century Color Wheel</STRONG></p> <P><IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/017_boutet.jpg" /></P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><P><STRONG>Other Color Circles</STRONG></p> <P><IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/other-wheels-1.jpg" /></P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><IMG alt="" src="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/352px-bezold_farbentafel_1874.jpg" />
<SPAN>Wilhelm von Bezold’s 1874</SPAN></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><H2>Color Wheel Basics</H2></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>PRIMARY COLORS</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.colourlovers.com/img/FF30FCFB-675C-489E-B36F-E67EAA9EC34D" alt="primary color wheel" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>SECONDARY COLORS</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.colourlovers.com/img/B2B9F49F-8DF5-48F8-8152-50BD544DC4A8" alt="secondary color wheel" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>TERTIARY COLORS</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.colourlovers.com/img/D89F260F-E913-4221-A5E0-867978A3258A" alt="tertiary color wheel" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>COMPLEMENTARY COLORS</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.colourlovers.com/img/32BE8A78-B376-4273-85FE-521EA17EC923" alt="complementary color wheel" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><STRONG>ANALOGOUS COLORS</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.colourlovers.com/img/555949EC-874E-4530-8652-F3EB446D0C04" alt="analogous color wheel" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/"><H2>Color Wheels in Life and Art</H2></blockquote><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; 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tags:

color

alanocu says:

As the disk spins, the colors blur together so rapidly that the human eye sees white. From there, the organization of color has taken many forms, from tables and charts, to triangles, and wheels the history.

A nice explanation for each color organization system at the source: http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/05/08/history-of-the-color-wheel/

sweetfood's related clip: Unusual Color Wheels Found in Life and Art - http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/6B376FCB-7F70-4E17-8147-84856276F53C/

9 Comments |

Add a Comment

5-11-2008 3:34 PM

dakotayii

Great article, I have been using color wheel for work but I never thought of looking at the history of it.

5-12-2008 12:07 AM

crobinett

That is really Very interesting as well as entertaining. I appreciate you sharing the history and all.

Craig

5-12-2008 2:00 AM

haraya

Awesome.

5-12-2008 8:30 AM

zizzy

alanocu - Have you read Color: A Natural History of the Palette?

5-12-2008 9:06 AM

michellezm

You've out-coloured yourself on this clip. Superb!

5-12-2008 9:44 AM

skwirlinator

Everything we see is a reflection of light into our eyes. Different things absorb different parts of the spectrum and we see only the colors of the spectrum that is not absorbed.

5-12-2008 10:12 AM