Tip #4793 - Color Vision and Art
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Color
Vision and Art
This Web site
mixes art with science! In the nineteenth century, modern art was
still being defined, but at the same time, scientists were discovering
how we see. New ideas on how we see color inspired artists to try
new things. So, are you ready to learn all about Color Vision and
Art? I know I am, so let’s dive right in!
Navigation is
very easy here. You’ll find that the side menu contains the
sections for browsing. Then in each section, there's a navigation
menu along the top of the page. Or, you can use the Next button. Your
options are:
Home – This
will bring you back to the main page from anywhere on the site, but
there's content for you here as well. This area is also the introduction
to the site. Click on the Continue button to read the whole introduction.
Light, Color and
Vision – In this section, you'll discover how we see color,
what goes on in our eyes and how our eyes calculate the color we see.
This section goes
on to explore Newton’s discovery of color and light through
his work with prisms, as well as, Goethe’s take on how we perceive
color. You'll also learn about paints, how they are made, the appearance
they give and how we see them.
It goes on to
explore African Art and art from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
I loved this part. The art they highlight here is amazing!
Color Interactions:
Simultaneous Contrast – Here you learn about complimentary colors
and contrast and how artists have used them in their work. You'll
visit African art, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Mona Hatoum.
Luminance and
Equiluminance – This section walks you through luminance (the
quality of being luminous, emitting or reflecting light) and equiluminance
(the technique to blur outlines and suggest motion) with brilliant
examples. You'll also discover exaggerated contrast, tonal unity,
Impressionism and it even touches on Pointillism. The section here
on Picasso and his use of color was also very interesting. I think
this section on color was by far my favorite!
Peripheral Vision
– Here you'll learn how our peripheral vision and center vision
differ and how that affects how we perceive color. You'll also visit
the Mona Lisa and see if "noise" on the image changes
her expression from happy to sad. This section also delves further
into Impressionism and how the details appear at first and after directly
looking at them. You'll also discover how different artists have conveyed
movement in their paintings.
Make sure you
check out all of the interactive stuff too. There are a lot of paintings
you can play with and there are even sound clips you can listen to
peppered throughout the site.
I hope you've
enjoyed this in depth look into Color Vision and Art!
http://webexhibits.org/colorart/index.html
~ Amanda
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