literally EVERYTHING about color ✨simplified✨

Summary

This script delves into the science of color, explaining how light interacts with pigments to create what we perceive. It explores the historical quest for color representation in art and photography, the role of cones in our retina, and the evolution of color spaces like RGB and CIE. The video also touches on color psychology, the impact of color in design, and the technical aspects of display technologies, offering a comprehensive look at how colors enrich our lives.

Takeaways

• 🌈 Color perception begins with light reflecting off objects and being absorbed or reflected by pigments in those objects, which our eyes detect as color.
• 🔬 Isaac Newton demonstrated that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors, each with a different wavelength, through the use of a prism.
• 🎨 Pigments in objects like bananas absorb all colors of light except for yellow, which is reflected and seen by our eyes.
• 👀 Our eyes contain cone cells sensitive to different wavelengths of light, which allows us to perceive a wide range of colors.
• 🖼️ Historically, artists used primary colors (red, yellow, blue) to mix and create a variety of hues for their paintings.
• 📸 The advent of photography initially produced black and white images, but efforts to recreate color led to methods like hand-coloring and the use of color filters.
• 🌌 The RGB (red, green, blue) model is used in light-based media like televisions and computer screens, where colors are created by adding light.
• 🌈 In contrast, the RYB (red, yellow, blue) model is used in subtractive color mixing, such as in painting, where colors are created by reflecting and absorbing light differently.
• 📊 The CIE (International Commission on Illumination) developed the XYZ color space and chromaticity diagram to map how colors are perceived by the human eye.
• 📐 The CIE also introduced the LAB color space, which is based on the opponent process theory and is more perceptually uniform than the RGB model.
• 🖥️ Modern displays use various technologies like OLED and QD-OLED to achieve more accurate color representation and higher dynamic ranges for a more realistic viewing experience.

Q & A

What is the fundamental concept of color as described in the script?

The script describes color as a result of light interacting with objects. When light hits an object like a banana, it reflects certain wavelengths, which are then interpreted by our eyes as color.

Why does a banana appear yellow instead of blue?

A banana appears yellow because the pigments in its skin absorb all wavelengths of light except for yellow, which is then reflected and perceived by our eyes.

What did Isaac Newton discover about light using a prism?

Isaac Newton discovered that when white light passes through a prism, it splits into seven colors, demonstrating that light is made up of different wavelengths, each corresponding to a color.

What are pigments and how do they relate to the colors we see in objects?

Pigments are chemicals found in objects that interact with light by absorbing certain wavelengths and reflecting others, determining the color that we perceive.

What is the significance of the RGB model in color theory?

The RGB model is significant because it represents the primary colors of light—red, green, and blue—which can be combined in various ways to produce a wide spectrum of colors. This model is used in various applications, including digital displays and color mixing in art.

How do our eyes perceive color?

Our eyes perceive color through cone cells in the retina, which are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. These cone cells send signals to the brain, which interprets the combination of signals as specific colors.

What is the difference between additive and subtractive color mixing?

Additive color mixing, used in light and photography, involves combining red, green, and blue lights to create new colors, with all colors combined resulting in white light. Subtractive color mixing, used in painting, involves absorbing certain lights from white light and reflecting others, with all colors combined resulting in black.

What is color blindness and how does it relate to the cone cells in our eyes?

Color blindness is a condition where one or more types of cone cells do not function properly, leading to an inability to distinguish between certain colors. This can be due to the absence of a type of cone cell or the presence of anomalous cone cells.

What was the significance of the first colored photograph captured by Thomas Sutton using Maxwell's method?

The significance of Thomas Sutton's first colored photograph was that it demonstrated the practical application of Maxwell's method, which involved taking three separate black and white images through red, green, and blue filters, and then recombination to recreate a color image.

What is the purpose of the CIE color spaces like XYZ, LAB, and LCH?

The CIE color spaces, including XYZ, LAB, and LCH, are used to map and quantify how colors are perceived by the human eye. They provide a standardized way to describe colors and their relationships, which is crucial for color reproduction in various industries.

How do modern cameras capture realistic colors?

Modern cameras capture realistic colors by using a color filter array that typically has a pattern of red, green, and blue filters. The images are then processed to recreate the exact lighting and maintain white balance, and colors are adjusted to match the proper color space for accurate color representation.

What is the role of gamma correction in digital photography?

Gamma correction adjusts the luminance of an image to more accurately reflect the non-linear way human eyes perceive brightness. It helps to ensure that images have a more realistic brightness and contrast when viewed on different displays.

What is the difference between standard dynamic range (SDR) and high dynamic range (HDR) in terms of color representation?

Standard dynamic range (SDR) supports up to 300 nits, which can make colors appear faded. High dynamic range (HDR) supports up to 10,000 nits, allowing for more vibrant colors, deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and darker shadows, resulting in more natural and lifelike images.

How do different display technologies affect color accuracy and perception?

Display technologies such as CRT, LCD, LED, OLED, and QD-OLED each have their own methods of producing colors, which can affect color accuracy, brightness, contrast, and the viewing angle. Technologies like OLED and QD-OLED are known for their ability to produce more accurate and vibrant colors.

What is color psychology and how is it used in design and marketing?

Color psychology is the study of how colors can influence human emotions and behaviors. Designers and marketers use color psychology to attract attention, form opinions, and manipulate emotions, often associating certain colors with specific feelings or concepts.

How can the principles of color theory be applied to create harmonious color schemes in design?

Color theory principles can be applied by considering the relationships between colors on the color wheel, using complementary colors, monochromatic shades, or analogous colors to create harmonious color schemes that are aesthetically pleasing and convey the intended message.

What is the OkLab color space and why is it considered an improvement over other color spaces for design work?

The OkLab color space is a newer color space designed to be more perceptually uniform than its predecessors like LAB. It is considered an improvement because it provides a more accurate representation of how colors appear to the human eye, making it easier to manipulate and reproduce colors in design work.