What Color Is Cold? The Temperature Of Color
Lighting is an art. It appears in the photographs of Ansel Adams, the cinematography of Haskell Wexler, and the paintings of Caravaggio. Without light there is no color, no shadow, no contrast and no art, no science, no plant life, just a big fat empty void. Light fills the void and is the foundation of life and culture. Light is a huge invention. Yet tons of folks take light for granted. The sun comes up and and they grumble ’cause the got to get out of bed. The glowing orb sets and the streetlights come on. The house lights could be candles, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, moon light or the glow of the television. The suns natural light, fluorescent lighting, and the glare of a bulb all illuminate, but they are not the same. Light has a color temperature. Artists, cinematographers and interior decorators are well informed of the color temperature of lights. They use them to great affect. Understanding color temperature is an important skill for any artist or designer.
Color temperature is talked about in terms of hot and cold. The warmest temperatures run in the reddish hues, the coolest in the bluish hue. Most people on the street associate heat with color, thinking the hottest light source should create the warmest colors. The inverse is occurs. The sun has blue tones and a flame has red tones. A flame is perhaps the easiest way to understand this range of tones. The section of the flame that is hottest is the part closet to the burning surface. This area of the flame is usually blue. The tip of the flame is yellow, orange and sometimes even a bit red. This can also be illustrated in the passing of the sun. In the cooler hours of the day, the rising or setting sun is red, while the noon day sun beats down hot and blue. Our eyes see the daylight as white and that is the challenge in photography, cinematography and design.
The human eye works like one of the finest filters ever invented. In any given situation, the eye and the brain work together to produce the interpretation of color tone. A space painted white lit by incandescent bulbs will appear white. During the day the same wall still seems to be white. The human eye and the mind adjust. This is demonstrated when taking a photograph with the camera adjusted to the wrong color temperature. If it is white balanced for daylight and the room is lit by light bulbs it will appear very yellow. If it is white balanced for electric lights and shot when lit by daylight the picture will appear very blue.
Cinematographers, artists and designers all take into account color temperature. The paint on the wall whatever color it is, will change tone with various lights. A good designer will always check a color of paint under the various lighting sources that will illuminate the room. Different chromatic shades help set a tone and a mood. Even when a person believes they are looking at white, the body reacts to the warm and cool tones.
Knowing color temperature is a helpful tool for anyone interested in art or home design.
