Additive Color vs Subtractive Color

A brief look at two methods of combing colors - additive color, which uses red, green and blue as primaries, and so-called 'subtractive' color, which uses cyan, magenta and yellow.

Additive color describes the way colored light combines.

'Subtractive' color describes the way colored filters stack up, or the way certain pigments mix.

We usually teach children the 'subtractive' method, which uses cyan, magenta and yellow, first. We usually simplify and approximate magenta as 'red' and cyan as 'blue,' so most school children think the paint primaries are red, yellow and blue.

Why do I keep putting the word 'subtractive' in quotes? You'll know in a little over 3 minutes from now.

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2009/06/additive_color_1.html

photo: Joseph Francis (me)
model: Betcee May

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UPDATE 8/12/2011

Some layered .psd files can be found here:
http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2009/03/additive_color.html

and here:
http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2009/03/subtractive_col.html

They are not the exact ones from this video but you may find them useful nonetheless.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• additive
• additive color
• subtractive
• subtractive color
• multiplicative
• multiplicative color
• RGB
• CMY
• CMYK
• primary colors
• color mixing

[ERICTHEAZNSKATER]

is there anywhere i can download the files so i can demo this for my class?

[digitalArtform]

@ERICTHEAZNSKATER In the info section to this video (scroll down to the UPDATE 8/12/2011 section) I added some links to some pages on my web site that contain layered .psd files that can be downloaded and examined. They are not the exact ones from this video, but they may be useful. I may reconstruct and post the file from this video at some point, as well.

[shakilaart]

when i try to this tutorial the finished image is made

that is in grey scale.... why..? can somebody help me to do this

[digitalArtform]

@shakilaart If you begin with a red channel colored red, a green channel colored green, and a blue channel colored blue it will work. If your initial R, G and B images are just different colored versions of the same identical black and white image then it will form a grayscale image when you add them.

[faerieguts]

Can you talk more quietly next time, please?

[digitalArtform]

@faerieguts I was going to do the entire thing in Thermian like in 'Galaxy Quest,' but cooler heads prevailed

[iwpsurf]

Well done.

[1965Richie]

I wish the audio was a bit louder.

[georgbernier]

wow, this video is great, thanks to share it.