Comments on: Color Theory Basics – Dominant and Recessive Colors

By: Color Theory Basics – Color Correction « Light Cue 23

Color Theory Basics – Color Correction « Light Cue 23 — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:08:02 +0000

[...] Light Cue 23 Notes from the Drafting Table « Color Theory Basics – Dominant and Recessive Colors [...]

By: lucaskrech

lucaskrech — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 01:32:37 +0000

Best way to see it is to see it. But, yes, everything is relative. A couple flashlights and two gel books would be a great way to explore if you can’t do so full scale.

By: Nicola

Nicola — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:34:33 +0000

Hi Lucas,
Great post and will come in very useful for the dance piece I’m lighting at the moment.
Can you give an example of two recessive colours, where one is more dominant than the other? The thing that I’m struggling with is being able to determine on my own what colours are recessive and which are dominant – or, as you say, is it just relative?

By: lucaskrech

lucaskrech — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:36:32 +0000

Wow! That sounds like an amazing design. I’ve never done anything so extreme, but if the right project comes along I will have to give it a go. I’ll be discussing additive vs. subtractive color mixing later on in this series.

In response to your question, the general rule of thumb is that more dominant colors tend to be the light while more recessive colors are used for shadows. Low saturated shadow fills from the balcony rail tend to work best, IMO, when the color is the most recessive in the look. Similarly, when doing strong directional looks having the key light be the most dominant on stage is generally a good idea.

Of course there are a million exceptions.

Breaking the rules is the fun part. But only when you know them so well that you know which ones are most interesting to break.

By: Tony Adams

Tony Adams — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:08:12 +0000

Do you (or how do you) factor/play with light/brightness and shadow in with dominant and recessive colors?

FWIW-One of the most interesting designs I’ve ever seen was from an old timer in France. It was the only show I’ve seen that I couldn’t reverse engineer how it was lit from just looking at the stage from the house.

I got a chance to talk to him later and asked, and he told me how he did it. It was all additive color mixing. The only three gels in the whole plot were red, blue, and green cyc silk. I don’t know how he did that level of additive mixing, but I was in awe. The reason I couldn’t figure it out on my own is I’d never seen anything like it.

By: lucaskrech

lucaskrech — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:45:25 +0000

Thanks!

By: Dunn

Dunn — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:04:09 +0000

Really nice post on color. I was fascinated.