| In the [[arts]] of [[painting]], [[graphic design]], [[color printing]], [[television]], web design, and [[photography]], color theory is a body of practical guidance to '''color''' mixing and the visual impact of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appear in the writings of [[Leone Battista Alberti]] (c.1435) and the notebooks of [[Leonardo da Vinci]] (c.1490), a tradition of "colory theory" begins in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy around [[Isaac Newton]]'s theory of color (''Opticks'', 1704) and the nature of so-called [[primary color]]s. From there it developed as an independent artistic tradition with only superficial reference to [[colorimetry]] and vision science. | | In the [[arts]] of [[painting]], [[graphic design]], [[color printing]], [[television]], web design, and [[photography]], color theory is a body of practical guidance to '''color''' mixing and the visual impact of specific color combinations. Although color theory principles first appear in the writings of [[Leone Battista Alberti]] (c.1435) and the notebooks of [[Leonardo da Vinci]] (c.1490), a tradition of "colory theory" begins in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy around [[Isaac Newton]]'s theory of color (''Opticks'', 1704) and the nature of so-called [[primary color]]s. From there it developed as an independent artistic tradition with only superficial reference to [[colorimetry]] and vision science. |
| The foundations of pre-20th-century color theory were built around “pure” or ideal colors, characterized by sensory experiences rather than attributes of the physical world. This has led to a number of inaccuracies in traditional color theory principles that are not always remedied in modern formulations. | | The foundations of pre-20th-century color theory were built around “pure” or ideal colors, characterized by sensory experiences rather than attributes of the physical world. This has led to a number of inaccuracies in traditional color theory principles that are not always remedied in modern formulations. |