🎮 Learning Game Development – Day 5 Basics of Color Theory
Source: Dev.to
Fundamentals of Color Theory
On Day 5 of my daily learning journey in game design, I explored the fundamentals of color theory. Colors in game design are not just decorative; they influence mood, clarity, and player experience.
Hue
- Pure color itself—e.g., red, blue, or yellow—without any added white, black, or gray.
Value
- Tint: Adding white to a hue lightens it.
- Shade: Adding black to a hue darkens it.
Example: Starting with red as the hue, adding black creates progressively darker reds, while adding white makes the color lighter.
Saturation
- When both black and white are mixed with a hue, the result is a gray, representing a fully desaturated color.
Polychromatic Colors & the Color Wheel
Polychromatic color usage involves combining RGB values to create:
- Primary colors
- Secondary colors (Primary + Primary)
- Tertiary colors (Primary + Secondary)
These combinations form a color wheel, which helps designers choose colors intentionally rather than by guesswork.
Color Relationships
Understanding the color wheel enables the use of various color relationships:
- Warm colors: Reds, oranges, yellows (energetic, intense)
- Cool colors: Blues, greens, purples (calm, relaxed)
- Complementary colors: Opposite colors on the wheel
- Split complementary: One base color plus the two neighboring colors of its complement
- Analogous colors: Colors adjacent to each other on the wheel
- Triadic colors: Three colors evenly spaced around the wheel
- Tetradic colors: Two complementary color pairs
Applying any of these methods allows you to color game props, environments, or UI in a balanced and intentional way.
Slow progress, but building a strong foundation. If you’re also learning game development, feel free to follow along. See you on Day 6! 🎮🚀