Coloring with lighting fundamentally involves manipulating the wavelengths of light to create different hues. There are two primary methods: additive color mixing and subtractive color mixing.
Additive Color Mixing: Combining Light
Additive color mixing starts with darkness and adds light of different colors to create new colors. This is commonly used in displays like TVs, monitors, and stage lighting.
- The Process: Different colored light sources (typically red, green, and blue - RGB) are combined. The more light added, the brighter the resulting color. When all three primary colors are combined at full intensity, white light is produced.
- Examples:
- LED Screens: Tiny red, green, and blue LEDs illuminate to create a wide spectrum of colors.
- Stage Lighting: Projectors with red, green, and blue filters mix light on stage to create dynamic colored effects.
- Key Concept: Adding more light results in a brighter and lighter color.
Subtractive Color Mixing: Filtering Light
Subtractive color mixing starts with white light and uses filters or pigments to absorb (subtract) certain wavelengths, reflecting the remaining colors. This is primarily used in printing and painting.
- The Process: White light passes through a filter or reflects off a pigmented surface. The filter or pigment absorbs specific wavelengths of light. The colors we see are the wavelengths that are not absorbed and are instead reflected back to our eyes. Common primary colors in subtractive mixing are cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY).
- Examples:
- Inkjet Printing: Printers use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) inks to create colors by selectively absorbing portions of white light.
- Paint: Pigments in paint absorb certain colors of light, reflecting the remaining colors to create the hue we perceive.
- Key Concept: The more colors you mix, the darker the resulting color becomes, eventually approaching black (absorbing all colors).
Summary Table
| Feature | Additive Color Mixing | Subtractive Color Mixing |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Point | Darkness | White Light |
| Method | Adding Light | Filtering Light |
| Primary Colors | Red, Green, Blue (RGB) | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (CMY) |
| Common Use | Displays, Stage Lighting | Printing, Painting |
| Result of Mixing All Primary Colors | White | Black |
In essence, you "color with lighting" by either adding colored light sources together (additive) or by removing colors from white light (subtractive) to achieve the desired hue.
