Introduction to Color Theory for Visual Communication

A course by Sean Adams , Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer. Los Angeles, United States.
Joined August 2022

Unlock the secrets of color in visual arts with expert Sean Adams. Explore, experiment, and express boldly in our color theory course.

  • 100% positive reviews (13)
  • 2088 students
  • Audio: English
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch

Unlock the secrets of color in visual arts with expert Sean Adams. Explore, experiment, and express boldly in our color theory course.

A course by Sean Adams

‘There is no such thing as too bright’, is a lesson graphic designer Sean Adams has been teaching since 1992. When it comes to using color, he maintains that it is important to know what the rules are, and also when to break them. He opened AdamMorioka in the early nineties, at a time when design was focused on heavy layering, and dark colors. His unique approach, rooted in purity, simplicity, concepts with emotional resonance, and bold colors, gained him significant media attention. Adams has collaborated with the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney XD, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, Gap, Old Navy, UCLA, and many others. He is the Chair of Undergraduate and Graduate Graphic Design at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.

In this online course, deepen your knowledge of color and learn how to use it in a way that enhances your message and catches audiences. Explore different properties of color, cultural and temporal meanings and how you can create a good palette. Then, Sean guides you through your poster design, from start to finish.

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What will you learn in this online course?

15 lessons & 35 downloads

Color Properties and Theory
11 minutes, 35 seconds
Color, Culture, and Meaning
8 minutes, 16 seconds
Color Palettes
12 minutes, 52 seconds
Sketching Concepts
6 minutes, 1 second
Design Development and Color
9 minutes, 47 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (13)
  • 2088 students
  • 15 lessons (2h 26m)
  • 35 additional resources (14 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Three different film festival posters designed by you.

Who is this online course for?

Anyone looking to expand their knowledge in typography, color and composition to elevate their design skills

Requirements and materials

A digital or mobile phone camera, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and a printer


Reviews

2088 Students
13 Reviews
100% Positive ratings

Sean Adams

A course by Sean Adams

Teacher Plus
Graphic Designer

Sean Adams is an internationally recognized graphic designer and the Chair of Undergraduate and Graduate Graphic Design at ArtCenter College of Design. He has written multiple best-selling books that have been published in multiple languages, including [i]The Designer’s Dictionary of Color [i] and [i] How Design Makes Us Think [i]. He has lectured about color theory and design since 1992 in his native United States, and in Canada, Mexico, England and Argentina. He has been an on-air author at LinkedIn Learning for over a decade with courses about concept, composition, branding, and history. He has collaborated with numerous brands and companies, including Nickelodeon, Disney XD, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, Gap, Old Navy, UCLA, and many others.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Covering Color

    • What is Color, and Why Does it Matter?
    • Color Properties and Theory
    • Color, Culture, and Meaning
    • Color Palettes
  • U3

    Design Development & Concept Creation

    • Research & Reference Material
    • Sketching Concepts
    • Design Development and Color
  • U4

    Refinement

    • Color Refinement
    • Context
    • Applications and Technical Issues
  • U5

    Presentation and Portfolio

    • Presenting the Work
    • Organizing and Presenting Your Work in a Portfolio
    • Make your project
  • FP

    Final project

    • Introduction to Color Theory for Visual Communication

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Introduction to Color Theory for Visual Communication. Design course by Sean Adams

Introduction to Color Theory for Visual Communication

A course by Sean Adams
Graphic Designer. Los Angeles, United States.
Joined August 2022
  • 100% positive reviews (13)
  • 2088 students