Additive Color vs Subtractive Color: A Simple but Effective Demonstration

A brief look at two methods of combing colors - additive color, which uses red, green and blue as primaries, and so-called 'subtractive' color, which uses cyan, magenta and yellow.
"How did I make these images," I am often asked. I put together a demo:
• Make a Demo for Additi...
#AdditiveColor #SubtractiveColor #CMYK #RGB #ColorChannels #ColorSeparations

[@jjanossy]

Excellent and insightful video, makes great use of explanations along with demo of techniques in Photoshop. I have students in my college art technology class view this, it's better than an in-class lecture!

[@77794471]

Hey this is from a decade later, thanks for making the video!

[@JMacStudios]

Thanks, very helpful. I understood how RGB was additive but everywhere I looked the explanations of why CMYK was subtractive were confusing, but thanks to this video I understand it now.

[@sunnyd4532]

Excellent video, very clear and easy to follow. Thank you!

[@AdamuBAdamu-jv8sl]

By far the most concise and informative explanation of said topic. Simply stunning! Keep up the great work.

[@digitalArtform]

I see that. After I crank the youtube volume I have to turn my speakers up, too. I'll try to do better next time.

[@digitalArtform]

Thank you very much for the compliment, and for spending the time.

[@YayForPiggies]

thank you so much for this video! I really like watching this and it looks really cool when you add the colours together!!!

[@nicoledobbins2892]

Key is an industry term for Black when referring to printing. CMYK = Cyan Magenta Yellow Key. It couldn't be CMYB because B = Blue in RGB (Red, Green, Blue in screen color mode. CMYK is subtractive, and RGB is additive. Additive color refers to how light waves interact with one another. What is being presented in this video is Subtractive color, which is how the eye perceives physical color. CMYK is used for printing, and RGB is used for on-screen purposes because images are created with light.

[@ihabiano]

Great demo!

[@honglin2278]

thats actually really cool, now i am prepared for my test

[@yengchienwong4222]

Excellent!

[@DazzlingAction]

I needed this.

[@kkomax7]

loved it.... thanks

[@SapphosSails]

This was very informative thank you!

[@SupremeSkeptic]

ok... that's mildly (freaking) magical...

[@proflob]

i love this man

[@roypadilla673]

Easy to understand, thanks 👍

[@SamK_]

excellent video, very helpful

[@amandajstar]

Fabulous!

[@digitalArtform]

My RGB example is perfect. If you have a CRT monitor with the ability to disable the color channels one by one (by hitting switches or by pulling cables) you will see the same effect in action. The 3 layers will only blow out to white in a given location if each of the layers is already at 100% intensity in that location.

[@digitalArtform]

@shakilaart If you begin with a red channel colored red, a green channel colored green, and a blue channel colored blue it will work. If your initial R, G and B images are just different colored versions of the same identical black and white image then it will form a grayscale image when you add them.

[@iwpsurf]

Well done.

[@digitalArtform]

@faerieguts I was going to do the entire thing in Thermian like in 'Galaxy Quest,' but cooler heads prevailed

[@createproducti0ns]

great, i really like this video very helpfull

[@digitalArtform]

@ERICTHEAZNSKATER In the info section to this video (scroll down to the UPDATE 8/12/2011 section) I added some links to some pages on my web site that contain layered .psd files that can be downloaded and examined. They are not the exact ones from this video, but they may be useful. I may reconstruct and post the file from this video at some point, as well.

[@danelovell]

Try holding the shift button when moving in this manner.

[@digitalArtform]

Halftone dots are irrelevant. Continuous tone filters of C, M and Y are fine. This is how color film works. It is composed of 3 analog layers of varying density that hold back light by percentages (that is to say, they multiply) White is clear in all three layers.

[@shaungerald23]

How do you make the RGB circles overlap?? I got the CMY ones to overlap to make the RGB colors but I want to make the RGB circles. It's not working! lol

[@mukhtaralbuali9414]

Good explanation, the voice volume is really low though!

[@sauty1]

can barely hear you

[@nekrsten]

Can you please explain what you mean by "begin with a red channel colored red, a green channel colored green, and a blue channel colored blue"? I was searching the net for the mentioned process and didn't manage to do it. How is it it done? Please point me to a tutorial if you can.

[@digitalArtform]

If you're still interested in the info -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/equwf2ugq9acq68

[@ERICTHEAZNSKATER]

is there anywhere i can download the files so i can demo this for my class?

[@digitalArtform]

You might find this helpful. -- 5 years later :D kzbin.info/www/bejne/equwf2ugq9acq68

[@jeffthepoet7]

add volume; otherwise, good video through visual.

[@AmelieetAmelia]

Hi! I have 2 questions: 1- Why do we use ''subtractive'' if we add colors? 2-And Why the yen, magenta, yellow exemple is called '' RGB - red, green,blue'' ...? And not CMYK. And, they told me that the ''real'' primary colors where Process CYAN, Process Yellow and Process Magenta. Is this true? Thanks !!

[@digitalArtform]

You can’t buy any paints that when mixed will produce a bright magenta, so it’s actually a primary. You can buy a yellow and magenta paint and mix them to make a bright red, so red is not really a primary.

[@digitalArtform]

What we call magenta pigment absorbs everything but magenta, and actually turns it to a slight amount of heat. If we add magenta pigment to yellow pigment we make something that absorbs everything but magenta, mixed with something that absorbs everything but yellow, and since magenta allows red and blue to reflect, and yellow allows red and green to reflect, then when mixed, what they have in common is they both allow red to survive and reflect, so people have come to call that a subtractive process.

[@digitalArtform]

When painting I follow the traditional rules and try not to think too much about it and it works out pretty well. But inkjet printers use CMY and K as the best primaries.

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Anyone else brought here by the color puzzle in The Witness in the bunker elevator?

[@Gymnopediea]

oooooh

[@iamyouu]

I couldn't hear you even when i put my headphones on.

[@faerieguts]

Can you talk more quietly next time, please?