Proportion, contrast and effects with colour

This article uses a good example of a room to display how different colours are used in different proportions can create a variety of effects. It states as a "rule of thumb" to have two thirds of one colours and one third of another which is a nice simple way to look at it and easy to remember.

Things that are perfectly proportioned are more pleasing to our eyes, we search for symmetry for example and balance. In a mess we try to make sense of it and try to find recognisable shapes. Howeverthings that are not proportioned are not necessarilt a bad thing as it can create a more interest and emphasis on a point.

Color proportion

Use of color proportion is very important, as it may help to show the mood of the particular painting or a shot of the film. In example to show a night scene with a car going down the road primary color would be dark blue and to show that there is a car we can make its headlights bright contrasting yellow, it will make an accent on that yellow headlight as it will take a small area of the shot. Different proportions of  complementary  colors may have different effects and to balance some colors out we may have to use different proportions such as 3:1 yellow to violet 1:1 red and green, 2:1 blue and orange.

Johannes Itten's color contrast

Johannes Itten was one of the first people to study and identify strategies to achieve successful colour combinations. He was a swiss expressionist painter, designer, theorist, writer and teacher. From this research he concluded with seven main methodologies for combining colour for maximum affect. These range from saturation, to light and dark hues to complimentary colours. He produced these findings in a book known as "The theory of colours".

This is a shot from the incredibles showing a limited pallete of colour. Focused to mainly red and black then the bright explosion behind them stands out from the rest.
These were:

• The pure color(hue) contrast 
• The contrast of saturation
• The contrast of light and dark
• The contrast of compliments
• The contrast of warm and cool
• The contrast of quantity
• Simultaneous contrast

Saturation/de-saturation

The purest saturation is achieved at highest intensity and lower saturation at lower intensity.  A colour can be desaturated using a subtractive system, such as for watercolour you can add white, black, grey or the complimentary colour to desaturate the colours further.

Mixing where the colours are saturated and where they are desaturated can change the impact of a whole image, such as a fully desaturated painting will look either gentle or dull. On the other hand a fully saturated coloured painting will look intense and bold, and in some cases this can be too much and will put off the viewer. However used in the right way they can create very interesting images for the viewer to interpret.

Whatever is saturated in an image will draw the eye to it first if the rest of the image is desaturated. For example a painting of a bowl of fruit, is the orange is brighter and more saturated than the rest then that will be the main focal point that the viewer is drawn to look at.

Saturation in images

The saturation of a colour is never constant but depends on the surroundings and light. When a bold saturated colour is used with a film or a painting etc it is generally specifically done for a reason for the audience to interpret.

Saturation is also referred to as the purity of colour. Saturation is defined by light intensity and how much it is distributed across the different wavelengths. So the most pure colours are achieved by using just one wavelength at a high intensity such as a laser point.

http://designingfortheweb.co.uk/book/part4/part4_chapter17.php
This website clearly shows the different effects of saturation using photographic help. They clearly show how an image can be made more subtle, more bold, aswell as how it can improve or ruin an image by making specific choices about the saturation.

Saturation

An image with a high saturation makes an intense impact on the overall image and a more bold appearance to the audience. The saturation can also be described as the colour intensity.
Bold colours can be used to grab the attention to the overall image or just to make a bold statement within the image. This can effect is different depending how they are used. Images with bright bold colours generally make for a joyful looking image whereas maybe bold reds and blacks can create a more dangerous looking image.

It is not how light or dark the colour is but how bold or pale the colour is and it is not often that all colours in an image will be bold saturated colours.

Mixing a palette of saturated and desaturated hues makes for a more subtle and interesting image to view.

Colour grading

Colour grading or colour painting has now become standard for both film-makers and photographers. It is a process that involves changing or enhancing the colour of an image. This can be done electronically, digitally and photo-chemically, generally it is most often done digitally. In a way it has made easier the process of making a professional looking film if amateur film-makers or photographers learnt it. Shots can be cropped, cut, adjusted, enhanced, made darker or lighter, add special effects aswell as many other things to improve the look. With huge improvements in VFX technology sometimes props aren't even needed! Such as an action scene if a car is launched, this can be done entirely within a computer.

Emotion with colour

Colour used in films or games or artwork etc can quickly create a particular emotion to the audience. Techniques such as using colour or sound is an alternative way to get across an emotion or thoughts in a very quick way. In seconds we have judged an image and have got a particular feeling from it. In these seconds the audience can either be drawn into the image or completely thrown out and lost. This is particularly important in movies, so that the flow of the movie carries on smoothly without the audience becoming lost.

For example if a scene of danger and darkness has bright pink and purple colours (which some artists may do on purpose) it may throw and confuse the audience in what they are supposed to be feeling.

This importance is recognised widely by artists and now colour scripts are created and specialists hired to design and create each shot. These/they're sole purpose is to make sure that the shot shows and feels the way that it should and create a smooth continuity throughout the films.