Image-color harmony

Abstract

In a variety of visual platforms, images and color elements are often involved together in order to elicit aesthetic and affective responses. Thus the harmonization of images and color elements is one of the basic requirements to create informative and persuasive design works. However, little knowledge is available on the method to achieve integrated aesthetics of image-color pairs and their practical applications. In this regards, this study aims to understand the harmony of image-color pairs, and developing computational methods and practical applications based on the understanding. To be specific, the process of color generation and image recoloring was firstly investigated through a set of qualitative research about design practice. The outcomes of design process were analyzed quantitatively to supplement the findings from the qualitative analysis. Based on the insights from design practice, techniques of image processing were reviewed and selectively adopted in order to develop methods to generate colors and to adjust image colors. User tests revealed that the proposed methods provide satisfactory outcomes in comparison with designers’ works or existing methods. The methods were also adopted to applications of promotional contexts, and showed the image-color harmony could enhance promotional effects of visual contents or not. Lastly, the implications and probable applications of the proposed methods were widely explored while reviewing the limitations that the current study has.