Datasheet

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■ UNDERSTANDING COLOR AND COMPOSITION
it was originally perceived by the human eye. Obviously, if you are matching 3D to a
live-action plate, colors should be replicated regardless of what they might be. How-
ever, if the 3D is only meant to look real, colors—as they’re perceived by the human
eye—should be matched.
For more information on color manipulation, see Chapter 6. For information
on color bit depth, see Chapter 10.
Applying the Golden Mean
The golden mean was extolled by Pythagoras (580–500 BC) and his fellow Greeks. The
mean is a number, 1.618 . . . , that is irrational and cannot be converted to a fraction.
The golden mean defines a golden rectangle, which has an aspect ratio of roughly
1.618:1. Mathematically, a golden rectangle is a rectangle that can be partitioned
into a square and a smaller rectangle that has the same aspect ratio of the original
rectangle (see Figure 1.34). The golden mean is represented as the Greek letter phi
and is commonly referred to as the golden ratio, golden section, or golden proportion.
Although the Greeks are often given credit for discovering the golden mean, some
historians suggest that it was employed by earlier civilizations (for example, Babylonia
and Egypt).
1.618 . . .
1
Figure 1.34 The golden rectangle
Greek architects determined that the golden rectangle was aesthetically superior
to other ratios and employed the shape in many building designs. This determination
has persisted for the past two millennia in the architecture of Western civilization. As
for fine art, the golden mean was rediscovered by artists of the Renaissance, including
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) and Raphael (1483–1520). Variations of the golden
mean can also be found in Medieval Islamic architecture and tile work. Many 19th-
and 20th-century artists, including Georges Seurat (1859–91), Piet Mondrian (1872–
1944), and Salvador Dali (1904–89), applied the compositional technique (see Fig-
ure 1.35). The golden rectangle survives to this day as the approximate aspect ratio
of credit and debit cards (1.6:1). The 1.66:1 motion picture aspect ratio, used exten-
sively outside North America, also comes close to the golden rectangle. (For more
information on aspect ratios, see Chapter 10.)
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