Lack of Knowledge in Understanding Colour: A Case Study Based on University Students

Abstract

As a basic element of art, color plays an indispensable role in visual arts and design. It sets the mood and evoke the desired feelings of an artwork or a design. Thus the knowledge about color should be an integral part of the teaching and learning process of visual art. This study examines the extent to which the school curriculum of Sri Lanka employs the fundamental knowledge about color to improve the understanding of school students who learn ‗Painting‘ as a subject. In this study, a questionnaire and a practical test related to color was given to a sample of 30 university students who have chosen to study visual arts as one of their subject in their first year. The results of the practical test suggest that many of the students lack the basic knowledge and understanding about the attributes of color such as hue, shades, tints and tones. The result of the questionnaire suggests that nearly all the students have not properly learned about basics of color at school level due to the fact that the school curriculum of art (painting) does not contain the basic elements and principles of visual art. It can be assumed that many graduate teachers who follow the curriculum and the given time-table, are not encouraged to include this fundamental knowledge in the teaching process.