Quality contrast

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Quality contrast, also called intensity contrast, refers to the contrast between the saturation or brightness gradations of a single color (color quality = degree of purity of a color) or the joint effect of such colors that are close to each other in the color wheel. That is why it is also called a contrast of related colors. In perspective, it corresponds to the aerial perspective. Yellow, orange and red, for example, have in common that they are all three warm and bright colors at the same time. The kinship of violet, blue and blue-green, on the other hand, is that they are cold and dark. Pictures designed according to the principle of quality contrast are characterized by a discreet and very disciplined color effect. Neighboring colors can strongly modify the quality contrast; for example, very weak color tones still appear bright and intense next to pure gray. Among other things, it serves to reinforce illusory spatiality since bright colors tend to come forward. It also contributes significantly to the mood of an image. You can practically change the color quality using four different approaches:

• Adding white usually results in colder colors, but always in brighter ones.
• Adding black takes away the light character of the colors. Black alienates the colors from the light and kills them more or less quickly.
• Adding white and black, i.e., with gray, often results in equally bright, lighter or darker, but always duller shades. Colors tend to become neutralized and blinded.
• Adding the complementary color leads to the clouding of pure colors. If the mixing ratio is right, the result is an off-white gray. If we add just a little bit of the complementary color, the result is a muted version of the original tone.

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