Colour balance in posters

Correct answer: B. Reduce the number of colours and choose one dominant colour

Explanation: The governing design concepts are unity, balance, and visual hierarchy. When too many unrelated colours compete, the viewer’s attention is scattered and the poster message becomes less clear. Reducing the palette and choosing one dominant colour creates order while supporting colours provide contrast, so option B is correct. Adding more bright colours or patterns increases clutter, and painting everything black removes balance rather than solving it.

Correct answer: A. Use lighter, less saturated and muted colours

Explanation: The governing concept is aerial perspective, a colour-based method of showing spatial depth. As objects appear farther away, atmospheric effects generally make them lighter, less saturated and more muted. Using this treatment causes background forms to recede, so option A is correct. Dark, warm, highly vivid colours, strong outlines and foreground-level intensity increase visual prominence and usually bring an object forward rather than pushing it back.

Correct answer: B. Clear colour contrast suitable size and clean edges

Explanation: The governing design concept is visual contrast and legibility. A title can be read from a distance when its colour contrasts clearly with the background, its letters are large enough, and its edges are clean. Therefore, option B is correct. Thin letters with a similar background, low value contrast, or excessive decoration reduces clarity rather than improving communication. In poster work, readability should take priority over unnecessary ornament.

Correct answer: D. Value or hue contrast between title and background

Explanation: The governing design principle is contrast for legibility. A title becomes visible when its value or hue is sufficiently different from the background, allowing the letters to separate clearly at a glance. Therefore, option D is correct. Changing brush size may alter stroke width, while paper thickness and the colour name do not create visual separation by themselves. The designer should test a stronger light-dark or warm-cool contrast without sacrificing harmony.

Correct answer: A. It allows an overall assessment of colour balance, visual hierarchy, and readability

Explanation: The governing design principle is evaluation of the whole composition rather than isolated details. Distance reduces attention to tiny brush marks and reveals whether the main colour masses are balanced, the visual hierarchy is clear, and the message can be read effectively. Hence option A is correct. Viewing from far away does not dry a brush, increase paint consistency, or change the paper’s size.

Correct answer: A. Maintain clear value contrast between the main message and the background

Explanation: A monochromatic design may use one hue but can still contain light, middle, and dark values. Strong value contrast makes the main message separate from its background and establishes visual hierarchy, so the eye notices it first. Option A is therefore correct. Equal values reduce separation, very small letters hurt readability, and identical stroke weight alone does not guarantee emphasis.

Correct answer: B. By giving one element stronger contrast and controlling the intensity of the other

Explanation: The governing design concept is visual hierarchy: viewers should immediately recognise which element has priority. If the image and title are equally bright, they compete for attention. Option B is correct because stronger contrast can emphasise the intended focal element while reduced intensity lets the supporting element recede. Making both brighter or equal in size preserves competition, and a white background may reduce contrast rather than clarify it.

Correct answer: C. Practising equal brush load, pressure, and vertical lifting

Explanation: A painted dot is mainly controlled by the amount of paint loaded on the brush, the pressure applied while touching the surface, and the speed and direction of lifting. Repeating these actions with a consistent brush load develops control, so C is correct. A different brush increases variation, extra water may make the dot run, and folding paper cannot solve the brush-control problem.

Correct answer: A. Check overall balance, hierarchy, and message clarity

Explanation: Distance viewing or a small reflection reduces attention to tiny details and reveals the poster’s overall visual impact. It helps the artist judge whether the main message is noticeable, the colour masses are balanced, the hierarchy is clear, and distracting patches or weak areas need correction. A is correct; drying paint, cleaning a brush, and changing paper size are physical actions unrelated to this final visual review.

Correct answer: A. The title and background having nearly the same value

Explanation: The governing design concept is value contrast, meaning the difference between lightness and darkness. A colour may be bright or highly saturated yet still merge with a background if both have nearly the same value. Therefore option A best explains the weak separation. Centring affects placement, opacity affects coverage, and straight lettering affects form, but none of these alone determines whether the title stands out. Increasing light-dark contrast or changing the background can improve readability.

Correct answer: A. Add a very small amount of green

Explanation: The governing concept is controlled complementary mixing. Green is complementary to red, so a very small amount can reduce the red’s saturation and move it toward neutrality. The amount must be added gradually because equal or excessive green can overpower the red and produce a muddy brown or dull mixture. Black lowers value rather than selectively neutralising the hue, while white creates a lighter tint and does not properly cancel the red intensity. Thus A is the best controlled correction.