Won’t find the following terms in a dictionary but that doesn’t matter. What matters is how I’ve coined and defined them and how they will become meaningful -and hopefully useful- to you. 

Color•ography – My color approach goes beyond choosing pretty paint colors. Colorography™ is about dissecting color characteristics, deconstructing palettes and using color to create supportive envronments and customized atmospheres.

Auto•color•ography – similar to autobiography. But autocolorography™ is *funner* because of color. It’s about what you need and how to write your own autocolorography.

Geo•color•ography – similar to geography. Geocolorography™ is the art of partnering the perfect pitch of paint color nuance with inherent quality of natural sunlight.

 A new Color Budz coming soon.

Have a lovely Guest Post for you today from Arcadian Lighting.

The colors we use in our interior spaces can energize, calm or renew us. Painting your room in red will create a very different mood or feeling than painting the same space in blue. Careful consideration should be given to colors used in our homes when trying to achieve a certain feeling. Color can change the energy to suit the room’s purpose.

We’ve selected interior colors to both energize and renew based on the principles of Feng Shui. While you may not be familiar with the elements associated with the colors on the color wheel, you can easily see that warm, bright colors energize; while cool, soft colors renew our energy. Also give special attention to lighting fixtures as they can play a part in the mood of a room.

Fire Element

The Fire Element colors support passion and high energy. These include reds, oranges, pinks, purples and bright yellows.

Design Shuffle (via)

Red accents in the throw, accent chair, and pillow give energy to the space. The orange pendant lights on each side complements the overall design of the bedroom.

Ken Lauher (via)

This all pink bedroom is humming with energy but not in a jarring way. The soft glow from the table lamps also give an energizing glow.

Design 2 Share (via)

Yellow walls give this home office a burst of energy needed to focus on business.

Water Element

Water Element colors include a spectrum of blues and black that support fresh energy, tranquility and calming energy to renew.

Harmony Interiors (via)

This soft sea blue on the walls is quite calming, while the earth tones (Wood Elements) ground the space. The wall sconces next to the bed adds a soft glow to the relaxing and peaceful space.

Elle Decor (via)

Love the soothing color combination of blues, green, purple and brown. Wood Element colors include browns and greens that nourish but also provide energy for vitality and growth.

DecorPad (via)

The soft lichen green of the walls is a soothing, calm color.

Shelley Rodner (via)

Even when a room is decorated in busy patterns, soft blues paired with white and tan create a soothing environment.

Design Editor (via)

Clearly this is an energetic space with a lot of different colors – pinks, red, yellow and green. It would feel very different if the colors were swapped for darker hues of browns and greens. The colors definitely mesh well together and made the space looks fun without being too whimsical.

Content provided by Arcadian Lighting, a site that specializes in top quality light fixtures at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

It’s been a couple week since we finished applying a fresh coat of roof sealant.  Prior coating was a medium gray.  New one, as you can see, is a bright white.

We’re speculating we will recoup the cost of the project by the end of the summer due to using less electricity to cool the house.  We noticed a difference immediately and can’t wait to see how it affects utility bills.

This is a good example of how LRV, Light Reflectance Value, plays a part in the energy savings equation.  In very basic, stripped down terms lighter colors reflect more energy from the sun than darker colors.  The original roof sealant was a medium gray with an estimated LRV of 40-45.  The new, bright white coating has a LRV of 90.   Here’s a LRV scale for reference:

We’re using Black Jack Ultra from Gardners and they claim it ”helps save $ by lowering cooling costs up to 30%”.  Whether the actual product does anything to lower cooling costs, I dunno.  But I do believe the lighter color is a definite improvement.

Although there is more to the story of heat and energy accume than LRV, this oldie but goodie article of mine explains the LRV part – http://www.colorbudz.com/2010/07/lrv-light-reflectance-value-of-paint-colors/

Here is a quick video to show you how to login to the IACC-NA website and access your profile. A basic profile has been created for every current member. Your Username is your first initial and last name. Here’s mine for an example: LSawaya.

If after the video you have any questions, just let me know.

This is what we’re doing this weekend.  It’s hot up on the roof.  Thankfully, we have a few clouds here and there which helps.  Normally do not have a single cloud in the sky.  Got lucky this weekend.

Here’s Jake rolling on the first coat of roof sealant.  We’re using Black Jack Ultra from Gardners.  Link to product:  http://www.gardner-gibson.com/linedetails.aspx?id=87

We have a mix of tile and flat roof on our house.  So, about 3,000 square feet of flat roof to roll.  Looks like it’s going to take ten 5 gallon buckets to complete two coats.  Here’s my hubby rolling up the sides of our roof line which are about 2 feet tall.

Some spots are really hard to get to – good thing we have a little guy to send in as our “special forces paint team”.  Considering my profession, you bet both my boys know how to sling a brush!  The round thing there on the right is a turret.

Here you can see the turret better as well as our special forces team paint leader getting in there to apply the second coat.  Clouds are clearing a bit.  That’s the Franklin Mountain Range in the background.

Front view of the house – this was Christmastime.  Obviously.

Here’s what the first coat looks like.

Empty buckets are starting to accumulate all over the yard.

Kind of funny.  The empty caulk container graveyard.

The backyard is a mess – showing signs of a major project underway!

The house is a ranch, one-story.  Sure does make things easier.

The dog is grateful he does not have opposable thumbs and is unable to hold a paint brush.  He is, however, quite adept at swimming.  So, that’s where he’s headed.

Started the project patching cracks and leveling out low areas.  In the background you can see some of the backyard and view.  Mountain range on the far left is in Juarez, Mexico.  On the right is the valley of El Paso, Texas and New Mexico is in the distance.

This is  the view from the front of the house – Franklin Mountains in El Paso.

More from the front and the empty lot across the street from us.  We think it’s sold and I’m expecting construction on a new house to start soon.

Have a few more 5’s to go.  It will be great to get this project wrapped up and checked off the to-do list!  Next big project is painting the exterior.  Planning to do that this fall.  I have some time to think about the color scheme.

How did you spend your 4th of July weekend?

Yes?  Then you are among an estimated 2% of the population.  If you aren’t sure, here’s a test that supposedly helps determine if you have the condition or not.

Synesthesia is described as a mixing of the senses or as seeing colors where they otherwise would not be.

Click To Go To Test

I’ve included some pictures and links to go along with the podcast. It goes a little longer than is typical for us – 40 minutes.  We had a lot to talk about.

Enjoy!

Disney's Fantasia

Black and Purple Petunias by Georgia Okeeffe

Piet Mondrian 1872 – 1944
Period/Movement:  De Stijl Movement

Set Design for DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN by David Hockney

Kilford The Music Painter

Juicy, tropical brand identity for Hang 5

Click To Go To Liz Brown's Colorific Blog

Update 4/21/2011

Color Bud Debra Disman emailed links to her blog posts about synesthesia.  I wanted to tag the links on to the end of this post (even tho it’s not mentioned in the podcast) because it has some fab additional info.  Thanks, Debra.  Here are the links to more info about synesthesia on her blog, Artissima:

Artissima on Synesthesia Part 1

Artissima on Synesthesia Part 2

Stumbled on this blog post today over at Productive Flourishing

LOVED this message

Normally I’d just Tweet the link or FaceBook Share

Wish I wrote it

I didn’t

Ali Luke did

I read it and I think you should too

So I’m sharing Ali’s blog post (and the picture) via a blog post on my blog

This may be poor blog etiquette

Not sure I care

Worth the risk ‘cuz Ali’s post is good

LOVED this part in particular:

But what counts after that is what you do with your experience. Can you apply what you’ve learned to new situations, in a rapidly changing world? Will you be able to find the perfect solution for this client – rather than doling out a piece of generic advice?

Can you?

]]> http://www.colorbudz.com/2011/03/expertise-trumps-experience/feed/ 5 http://www.colorbudz.com/2011/03/surroundingsmagazine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=surroundingsmagazine http://www.colorbudz.com/2011/03/surroundingsmagazine/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:37:17 +0000 Lori Sawaya http://www.colorbudz.com/?p=3285 How cool is it that Linda included a link to Color Budz in the latest issue!? Linda and the SRT (Skirted Roundtable) were totally the singular inspiration for our podcasts on color. Pioneers. Trendsetters. Mentors. Trailblazers.]]>

How cool is it that Linda included a link to Color Budz in the latest issue!  The link is on page ten.

Linda and the SRT (Skirted Roundtable) were totally the singular inspiration for our podcasts on color.  Pioneers.  Trendsetters.  Mentors.  Trailblazers.

I continue to follow their podcasts and am amazed at not only how their podcasts have evolved and become more substantive, but also how each of them, Megan from Beach Bungalow 8, Linda from ::Surroundings:: and Joni from Cote de Texas have grown too.

Multi-talented, seasoned professionals – add that to the list too.

The tribe here at Color Budz is going to LOVE the latest issue.  Seriously, you all know I’m picky about the quality of color information.  Linda did a fabulous job compiling links and info from various corners of color, design and paint worlds.

Be sure to subscribe to Linda’s online magazine – you won’t want to miss a single issue.

Lost power –again– last night at 2:30 am. Was off for an hour. Have to go around and reset everything.

Think I’ve mentioned before that I live on a mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert. It’s not like I live in the middle of nowhere, but kinda do.  Pointing out where El Paso, Texas is located couldn’t be easier – it’s the farthest west corner of Texas.  Mexico and New Mexico are minutes away.

Franklin Mountain Trails in the Desert

The Franklin Mountain State Park is literally across the street – this is what it looks like.  We have lots of bike enthusiasts park in our neighborhood so they can hop on one of the trails.

Mexican Poppies Bloom in March

El Paso is basically divided by the mountains – east and west sides.  “My” side of the mountain, the west side,  is the newer part of the city.  We lose electricity and cable service on a regular basis. The wind can be fierce and that’ll do it. And I think new construction is the culprit sometimes too. Odd how you get used to being completely cut off.  We know we’ll get plugged back in eventually.  In these parts, the emphasis is on eventually. Odd how you get used to the complacency as well.  Guess it’s because won’t do you any good to get upset anyway.  You cannot push hurry on folks in El Paso.

McDonald Observatory in El Paso, Texas

All things considered, the desert and the mountain have taught me what pitch black really means.  I’m convinced we have more stars and the moon shines brighter than anywhere.  I wasn’t all that shocked to learn El Paso is often recognized as one of the best stargazing spots in the world.

When it goes pitch black around here, it’s amazing.  Totally mesmerizing.  Like watching snow fall or raindrops drop.  Maybe that’s why no one really gets too bent out of shape when the lights go out?

Q.   “Hi Lori, you seem to know a lot of other color consultants.  There are two designers in my immediate area who offer color consulting services and I have talked with both of them.  How do I choose which one to hire?”

Email went on to say she got the impression one designer was more “casual” and said “it was just paint” numerous times and kept insisting “there’s no reason to be afraid of paint.”

The other designer seemed more “structured” and wanted to schedule two appointments right away – one initial consultation and then a follow up to discuss specific fabric and color samples.

It’s handy when a designer/consultant/decorator says, “it’s just paint” because then you know they’re absolutely clueless when it comes to all things paint and color.  Truly simplifies the decision making process.

Because it’s not just paint and repainting is not easy.  An experienced color consultant knows better – knows people do not have time, money, or energy to waste and immediate repaints are not only inconvenient but also exhausting.  “It’s just paint” is just the wrong thing to say, the wrong attitude, the wrong everything.

A.  Don’t hire the one who said “it’s just paint”.

The Impact of Color brochure contains highlights about the IACC-NA organization and its core philosophies regarding color and the built environment.

It’s a short and colorful overview – enjoy!

Yellow does not make babies cry.  Fellow Color Consultant, Beth Burns, tracked down this article quoting Carlton Wagner, Color Psychologist.  It’s evidence that this myth is based on Mr. Wagner’s personal opinion of the color rather than actual fact or scientific studies.

Source

He also said the brand Giorgio perfume was making a huge mistake by choosing yellow for its packaging.  I don’t know about you, but this yellow and white striped box is an ‘80’s icon for me.  I personally owned several bottles of the stuff and never considered “declassifying” or “inexpensive” when purchasing.

Yellow is a messenger that gets your attention.  Here’s an example of classic OSHA standards caution tape.

More Info:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements are often non-specific with regard to size, color and wording of markings. To provide uniformity among organizations and industry, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has designed color schemes and sizes for marking hazards. (See EZ Facts Document No. 201.) The color code identifies the type of hazard, which helps the employee identify the level of severity. It is meant to reduce the possibility of injuries. OSHA outlines the color code for marking physical hazards in 29 CFR 1910.144. In areas where OSHA does not cite specific requirements, the ANSI standard is followed. The following chart represents the color codes of both ANSI (Z535.1-1998) and OSHA.

Does the yellow box make Cheerios more cheery?

Rachel and I both recommend this book if you’re interested in one author’s adventure tracing color across the world.

Monticello™ Yellow by Ralph Lauren.

Using light-reflecting pigments to recreate the luster of the original paint, Ralph Lauren’s newest shade lends depth and an inviting warmth to any décor.

More about yellow.  Click on picture to read Rachel’s prior blog post about yellow when she was a guest blogger on Decor8.

School bus yellow is a color which was especially formulated for use on school buses in North America in 1939. In April of that year, Dr. Frank W. Cyr, a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York organized a conference that established national school-bus construction standards for the U.S., including the standard color of yellow. The color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as National School Bus Glossy Yellow and was originally called National School Bus Chrome. The pigment used for this color was, for a long time, the lead-containing chrome yellow. The color was adopted by the National Bureau of Standards (Now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) as Federal Standard No. 595a, Color 13432.  Source

Click on picture to read a recent and comprehensive article about the story behind yellow fire trucks.  On the podcast we agree that fire trucks are simply supposed to be red.  Period.  And this quote sums up exactly why we feel that way:

What’s most important is the ability for drivers to recognize a vehicle for what it is rather than its colour, says report.

We set up a special email in addition to the “Leave a Comment” feature located below. If you send us a question, we will answer it in a podcast! So, what are you waiting for? Email us: chat@colorpodz.com

©2010 Color Strategies, LLC

UPDATE:  2012 Pantone Color of the year is Tangerine Tango.  Click to see new infographic of all Colors of the year 2000 – 2012

Thought you might like to see Pantone’s “Color of the Year” 2000 – 2011 all in one place.  It was fun putting them all together and it’s definitely a colorful final image.

Looking at all of these colors together is a bit like flipping through a photo album.  Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when Chili Pepper was named Color of the Year? (ok, maybe that’s a bit much)   But — color is definitely part of our memories and color associations form and can often stay with us forever.  What about you, does this chronological list of colors bring back a memory or two?

Enjoy!

In a previous post I said our next podcast about the color yellow would be up bright and early on Monday.  I wanted to post this first – podcast is on the way tho I promise.

Never done back to back posts but this is interesting and want to know what you think.  So this is Pantone’s Honeysuckle – loosely, unscientifically, total screen grab RGB values of 229 98 132 per Photoshop.

This is Ben Moore’s 1328 Deco Rose – which is said to be a close match to the original Baker Miller Pink or “Prison Pink”.  Again, loosely, unscientifically RGB value 221 102 121

And here’s the swatch of Deco Rose on top of the Honeysuckle screen grab.

This is as unscientific and meaningless as last post’s poll, by the way.  But curious none the less.

I did.

I picked navy blue because that’s the one that spoke to me.

1. www.cottagechicstore.com 2. www.cottagechicstore.com 3. Johnathan Adler Greek Key Pillow 4. Nate Burkus for HSN 5. Room & Board

I’m anticipating navy blue coming in handy to switch-up existing home décor color palettes.  Plus, I just plain like it.  However, my list of favorite colors does not influence how I design with color any more than trends.  I may like blue but I don’t expect my clients to think it’s all that and a bag of chips.

It’s not appropriate to impose my color preferences on clients – that’s not how color consulting works. —me

And that brings me to sharing what I do if a client says they want to use a new trend color.  We simply make it happen.  If that’s what they want, then that’s what they want.  I checked the “neutral” box on the poll.

What’s key, however, is I make sure it really is what they want and that it’s a good fit for the project.  As long as we determine the trend color will meet design goals as well as expectations and personal tolerances, then it really doesn’t matter if the color was named color of the year, the month, the day, the minute, or nanosecond.

If it works, it works.

P.S.  Regarding the latest addition to the color trend roster, Honeysuckle, has anyone else noticed it looks remarkably like Baker Miller Pink a.k.a. “Prison Pink”?  Rumor has it that the original Baker Miller Pink is very similar to Ben Moore’s #1328 Deco Rose.  This quote is interesting:

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman.

And get the adrenaline going?  Really?  Hmmmm.  Can’t wait for some of my color budz to get a hold of that one.

If you’re talking the influence and effects of color, I thought pink was suppose to be calming which is what the whole theory of prison pink is based upon.  So, is it captivating and stimulating or calming?  Or, do we get to change-up  the physiopsychological aspects of color whenever it suits a trend?

No, you are not lost.  This is Color Budz blog and, yes, this is Lori/funcolors talking about a color trend.

I struggled writing these first few paragraphs.  Wanted to ease into talking about a color trend gracefully.  Really thought about how I could spin it so my writing about trends in any context other than “I don’t do trends” did not look out of the ordinary.  But who am I trying to kid?  You and I both know the only reason I’m posting about a color trend is because it appears as if I may have been right — right about navy blue.  My reasoning for navy’s resurgence might not be typical, but here we are anyway.

It was in this Colour Expert Interview for Colour Me Happy that I mentioned navy blue as a classic, timeless color.

Talked about it again on the Color Budz podcast about the color green that posted on May 25, 2010.  Here’s what I said:

I think navy blue will probably be very popular very soon as the thread that strings together all of the greens of the last several years.

Navy blue is classic.  It’s the obvious thread in my opinion because of that range of greens we we’re talking about.  What’s the common denominator that’s going to make all of that (the mix of greens) work?  Because I’m always thinking about the colors that people have in their house NOW that we can’t totally trash and start over and what’s the one color that’s going to be the solution for me. . .  and all of the greens with the turquoise of late. . . yeah, it’s navy blue. . .

Link to the whole podcast: The Color Green Podcast.  It’s at about the 1:25 mark, at the end, where we start discussing navy blue.

Fast forward six months and navy blue is named “Color of the Month” for December 2010 according HGTV’s blog “Design Happens”.  December’s “Color of the Month” differs from the others because their editors first noticed the comeback of navy blue at Barclay Butera‘s booth at High Point (see quotes below):

After booths of colorless greige and gray-washed teak, we came to a screeching halt in front of a massive Chesterfield. (this is a different Chesterfield)

“Great googly-moogly,” said one of our decorating editors. “Is that NAVY?”

Why yes; yes, it was. Since then, we’ve been waiting for it to rise out of the showrooms and into stores and lo, this month, it appeared en masse.

Pictured above is Ralph Lauren’s paint color called “Club Navy”.  Other navy blue paint colors that hit the mark are from Pittsburgh Paints Accent Colors, “Dragon Fly” or “Admiral Blue”,  From  Ellen Kennon a deep navy called “Dean’s Dream” – it’s the chip in the middle of pic below:

I’m glad to see navy blue in the limelight – and I’ll admit that trends are kind of fun.  But no matter what, navy blue will still be my call as THE true blue classic color.

What color do you feel is classic and timeless?

Red is exciting, orange is energetic, yellow is happy, green is peaceful, blue is calming, purple is mysterious – so there ya have it.  We have colors with a side of words.  One order of color psychology fast and easy.  Just like lunch from a drive-thru.

Many online resources (color drive-thrus if you will) handily provide lists of words to go with colors and colors to go with words.  And there are just as many color scheming sites you can use to fill in squares and rectangles with color to build your own creative palettes.

All fun, all great.  But. . .

What are you supposed to *DO* with it; the words, the colors.  Where are they suppose to go and what do they do when they get there – alone or in combinations?

Information about color psychology isn’t hard to come by, it’s what to do with it and how to effectively apply it that’s challenging.

Like I said in this post, when you’re a designer there comes a point where what you do becomes reflex.  Choosing the right colors for the brand Hang 5 just happened. I knew what I wanted.  Didn’t think twice.

Although I am confident with the final palette, it’s still nice to see my fellow color budz comment using the same adjectives I reached for when making color decisions for Hang 5’s brand.  (who wants to meet up for Mojitos with me and Liz Brown?)

So, how did my color budz and I get to the point where the right words and associations to go with those particular colors fell effortlessly out of our heads?  I’d say it’s a mix of common sense, natural color instinct, and a lot of experience working with color across many disciplines.

If you aren’t super experienced with color or confident in your ability to apply color psychology, there’s a fabulous resource you should know about:  “Color Image Scale” by Shigenobu Kobayashi.  He is regarded as Japan’s leading color psychologist.

SHIGENOBU KOBAYASHI graduated from Hiroshima College of Technology and received his master’s degree from Waseda University for his work in the field of color psychology. In 1966, he founded the Nippon Color & Design Research Institute (NCD) and has since become a leader in the field of color psychology. Kobayashi is the author of over 30 books on color in the Japanese language, with total sales in excess of 400,000 copies.  Kobayashi is also an active participant of the International Color Association (AIC) and a lecturer at the graduate school of the Musashi Institute of Technology.

The author is Japanese and one might think – due to cultural differences – there would be conflicts when it comes to interpreting color meanings and symbolism for use in the U.S.  I’d have to say there are no major conflicts.  In fact, this book illustrates just how universally the language of color can apply.

The book is bursting with colors, easy-to-read charts, and useful diagrams.

RGB values or HEX codes, etc. are not included.  The colors printed are for general reference only but they are more than sufficient quality to make this book a great color tool.

Copies available as of today are pricey – about $77.  This is not a casual-use type reference book.  However, it’s worth every penny if you decide it’s a good fit for you.

I’ve gotten lots of emails about undertone, overtone, masstone.  I’ve answered similar questions on the forums.  This one is good to start off the discussion of undertones here on Color Budz.

Q.  Can you look at the paint color formula before you have a custom paint color mixed and somehow know what the undertone will be?

A.  No. Parts is parts. Colorants combined to make a paint color mean nothing individually.  The factor of the can of base paint and its characteristics complicates things further making the idea of reading some kind of undertone code in the formula even more far-fetched.

It’s like a new recipe. Experienced cooks can make a dish that is new to them and have a darn good idea what it’s going to taste like. Their experience has built a knowledge base that allows them to predict what will happen when they combine ingredients. But, can they truly know what it tastes like until the dish is completed and they can take a bite? No. They can only make their best guess about how it’s going to come out.

Repetitively working with the same ingredients — or in this case colorants and paint bases — builds experience. It is experience mixing colors using familiar components that accounts for a limited ability to predict what will happen when you mix colorants. Even with a solid grasp of basic color theory and experience mixing colors, you don’t know for sure what you’re going to get — masstone or undertone — until you mix the new color, let it dry, and look at it.

Even then, I would caution about putting too much emphasis or focus on a paint color’s inherent undertone because it can be an exercise in futility when you consider the bigger picture.  The undertone you think you see inherent to the paint chip or dried sample in the store probably isn’t going to hold true or mean anything once you get it home.

When it comes to architectural color specifically, there are two kinds of undertones, in situ and inherent.  You can waste a lot of time hyper-focusing on a paint sample’s perceived inherent undertone because once in situ – in actual context of the space – the color game changes.   It changes for many reasons like artificial and natural light sources and the affects that happen when the new color is juxtaposed to existing contents in the space.

Undertone means an “underlying quality or element.” What I see happening a lot these days is we aren’t really speaking to paint color undertones.  Often what is referenced as undertone is a significant aspect of the actual color or masstone. Perhaps seeing or understanding undertones isn’t the problem – and you certainly shouldn’t worry about it at the formula stage.  Rather, I would argue that the real issue is seeing and understanding color three-dimensionally and wholistically.  Arguably, more technically correct.

Color is life; for a world without color appears to us as dead. Colors are primordial ideas, the children of light. —Johannes Itten

Johannes Itten {Swiss Designer, 1888-1967}

Pronunciation Johannes Itten

Through the exploration of color relationships, Itten was one of the first people to organize contrasts and identify them as harmonious color strategies.  Itten’s Seven Color Contrasts:

1. Contrast of Saturation
2. Contrast of Light and Dark (value)
3. Contrast of Extension
4. Contrast of Complements
5. Simultaneous Contrast
6. Contrast of Hue
7. Contrast of Warm and Cool

Itten’s Color Star representing 7 Light Stages and 12 Tones, 1921

Each hue is tinted in two steps toward white and shaded two steps toward black.

Itten’s Color Star from a sphere perspective

Itten Farbkreis {Color Circle} 1961

The concept of color harmony by the color wheel is an objective conclusion arrived at by intellectual activity.  The response to color, on the other hand, is emotional; thus there is no guarantee that what is produced in a purely intellectual manner will be pleasing to the emotions.  Man responds to form with his intellect and to color with his emotions; he can be said to survive by form and to live by color. —Deborah T. Sharpe

Kelly’s “favorite” Itten contrast – Simultaneous Contrast.  Both squares of gray are identical.  If the surrounding color is lighter {the yellow}, the gray square appears darker. If the surrounding color is darker {the blue}, the gray square appears lighter.

Itten assigned colors to basic shapes.  Echoes of synesthesia?

Transverse Line, 1923 by

Artist and proclaimed synesthete Wassily Kandinsky {1866-1944}

We set up a special email in addition to the “Leave a Comment” feature located below. If you send us a question, we will answer it in a podcast! So, what are you waiting for? Email us: chat@colorpodz.com

©2010 Color Strategies, LLC

I mentioned  in this post that I depend on color theory the way my seventh grade art teacher taught me to use it — as guidance and inspiration.  In this podcast we discuss the origins of Color Theory and ask the question, “Why do we feel such a need to order and understand color?”

Aron Sigfrid Forsius.  Forsius’ oldest color system and translation.  Date ref. 1611:

Isaac Newton.  Newton’s “Hue Circle” , the first color wheel, and Dorian Scale from “Opticks”.  Date ref. 1704:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronunciation). Goethe’s Color Wheel.  Date ref. 1810:

Albert Munsell and Munsell’s Color Tree.  Date ref. 1915:

Natural Color System.  Click on diagram for a full explanation of the NCS:

NCS Color System Explained

Color Mixing Color Wheel:

Interior Designer’s Color Wheel:

We set up a special email in addition to the “Leave a Comment” feature located below. If you send us a question, we will answer it in a podcast! So, what are you waiting for? Email us: chat@colorpodz.com

©2010 Color Strategies, LLC

This my latest project.  The blue sky has not been Photoshopped – that’s what it looks like just about every day here in El Paso.  It is glorious!

Built in 1936, this exterior strikes me as leaning to the more modern extreme on the Art Deco design spectrum.  The front door is actually around the corner to the left of the big picture window.  Here’s the original shot.

Art Deco came on the heels of the curvilinear and nature-inspired Art Nouveau design era.  Art Deco has a poignant attitude and that attitude is communicated through sharp corners and pattern. Shapes like chevrons, precise and sometimes intricate patterns created from a variety of angles.  It’s a refined juxtaposition of organically inspired embellishment and the well-edited. It’s a balance and sophistication that often stands in stark contrast to other design styles. This is the photo prepped and ready for virtual color.  Gates are now black.

Colors classically associated with this period in design are mostly deep and saturated with a few lighter, muted and pastel colors in the mix. Short list of examples:  Loden Green, Dark Reds, Light blue, Salmon, Apricot, Aubergine, Lilac, Golden Yellow to Yellow-Orange.

Black also played an extremely important role in defining the look of Art Deco. Could go so far to say it was the age of the outline. Could also argue that the use of black is where Art Deco gets its air of sophistication, glamour with restrained luxury. Metallics were significant as well. An interesting mix of chrome, brushed nickel, dulled brass, and shiny brass are all period appropriate.

In an effort to find the right balance between the new landscaping and the expanse of main body color, I painted several virtual colors. Color names aren’t relevant because color varies so much from monitor to monitor.  Click on pictures to enlarge view.

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Color not consistent on darker colors due to rendering effect to help define detail.

The end!

The chart is an analysis of which tools are your best bet.  It’s from a great article, The CMO’s Guide To The Social Media Landscape, at CMO.com.

Click to read The Social Landscape Chart

Once you’re set up, it’s a matter of dedicating 15 to 30 minutes max per day.  You may find you enjoy it!  It doesn’t feel like work to me because I love the interaction.  So much so that I have to be careful not to spend too much time chattin’ around the www!

Been meaning to upload some images on flickr too.  Jason, from Gateway to Business Development, sparked that idea with this blog post, Promoting Your Business Through Image Sharing Sites.

Do you have any ideas about how to get the most out of social media?

My "funcolors" avatar & gravatar

Took me a while to start a blog.  My heart just wasn’t in it.  Forums are funner because I don’t have to worry about any of the messy admin, maintenance type crap.  For more than six years, all I have had to do is pop in when I want, answer questions or comment on what I want, and leave.  Major flaw though.  Forums keep their own data and I don’t have access to it.

So while I’ve provided a ridiculous amount of quality content about paint, color, and design to online communities in the form of more than 20,000 posts, I don’t have much data for it.

There in lies yet another good reason for starting Color Budz, right?  Put it all here, it gotts my name on it and I can snag stats whenever I want.

Stats and quantifying your presence are important things to think about if you’re just now breaking into using social media to build a network.  Twitter is an easy place to start.  I mean, shewt, you can’t get in to too much trouble with that 140 character limit.  I say practice on Twitter first.

Then FaceBook.  You can “friend” me whenever your’re ready, funcolors on FaceBook.

Friend me on FaceBook

If you’re serious about being a paint and color professional, your LinkedIn profile should already be in place and bursting with info about you and what you do.  Send me a LinkedIn Invite and I’ll accept. My LinkedIn Profile: Lori Sawaya

Here’s a screen grab from my funcolors Klout account.  It’s scary accurate.  Their assessment of  “funcolors” reads like mission statements I’ve written over the years.  So, to recap.  Start with Twitter and register with www.klout.com so you can track and measure effectiveness.

@Klout scores can help you tweak your Twittering when and if you think it’s necessary.  If you’ve already jumped into social media, what do YOU think about it?

While many in the color and design social spheres are focusing on the new Nate Berkus show, I’m all a twitter about Seth Godin’s two most recent blog posts; one of which is a new book recommendation.

The Nate show (while I’m sure is cute and entertaining because he is cute and entertaining) doesn’t have huge potential to give you a return on your investment of time and attention. Like, exactly what do you think watching Nate’s show will *do* for you? Frankly, I’m confused by blogosphere’s fuss over Nate but much of what is popular in blogosphere confuses me. . . so, go figure.  For instance, I think blog posts that are a snidge longer than 300 words and pictureless are appropriate. (gasp!)

Back to Nate’s show.  Comparatively, the book Seth is recommending is called, The Mesh by Lisa Gansky.   He goes on to say the book “outlines how sharing resources and information creates an entirely new class of commerce”.

I’ll wrap up with a cut-n-paste of that other blog post from Mr. Godin I was talking about. If his blog isn’t among your favorites, I’d like to suggest you add it to the list.

“I need you to see things my way”

And that’s the frustration of the marketer or the artist who hasn’t figured out how to navigate critics and the marketplace.

If you need the validation and acceptance and patronage of everyone you meet, you’ll get stuck, and soon. Everyone isn’t going to get it. Everyone isn’t even going to get you, never mind what you sell.

Experienced marketers and artists and those that make change understand that the new is not for everyone. In fact, it’s not even for most people. Pass them by. They can catch up later.

It’s not a referendum, and you don’t need a unanimous vote of acclamation. No, you merely need enough to stay in business, to keep moving, to make a dent. And then your idea can spread.

If the kids in the back of the bus/audience/store don’t get it (or don’t get you) it’s their loss. Focus on those that want to celebrate the work you do instead.

You are now privy to a pre-podcast discussion.  As we were discussing what we wanted to cover in the upcoming podcast on Color Theory, this subject came up:  Why is the objective to make color easy?

What are the ramifications of consistently making that THE goal when it comes to most all things color?  Is there a price to pay or no?  How dumbed-down can you go until all practicality and applicability is lost?  How *academic* can we reach without driving ourselves and fellow Color Budz crazy?  All good points to ponder.  You heard a snippet of what we had to say.  So, what about you?  What do YOU think?

Links of possible interest:

Kelly’s info on Emily Post

Louis Cheskin – ColorPodz 13

This link is choc-full of awesome opinion on Color Theory

So, yeah, they ARE trying to sell you ink and stuff. However, I think Professor Cobalt is super clever and cute. Usually any kind of “cute” spin to color concepts makes me cringe but I like this. It’s well done. Most important is the information shared is accurate. I would agree that color can improve your brand recognition by up to 80%. Factually proven by factual facts, dontcha know.