Designing for Life

COLOR

First in a series of design classes
by Terry August

The first aspect of design I want to cover is color. This is one of my personal favorite elements of design.

Color Basics
Color impacts our lives in so many ways. It is everywhere, isn't it? We wear it, sit on it, drive it, eat it and, well... I think I've made my point. Even if you live in a grey world, grey is still a color! First, let's go over some very basic definitions. You may be familiar with these, but there may be distinctions you aren't aware of.

Hue: A color family such as red, green, blue, yellow, orange, or violet. The hue is the pure form of this as found on the color wheel. Color and hue are often used interchangeably but, to colorists, hue is like the head of the color family.

Color: Member of a color family such as red or maroon

Tint: A color with white added. Pink is a tint of red

Shade: A color with black added. Navy is a shade of blue

Tones: White and black are added. Our favorite colors are probably tones such as mauve, apricot, plum. You might add some white and black to pink to get mauve. Tones tend to have more complexity and are more subdued.

Color Wheel: I'm sure most of you have seen a color wheel before. If not, you can purchase one in any art store or online. The Color Wheel Company at www.colorwheelco.com has some excellent ones. The colors on the wheel are broken down into three categories:

Primary Colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow. these are the three basic colors from which all other colors are created.

Secondary Colors: These are created by blending 2 primary colors together. When you do this you get Green, Violet, and Orange.

Tertiary Colors: These are the result of blending a primary color with either of the two secondary colors near it on the color wheel; Blue Green, Blue Violet, Yellow Green, Yellow Orange, Red Orange and Red Violet.

Schemes
Now that you're familiar with the basic terms, let's discuss three color schemes. These three schemes are very common, and I urge you to look for examples in the coming weeks. Note what you like and what you find jarring. Color theory is all well and good, but no matter what any designer tells you, it comes down to what makes you happy. What do you like? The more you know, the more you observe, and thus the more you can define what you like. I used to hate burgundy and peach or orange together. Now I love to mix orange roses with burgundy dahlias. It's all a matter of how you use color.

Monochromatic: This scheme uses a single hue. For example, burgundy, pink and rose are variations of red. I recommend monochromatics to new designers, especially those working with flowers. It is much easier to balance a monochromatic arrangement, especially if you use all one color without varying the tones too much. Another tip for novice flower arrangers is to stick with one type of flower. A large vase full of vibrant gladiola makes an easy and striking arrangement. Here's a fancy word for you: In the floral trade they often call these type of arrangements "monobotanicals". Throw that one around at your next party; you will sound so professional.

Complementary: Colors that are across from each other on a the color wheel. They are said to complement each other because they bring out the intensity in each other. These complements are Red and Green, Blue and Orange, Purple and Yellow. These seem bright, don't they? You don't have to use the full strength of the color, so don't limit yourself to Christmas Red and Green in a complementary color scheme. You can use maroon with hunter green. Purple and Yellow are less Easter-looking (and less like the Laker team colors) when they become aubergine and gold.
Think of some complementary color schemes you've seen and keep your eyes open for more, they are everywhere. Navy and russet anyone?

Analogous: These are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They are neighbors and get along well with each other. One combination might include blue green, blue, and blue violet. You can fudge it by using the secondary colors of just green, blue and violet. By all means tone these down, tint them up, mix things around. This is supposed to be fun. Go for red, red orange, and orange when you are feeling particularly bright - or need a bit of warmth. Try rust with some tangerine and a bit of butterscotch yellow. The possibilities are endless.

Now go play. Don't sweat all the definitions and schemes. These are just guidelines to get you thinking about color and perhaps get you out of a color rut. Look at colors, combine colors in your wardrobe, watch movies and T.V., see what the sets look like, notice the use of color - or lack of it - in public buildings. Go out into this vibrant world and have some fun.