Week 35
The Geography of color
Color is a fundamental component of any design, intertwining and embracing other elements to shape our experience of a space. But selecting the right hue goes far beyond simply picking a swatch. A wide range of artistry is involved, with architecture, spaces, surfaces, objects, and light all influencing the outcome. For instance, rough surfaces absorb surrounding color, while glossy ones reflect more light. The flatter a wall paint is, the more it will take on the qualities of the surrounding colors.
The unique geographic location plays a significant role in how colors appear. Colors that work well in the crisp light of New York may feel out of place under the bright California sun. Similarly, a shade perfect for the countryside might behave differently in the city. The closer to the equator, the more vibrant the use of colors often becomes, a phenomenon clearly exemplified in fabrics. Even within the same country, like France, the colors effective in the north can differ markedly from those in the south, as seen in traditional roof tiles and stucco. Historically, the palettes of Flemish artists contrast sharply with those of Italian masters from the same period, underscoring how every locale possesses unique light qualities and, therefore, a unique relationship with color. The Italian artist Giorgio Morandi masterfully captured this in his still-life paintings of vases and bottles, which perfectly emanate the Mediterranean colors and light of his hometown, Bologna. His work allows the viewer to almost feel the warmth of the sun radiating from the casually arranged objects, conveying a profound humility and deep appreciation for the nature of light and the passage of time.
Week 36
The Life (and Lack Thereof) in Color
Unfortunately, many major paint brands offer selections of up to 2,000 colors, a significant number of which are lifeless. This lack of vitality often stems from how they're mixed. These colors are typically made from only two or three colorants, resulting in a lack of complexity or subtlety. While black or raw umber might be added to create some depth, these colors often fail to sustain interest; they possess no mystery, no life.
The good news is that some paint company colors are mixed with a greater number of high-quality colorants, sometimes referred to as Full-Spectrum Color. This results in a much more complex hue that transforms beautifully according to the surrounding conditions of light and shadow. This metamorphosis is a constantly giving, nourishing, and surprising experience, revealing a "day in the life of a complex color." While historically rare, some paint brands now offer a smaller, tailored Full-Spectrum palette of 100 to 200 colors, and some major brands are also beginning to incorporate Full-Spectrum options. Our experience of color on structures is incredibly unique, influenced by factors like latitude, landscape, season, and time of day. Full-spectrum colors excel in adapting to these environmental changes, creating harmony and balance within spaces.
To help clients navigate this vast and often overwhelming world of color, I play a color card game with them when working on color selections. I have a set of approximately 100 large-format Full-Spectrum color cards, meaning they feature real Full-Spectrum paint, not approximate print ink colors. We sit at a table, and I create three piles of cards: the in-pile, the maybe-pile, and the out-pile. I hold up a card, and the client has two seconds to choose which pile it goes on. The whole process takes just five minutes. Often, the biggest stack ends up being the 'maybe' pile or the 'out' pile. I then ask the client why they would want to live with a "maybe" color. The answer is no. This game quickly gives us a small selection of "in" colors to work with. It's just the beginning, and things could change, but it’s an effective start and perhaps a useful metaphor in the design process, even if most decisions require more careful consideration.
Week 37
More on Full-Spectrum colors
At the beginning of our business, a significant portion of my work involved color consulting. I had large-format color chips from as many as nine companies, and I knew which company did what best. Dunn Edwards had the most extensive collection of deep reds, Benjamin Moore was more nuanced, and Sherwin-Williams was strongest in pastel colors. ICI from Europe was also more nuanced. Each company had about 2,000 colors, so I might have had as many as 18,000 large-format color chips in my car. It was crazy, not recommended! At the time, I liked the ICI colors the most; they provided more of what was needed. Traditionally, paint companies have designed their colors with as few colorants as possible. Their color chips were made from lacquer or ink, not real paint, and therefore didn't behave like actual paint.
Paint companies may change their colors every 15 years, so my knowledge of all these different paint companies is somewhat outdated. These days, I focus on two paint companies for most of my needs: Benjamin Moore for their extensive portfolio of colors, including a range of Full-Spectrum Colors, and C2 Colors, with a portfolio of 496 full-spectrum colors. In the context of paint, the term "full spectrum" typically implies that colors are created using up to eight pigments from across the color spectrum, excluding black, to achieve richer, more nuanced hues. The nuances and undertones of full-spectrum color make them inherently more satisfying to the eye than traditional paints.
Many years ago, in Paris, we discovered a Belgian company showroom that featured its own colors, called Flamant. Flamant paint offered a palette of 128 full-spectrum colors, which were described as vegetal, earthy, marine, and sandy. We took their color books home with us and had many of their colors mixed for our projects in California. Unfortunately, Flamant is no longer in business. Fortunately, we still have their hand-painted color chips. They are wonderfully nuanced and remain one of the best color sets we have seen. Every so often, when it's hard to find the right color for a project, we look for it in the Donald Kaufman set. Kaufman color chips are also painted with real paint, and they have approximately 100 Full-Spectrum Colors, excluding their color of the month series.
Week 38
Practical Tips for Color Selection
Don't confuse paint color with light. For example, you cannot make a poorly lit room lighter simply by painting it white.
Avoid painting color rectangles directly on a wall you plan to repaint. The existing color will distort your perception of the new samples. Instead, paint on a large board and move it around to different parts of the space. You'll notice how the color shifts with varying light which guides in decision making.
If you're developing a custom color, be deliberate and meticulous in getting it right. Ensure the person at the paint store is highly experienced in color mixing and matching and understands the subtle nuances of color. The wrong color is simply the wrong color.
Week 39
Gerda’s cut-out colors
My mother, Gerda, was an artist, primarily a painter and less a sculptor. At one point, she designed cut-out paintings: large abstract jigsaw-like puzzles with abstract shapes, not jigsaw piece shapes, that had figurative inferences. The cut-outs were made from ⅛” masonite deftly cut with a saber saw. The individual pieces were sanded, then roller-painted, and finally glued onto a backing also made of Masonite. The final perimeter shape organically followed the outline of the organic abstract pieces. I was tasked with cutting out, then sanding and painting the pieces, earning well-deserved pocket money for something I enjoyed doing. I mixed the acrylic paint colors, suitable for rollers, from scratch, from PVA and powdered pigment. I left the paint and rollers in plastic bags between the multiple coats.
Not many years later, in my Foundation year at St. Martin's School of Art, I discovered that the school supply shop had PVA and powdered pigments. I was on my way to designing my cut-outs. Working evenings, I created a unique body of work within a year, which helped me get accepted into St. Martin's three-year painting program. A sad outcome was that all my cut-outs disappeared from a friend's storage.
More years later, my mother emigrated from England to New Zealand. I was already living in California. That’s why I spell color the wrong way. My mother called me. She had a postcard-size sketch that she wanted converted into a cut-out. Why am I feeling like a man on a mission? I made my transcription on a 3-foot-by-4-foot sheet of Masonite—Deja vu. I clamped five sheets together and cut out all five at the same time. Most of the pieces were large, so there were approximately twelve pieces per sheet. The perimeter of the final product on this occasion was a rectangle. I bought six colors from the local paint store and painted the five cut-out paintings so that the colors did not repeat themselves. When the five cut-out paintings were finished, I surprised my mother with the concept of the same shapes but with different colors. We were both excited to see that each piece took on a different meaning.
Years later, inspired by my experience with my mother, I began three series of 3-foot-by-4-foot paintings in which the cut-out shapes repeat themselves, yet the colors change.
Week 40
Personal Color Analysis (PCA)
Tuning into your expertise
In comparison to choosing and creating colors for the cut-out paintings, selecting a color for walls, ceilings, and moldings is a more complex task. After color consulting with my clients on hundreds of occasions, I can vouch for that. In a painting, all the color choices are in relationship to the painting. In a home, the environment is everything.
Women, in particular, are aware of PCA. This methodology involves identifying the colors that complement a person's unique natural coloring and characteristics, such as hair color, skin tone, eye color, and the overall contrast of their features. A person is placed into one of four seasonal categories, suggesting a specific color palette that harmonizes with those natural features. Knowing those colors helps with choosing clothes and makes shopping easier.
Selecting colors that work best for your unique home is similar to finding colors that complement your natural features. Why would you want the same color as an influencer, a designer, or a friend has in their home?