Margie Says: Beverly Says
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ask the ColorColor QueensQueens Margie Deeb Autumn 2011 Beverly Ash Gilbert Margie Says: Q: I know that if I want a Beverly Says: color/s to pop to use black. There are so many ways to make I’m so glad to hear someone say they a color pop! True, high contrast are tired of using so much black. I But I am tired of using grabs our eye, which is why bright love black, but it is not the only way black in everything. I see colors against black do pop. But so to get other colors to pop. others using some ‘far out’ does using a complementary color Here are two of the best ways to color that to me does not (red against green), or a color triad make a color stand out within a go with anything. But once (orange, purple, green) etc. Many palette: surround it with it’s direct and they get the piece started people rely on the tried and true indirect complements; or surround and use that ‘far out’ color, color harmonies to create exciting it with less saturated, more muted their other colors pop. Help! color palettes (EYE FOR COLOR colors. If you surround your feature I want to be able to do the includes the most common color color with it’s complement in less harmonies). same thing. -Kathie Condon saturated tones then you’ll be using You can also make a monochromat- both of these principles simultane- ic color scheme glow by including ously. deep shadows (not necessarily Blue and orange are black) and complementary colors. highlights In the illustration to the (not neces- left I’ve surrounded the sarily white) saturated blue discs of the base with a range of muted color. Nature oranges. The use of does this complements, espe- with stunning cially less saturated, results. muted complements, Take a peek causes the blue to pop. at this red Varied saturations of a complementary harmonies add rose dripping texture, depth and intrigue to a color palette. with rain… red is played against it’s complement of Proportions are important to consider as well. Notice green and both colors have shades from dark to light. I’ve used far more At the same time the red color of the muted orange family is expanded to include tones, and just a whiff orange red and a bit of purple red of saturated blue. in the shadows. This gradation of This asymmetrical colors from light to dark makes proportion brings more the colors pop every bit as much attention to the pure as if you used black! saturated color, in this case, the blue. © 2011 Margie Deeb and Bevery Ash Gilbert. Some rights reserved. Q: Could you explain Beverly Says: the proportions of color Color proportions can make such a difference… but there is no right or wrong. used in a color scheme It is simply what look or mood you would like to create. using examples for Take into consideration that ‘warmer colors’ (Yellow, Orange, Red) have more complementary and visual impact than the receding ‘cooler’ colors of Green, Blue and Violet. So to split complementary. create a palette that appears to have an equal mix of complementary colors, -Sue Dulle you would need to include more of the cool color. Here is an example of a very bright (near complementary) Bead Soup mix, “Citrus Twist” that appears to include an equal mix of colors. Actually, the balance of Green and Pink was achieved by mixing 3 parts of a monochromatic green bead soup (“Grass is Always Greener”) to 1 part pink/orange bead soup (“Tropical Punch”). For photos of each of these see my Bead Soup Collection. Conversely, the following street scene in Nijmegen, Netherlands is captivating because of the heavy use of pink with just a hint of aqua (split complementary). I love the way the grey sets off the pastel colors, but an equally lovely palette can be obtained by covering the grey with your hand leaving mostly shades of warm pink with a hint of aqua. © 2011 Margie Deeb and Bevery Ash Gilbert. Some rights reserved. 2 can suscitate the weakest color Q: Could you explain Margie Says: scheme. Too much of one or both the proportions of color Proportions are most critical when complementary colors can collide and pulsate uncomfortably. used in a color scheme using colors that are most unlike each other. The opposite is true: using examples for Two factors determine the force of when using colors that are very a pure color: it’s brilliance and its complementary and similar–those sitting next to each extent (the area it occupies, or the split complementary. other on the color wheel–proportions amount visible). are not critical. Turquoise is so like -Sue Dulle Goethe assigned numerical light green that they sing beautifully values to pure colors to determine together in any proportion. But the a visually harmonious proportion further away two colors are from based on these two factors. For each other on the color wheel, example: yellow is 3 times as the more unlike one another they strong as its complement, violet. become. Therefore, to create a harmonious Complementary colors sit opposite balance, in theory yellow should one another on the wheel. A occupy one-third as much area complementary harmony provides as violet-blue. The color bars the most contrast in hue possible; below show these proportionally its colors sit furthest apart from each harmonious relationships. (The other on the wheel. Red is less like complementary pairs are those of green than any other color. As you the ink based color wheel in which move away from red toward green, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are the the colors are more similar to green, primaries rather than Blue, Red, and therefore provide less contrast. and Yellow...see page 4). What Complementary relationships Goethe came up with is a good are the most dynamic of all hue starting point to consider when contrasts. Successful combinations determining proportions. But it is depend on getting the propor- not a rule. Beverly is right on (page tions right. The smallest, tingling 2) when she said “there is no right accent of a complementary color or wrong. It is simply what look or mood you would like to create.” Use the diagrams to the left to inspire your choice of proportions when using complementary YELLOW / VIOLET-BLUE colors. 1/4 : 3/4 Split-Complementary Schemes Split-complementary schemes are similar to complementary schemes in that they RED / CYAN employ very dissimilar 1/3 : 2/3 colors. So begin your exploration of their proportional impact using the same principles outlined above. MAGENTA / GREEN 1/2 : 1/2 © 2011 Margie Deeb and Bevery Ash Gilbert. Some rights reserved. 3 Because orange is more brilliant than blue, I designed this composition so that orange occupies less space than the blue. I want the orange dahlia to be a focal point, but not overwhelm the entire piece. Blazing Dahlia Margie Deeb Delica seed beads The 6 complementary pairs on the ink wheel (in which Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are the primaries). © 2011 Margie Deeb and Bevery Ash Gilbert. Some rights reserved. 4 Q: I was looking for tips Beverly Says: on being able to match You aren’t the only one to find it difficult to translate a gorgeous scene in nature colors in nature in bead- into a successful color palette. Often the result seems flat and uninteresting. ing, fiber work (knitting The key is to look closely at ALL of the color variations in the scene. What our or crocheting) and even eye interprets as golden grass, is actually a wide spectrum of golds, and may even include other colors not immediately apparent. It takes time and practice photography. I some- to train our eye to notice the dark shadows, bright highlights and subtle times try to take pictures colorations which are in fact the very nuances that make it so stunning! As a of large fields of grass photographer you are used to zeroing in on an object and therefore have a for example, mostly gold head start… colored and some green It takes me a number of steps to go from a scene in nature to a color palette. so I can do something Here is an example using a photo of golden grasses that captivated me one with those colors in the morning – the sun catching tiny crystal of frost on each blade. (The following above media and I never photos and descriptions are an excerpt from my eBook: Dip Into Color). get close enough. -Nancy Kvorka 1. Define Palette First, I will define the palette by identifying all of the different nuances of color – the deep shadows, bright sparkling highlights, gold that leans to yellow and gold that leans to red, then I will take it a few steps further by analyzing and enhancing to suit my tastes. The following swatch is created in Photoshop by ‘picking’ out colors directly from the photo. If you don’t have Photoshop, you can match colors in the free on-line program: Kuler, or use paint swatches, color wheels, fabric, © 2011 Margie Deeb and Bevery Ash Gilbert. Some rights reserved. 5 bead tubes or any other medium that will allow you 3. Analyze the initial palette to visualize each individual color. Now it is time to analyze what you have: Do you like Don’t forget the ‘background’ colors, notice the deep it or dislike it? Why? How does it make you feel: is greyed green in the shadows and the bright golden it yummy or bland? Exciting or dull? Is it missing sparkles – these are the colors that make the main something? colors pop.