Color Makes a Comeback for Summer 2013

Oscar de la Renta

Whether graphic designers are willing to admit it or not, fashion does make it's way (sometimes unconsciously) into our design solutions. The cut of a fabric or the way it hangs off a model—important but not as impressionable as color hitting our eyes as it makes it's way down the runway. The choices of hues by fashion designers for an upcoming season can filter down and get picked up in an item such as label on a bar of soap, or a swinging hang tag attached to a garment. Color is always there to arrest us into refocusing on what may or may not be important within our visual sphere. A good designer admires, absorbs and bends it to their own purpose to get their work noticed.

If Vogue’s September issue of 916 pages, didn't seem to satisfy the fashionista within—look no further. Fashion Week is in full swing to help fill the need of those wanting more of the like. Having never really been too caught-up in the overall high-heeled runway madness that grips NYC this time of year, I do manage to monitor the news on color trends for upcoming seasons.

Fashion Week continued its kicked-up a positive stride by showcasing saturated colors with punchline precision. The 1980's fluorescent hues that were reintroduced this summer (on sport footwear, and the like) will have to allow make room for the eye candy colors arriving this upcoming summer.

Lemon-drop yellows (Oscar de la Renta), hot oranges (Narciso Rodriguez), and electric blues (Vera Wang) will all make a bold statement on the streets, in the office and at that vacation venue. Color is the new black! Click here for a more in depth report...

Munsell’s Crusade to Instruct the Masses

We often take for granted the past work done by pioneers such as Albert H. Munsell. Painter, teacher, and inventor, Munsell created the most influential color-modeling system for its time. His efforts devised a “rational way to describe color” through the of use clear decimal notation; using hue, value, and chroma into uniform yet independent dimensions within a three-dimensional space. This idea broke with the traditional approach of identifying colors through a naming scheme, which Munsell thought was “foolish” and “misleading”. Munsell Color System, Atlas of Color Charts. The color system Munsell built back in the 1900 ’ s continues to serve educators, visual artists, and the industries who depend on color matching technologies to produce their products and services. The Munsell Color Company website has a historical overview of Munsell’s legacy as well as examples of company projects that continue to advance the process of achieving accurate color. To peer inside the

It's All About Orange - Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

The annual hue-of-choice made its début this past week. World renowned color authority Pantone named Tangerine Tango 2012's color of the year. Pantone believes that this vivacious orange can “...provide the energy boost we need to recharge and.” Perceived more often as an autumnal choice, orange was seen on the runways of Fashion Week this year amongst other robust colors. Dubbed by Women's Wear Daily “..as the most popular color at spring Fashion Week”, tangerine like any other color has the potential to leave the catwalks and make its way into the likes of retail sectors which include areas of industrial design. The last time orange was used with abandon, was during the late 70’s. The avocado/harvest gold/brown combinations reigned supreme in kitchens across America. Often incorporated into Formica counter tops, vinyl flooring, and matching appliances, fake as well as real wood-grain themes was the style that permeated home furnishings. With international economic w

Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers

If you are either an educator in need of color theory assignments, or an artist looking to exercise your color “muscle”, this text will fill that void. Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers (2nd edition) by David Hornung offers an approach to color theory with projects that build understanding as you advance through the book. With assignments that are primarily geared toward painters, it is possible to adapt some of the lessons for use on the computer (with a little work). This is one of those a texts whose strength is not derived from historical, cultural, or psychological references. If your intent is to obtain a book that uses (only) practical approaches to cement color concepts—this one’s for you! *Note to the editors: Please correct the misspelling of Munsell’s name!

All Color Matters

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