Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year

Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year - Emerald

Heading towards the cooler end of the color wheel Pantone has chosen Emerald as it’s pick for 2013.

Not a color to recede or take a back seat in vibrancy, Pantone 17-5641 makes a bold statement like it’s predecessor Tango Tangerine.

Where Tango Tangerine was meant to wake-up and energize, Emerald’s glow sends a more ethereal message of well-being and balance.

Considered a highly fashionable color to use in the 18th century two forms of verdigris, was painted on the walls of two dining rooms in George Washington’s home—Mt. Vernon. Most often seen as a byproduct or “corrosion” seen on copper, verdigris was used in Pompeian frescos, during the Middle Ages in oil paintings, and extensively in the monastic environment as a pigment for illuminated manuscripts and books.

The “new room” (dining room) is the largest,
most public, and most elaborately decor-
ated room at Mount Vernon.

Washington believed the color to be ...‘grateful to the eye’ and less likely than other colors to fade. Verdigris and even prussian blue were valued by the upper classes for the bold statement they made. Since paint was expensive, the most brightly painted rooms were reserved for entertaining and show.

I believe we’ve (wrongly) been conditioned to think only of muted colors for this time period. Having visited Mt. Vernon, I can attest to the shocking intensity of the walls when you first look at them. Washington made a conscious choice to not only paint the “new room” but another smaller dining room and as an accent color in a parlor. A striking visual declaration then that can possibly be channeled now into the present-day enclaves of fashion, industrial and graphic design.

Comments

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

Search This Blog