Friday, July 11, 2008

Thoughts for A Day that ends in -day: Color Theory

Yes, I missed my TFT Deadline yesterday, so I'm back today with a thought for you on the subject of "COLOR".

Lately I've been reading about color and how it all works together and then about how colors make us feel, happy, sad, energetic, cold, etc. (Still trying to decide on the "right green" for my studio.) There seem to be a lot of "hard and fast" rules about color, yet still with some room for leeway.

I found this interesting tidbit at http://colortheory.liquisoft.com/

"For a long time, now, there has been a problem that fledgling designers have run into on a constant basis. This problem seems insignificant to most, but in actuality it is quite possibly the most important factor in a design or piece of artwork. Yes, you guessed it...I'm talking about the issue of COLOR.

Color can be a touchy subject. Sometimes artists use colors that evoke certain emotions. Other times artists use colors simply because they like the way they look. While any design instructor will tell you that the latter reason is completely wrong, I tend to disagree
. In my personal opinion, color always has meaning. This meaning can be, as I mentioned, an emotional one or it can be a personal preference on the part of the artist himself, but it ALWAYS has purpose behind it.

There is nothing wrong with choosing a color because you like it because, after all, it is your work. However, when choosing a color you still want to make sure its use does not conflict with what you are trying to say with your work. Proper use of basic color theory can help you decide what colors match, as well as what each color makes people feel."

I read this as: So really, as long as I follow some basic design rules & the colors don't completely clash, I am free to use whatever colors make me happy. YAY!


For more fun information on color theory, do some googling or visit some of these websites:

Color Matters

Kuler - the COOOLEST color scheme generator!!

Worqx

Tiger Color


{colorful} Inky Smiles!

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