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 There are few things that affect us the way color does and therefore it can either be friend or foe. Color plays with almost all our senses and can impact us emotionally, physically and intellectually. It can have a taste, smell, feel, even perhaps a sound. Because, without conscious effort, we don’t disassociate what we see, from what we know about an object, we will always experience it inclusive of everything it represents. For this reason, color is generally one of the first things we notice, can carry a multitude of impressions, and deeply affect us emotionally.
Color has been studied from the earliest of times, but it was Johannes Itten who realized the dual nature of color as being both emotional and visual and that a color cannot be judged in isolation. In other words, we will react to a color both with our emotions and mind, and when mixed with other colors it will take on a new personality causing us to react differently. These are two of the most important aspects of working with color. Because the emotional characteristic of color is subjective, everyone will react differently to colors, so it is important to understand your personal response to specific colors.
Itten developed the twelve-color wheel, still used today, to aid in the development of color combinations, and to act as a guide to the objective use of color. It will also help you determine whether a color is warm or cool and show you its various tints, shades and tones. It is a good tool for anyone wanting to work with color.
Color trends shift continually, with dramatic changes occurring about every ten years. What we are seeing happening with color now is following the same path as fashion and home dÈcor. The globalization of everything, from products to cultures, is causing the development of so many trends and styles that we are tending to become more and more eclectic in our taste and dÈcor. Whereas we used to see a much narrower group of choices in color and design trends, today’s options are almost endless. Color can be the unifying element that brings a multitude of seemingly disparate objects together.
Color is a fascinating element of any type of design and one of the easiest ways to change a setting, room or entire house. It can help you create a focal point, rhythm, or balance in a space, unify your design or setting, and it can change the mood of a room by creating serenity, excitement, temperature, or spaciousness in amazing ways. Color can hide flaws, show off details, develop themes, enhance textures, exaggerate the obvious….. Color can tell a story – your story.
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