Color Blocking

Looking through Kelly’s blog got me thinking a lot about color.  One of the quickest ways to draw a customer’s eye to your work or into the store is through the use of color.  It’s a known fact that we as humans are attracted to color!  This is a skill I tell my students to take seriously.  Most art schools devote entire classes to just color alone, because the subject is too vast to cover in a day’s lesson plan, but yet the only way to really acquire the skill of being able to coordinate colors is by doing it.  In my opinion this is a skill you never master, you are continually learning and exploring the various uses of playing with colors.

There are a few standards we follow in merchandising, such as we hang clothes from light to dark, we put complimentary colors together, or we’ll stick with one color for a monochromatic look, but for the most part color rules are being broken when designing a display.  I can not encourage you enough to study up on this topic, not only in books, but by observing the world around you!

(image via: latest fashion trends)

(image via: We ♥ it)

(image via: Mixed Plate)

(image via: National Geographic)

(I’ve had this image in my computer for some time, I forgot where I found it)

 

Fall Trend 2010- Colors

Since our previous post featured the fall fashion trends, here is a list from Pantone on what the fall color trends will be:

Click here for to download s PDF booklet of their fall fashion 2010 color report

A handy booklet to have when thinking of what colors to incorporate into your displays this fall.

Colours in Cultures

I’ll be honest, I don’t find this chart that user-friendly, but I like it’s message.  Color is such an important part of our work, it is helpful to know the meaning colors convey in different cultures.  I found this on Information is Beautiful via Jezebel.

Color Theory

Color Theory is one of the hardest things for me to teach, because it’s a huge topic that can’t be completely covered in three hours.  I tell my students I could hold a separate class just on color alone, in fact there are classes just for color!  Paperleaf has a color theory poster you can print out for free.

This reference poster contains:

• The Basic Color Wheel
• Passive  v.  Active Colors
• Cool  v.  Warm Colors
• Subtractive  v.  Additive Color
• Color Types
• Color Relationships
• Meanings attached to colors
• Basic terms pertaining to color

There are various sizes of this poster you can print out.  I would recommend it not only for my students but for any design professional.