Color Everywhere

This exercise has definitely helped me remember the different harmonies. Also, it's amazing how different the pms colors print out so differently than RGB or CMYK. 

A couple of my Photo Color Studies thus far...

I am pleased with these images, but they strike me as...boring? With all the variety of fabrics that there are in the world, I feel like these photos are lackluster. I think I need to bring in some sequins or some tule or some spandex. Maybe latex? sdcnwobvwkenwidkmybffjill

Color

In the past, my color theory classes consisted of mixing paint and perfect a certain hue, which could take hours at a time to do. And even though these classes were fun and taught me well, I love color theory in design much better. The Pantone Color System is fantastic. With this system, anyone using it can be certain that they have a specific shade of color.

Color combination is important in design, not only aesthetically, but in terms of communicating. Choosing the correct colors can either enhance or hinder the message being communicated. Color interacts with the design as a whole, not in just specific areas. Knowing the function of a color palette and the correct way to use it, is a crucial part of design.


The color Harmonies:

Complementary: Two colors opposite each other on the color wheel

Split Complementary: A three color scheme in which one color is accompanied by two others that are spaced equally from the firsts color's compliment

Double Complementary: The paring of two sets of complementary colors

Analogous: A combination of two or more colors equally spaced on the color wheel

Triadic: Any three colors that are evenly space around the color wheel.

History of Shell

Shell's Pecten logo is one of the most well known logos out there. You see it whenever you're on a highway and you know it's a Shell gas station.

In 1900, the idea of the pecten came from a man by the name of Mr. Grahm. Mr. Grahm was once the director of The Shell Transport and Trading Company.  The shell was an emblem taken from his family coat of arms. It originally began as a realistic rendering of a pecten in black and white in 1900. And by 1930, the pecten was an upright standing shell with graphic details. Color was not introduced until 1948.

The icon that we see everywhere today was created by Raymond Loewy, who also created logos for BP and Exxon. Although Loewy created such iconic logos, he was predominantly an industrial designer. His revision came about in 1971 and is still the foundation of the logo we see today. Loewy was born in France and was one of the best known industrial designers in the 20th century.  He contributed to the branding of Greyhound bus, the Pennsylvania Railroad and locomotives, and Lucky Strike. Loewy also contributed to the refinement of Coca Cola packaging. He transformed the "Mae West" bottle into a silhouette that was sleeker and sexier to the new generation. His career and influence were present in the industry for seventy years, he then retired to France where he passed at the age of 93 in 1986.

 

There have been a couple different versions since 1971, but it is essentially the same logo. The logo has very distinct yellow and red colors which is equally important to the identity as the form itself. These colors were chosen because of their striking qualities, but also because they are the colors of Spain. This is significant because the company was California based and many early Californian settlers were born in Spain. Today we don't even need the name of the company to recognize that this logo is the identity of the Shell company.  

 

  

For curiosity purposes, here's the link to Raymond Loewy's website:

http://www.raymondloewy.com/

CFP Color Study

Assignment: Photograph 10 Color harmonies within a common theme

Thanks to Chris Chapin my excitement for this assignment has tripled. I am loving the fact that we get to incorporate photography into one of our assignments, especially one where we get to have so much creative freedom. My initial idea was to study color through packaging in a grocery store, especially the tones and variations created by the fact that every product is in multiples. I knew that this could be difficult to do just because in the past (naturally, being obsessed with my camera and taking it with me where ever I go) I have been told before by staff at my local Sam's store that I can not take pictures in their facility. I still want to explore this idea and see where I can take it, but there are other ideas lurking right behind it.

My second idea is to explore color through fabric. There are endless amounts of pattern and texture to work with. The possibilities are endless, which I find the most exciting of all.

My third idea consists of taking macro shots of various foods, fruits in particular. Fruits have naturally bright, beautiful color and interesting textures so I am almost one hundred per cent sure that I will be experimenting most with my third idea. I'll definitely have to talk to Chris in the process of testing.

Itten Color Wheel

So in Color, Form, Production we began our Itten color wheel, and it was a process. I have taken color theory classes before, but never have I used the numerical values to determine the correct color. The math wasn't too difficult, but I did have a minor freak out when all of my colors disappeared. They were still present on my layer, they were just completely invisible. Apparently, Command Y is all it needed to be found again. Which is good to know for future reference.

The interactive websites are pretty neat. It allows to really see the relationship between the colors and how one color can look different because of the color behind it.

Illustrator

Well, after working with the pen tool in Illustrator I have no doubt that the pen tool is my favorite tool in the adobe suite. I have used it in Photoshop many times, but for some reason Illustrator just seems easier. Maybe its the fact that everything is labeled. Even with these tools, I am finding it a little hard to work Illustrator, as far as sizing, layering, templates, and format goes. I'm just more of a Photoshop person, but I can see myself becoming more familiar with it as time progresses.

I chose the Shell logo, otherwise known as Pecten. I chose it because I really like the negative space in the design, which is something I am going to experiment with when the time comes.

Vector

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