What Color Should I Paint My…?

January 11, 2013

 

More than ever, our homes are critically important to our sense of comfort and well-being where we build our own personal nests. The act of decorating our home is the catalyst that sparks our creativity, providing that special environment that helps us and those who live with us thrive.

Which is why it is not so simple to answer the question “What color should I paint my…?”

Image Via Colors For Your Every Mood

There are absolutely no quick or easy answers to that question. There isn’t a “magic bullet” answer as there are many factors to take into consideration, including:

Mood/Emotion

Lighting

Family

Lifestyle

Room scale/size

Likes/dislikes

My book Colors For Your Every Mood can help to guide you to some moods and color palettes as well as give you some of the color psychology behind those colors. Once you have familiarized yourself with color moods and you still feel you need some help to attain the “feel” you are comfortable with, you may want to hire a professional. At the very least, the book might help you to validate what you feel instinctively.

Before taking that final step and applying paint on the walls, it is important to think about the emotional aspect of color. The colors you choose will create moods and feelings that will have a great impact on you (and your family’s) well-being and comfort level.

You see, for someone to blindly suggest you paint any part of your home without them having a sense of who you are and what you hope to get out of the space, you are potentially asking for trouble. You wouldn’t want to end up with furniture that no longer matches or works in the space. These are costly mistakes that can be avoided.

 

 

 

 

Comic Book Color And The Creatives Behind It

November 26, 2012

Comic Books for Social Change

This is no news: comic books are a well-known powerful media to send social messages. There are many examples of successful experiences that connect them with positive social change all over the world.

Animal Defenders

Comic book characters have a lot of power because they can do anything and everything and also have the potential to engage a super broad audience in age, background, and reading skills. That, and our love of color, design, the environment, storytelling and teaching is what pushed Veronica and me into this adventure.

She is a graphic designer and illustrator, I am a teacher and a writer and together we founded and manage Musgo Comunicación Visual, a design studio based in Caracas. But we wanted to give something back, so we also teamed up to build Patrulla Verde, an environmental NGO devoted to producing free educational contents via the Web, some in print, as well as public speaking in schools, colleges, community centers, companies and even malls and public spaces.

We pooled together our talent and experience in an effort to send an environmental message conductive to action to children and adolescents in the Spanish-speaking community, which at least in our neck of the woods, lacks resources and local information and direction. Three years later we are trying to reach English speaking kids as well.

Vero created four endearing characters and together we made meaning out of them. Tomas represents all themes related to water, Zoe embodies renewable energy, Lucas defends biodiversity and Beto, the bunny, is the only “non-human”, and he gives voice to the other more than 10,000,000 species with whom we share the planet. His theme is global warming.

Animal Defenders

Animal Defenders pg 1 (English version)

 

Choosing a color palette was a challenge because the characters had to each have their own identity but also, when pooled together into a vignette or drawing, they had to look in harmony, as part of a team.

Animal Defenders

Beto and Lucas are a twosome, they play together and joke together and that’s why they both wear the same red hat. Nobody else wears red, but for each one of the other two characters there are blues and greens that obviously talk about nature. Tomas’s orange hair and darker skin are in line with him being a laid back, beach-loving kid. And Zoe’s hot pink speaks of fun, bubbly, the color of an empowered girl that, although super feminine, is opinionated and fierce when she knows she is right.

Regarding the backgrounds, the predominant color of a page is always related to the mood and atmosphere of the storyline… which means that the writer, ejem! …that’ll be me, is the true trendsetter here, because it is she who decides if the situation is a comedy or a drama, if it’s day or night, indoors or outdoors, happy or sad. It is actually a lot of fun to set new challenges in each story for Vero!

Animal Defenders

In this particular issue, Animal Defenders, she chose happy bright colors for happy bright moments and darker ones that vary if it is just night or a scary situation, or a suspenseful, stressful one. When the characters are able to reflect upon their experience light comes again, but in a different way than in the happy beginning. This is a less saturated shade of yellow, paired with light grays because it is later in the day, and deeper into the kids’ thought process.

Learning about psychology of color in Lee’s seminars and workshops has proven to be an extremely powerful tool to better the work we do, and to engage the population we want to reach. Patrulla Verde-in this case Veronica-was even showcased in Green Graphics, a publication by Catalonian publisher Index Books (2011), for our characters, logo and image.

Toti and I at the Color/Design class graduation ceremony.

We are extremely thankful to Lee to allow us to share our work with her followers and friends through this amazing window.

Veronica and I at the graduation. This is one of my favorite parts of the class.

Thanks a million, Lee!!

-Veronica Ettedgui & Toti Vollmer

Meet Me In California?

August 29, 2012

View of Seattle from Bainbridge in winter.

According to Wikipedia “January is on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere.”

Typical winter day on Bainbridge Island, WA.

 

As a resident of the Northern Hemisphere, I like to take respite from the cold (and rain) and head south for four days to hold my semi-annual Color/Design master class. Next year’s class is going to be held January 24-27th in Burbank, California. California is the perfect sunny locale for a mid-winter getaway.

This hands-on class will give you the tools and education to take your career in color to the next level. The class will include the psychology and emotion of color, consumer color preferences, the formation of trends (where do they come from and where are they going), a workshop and time for in-depth Q&A.

 

Come and join me in sunny California to explore the wonderful world of color. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

I look forward to seeing you there.

HICKIES® For Everyone!

August 15, 2012

Many people aren’t aware of exactly the work I do. Yes, it is true that I wear many hats. One aspect of my job is as an expert color consultant for companies. I am hired to help establish a trend focus in color and mood enlisting color psychology and consumer color preferences, researching lifestyles, demographics, the marketplace and outstanding competitors (if in fact, there are any). We work with a variety of clientele with varying needs and priorities; from firmly established brands to start-up companies. Recently we assisted in a product launch with a young couple on their new product called HICKIES®. As they state on their website:

“HICKIES® is an elastic lacing system that replaces traditional shoelaces and lets you easily slip in and out of your shoes while keeping them snug and secure. Never tie or untie your shoes again! Get rid of the bows and customize your footwear.”

I was thrilled when I recently received an update from them with a link to their Kickstarter page. It was great to see their vision come to fruition on such a compelling platform. I am even happier to say that their product was considered a Kickstarter success. It is easy to see why.

We had a lot of fun compiling imagery and a color scheme and the rationale for the HICKIES®. As a consultant you give a direction that you feel best represents the various aspects of the clients’ needs, but it is always up the them to decide what the final product will be.

I hope to see these featured in street style blogs one day. What do you think? Will you pick up a pack of HICKIES®?

Please take a moment to watch their video.

http://www.hickies.com/

Color/Design Student’s Artistic Creations

July 11, 2012

In light of the fact that I am a day away from my bi-annual Color/Design class, this one held in our own colorful haven of gorgeous gardens on Bainbridge Island, WA, I received a timely email from one of last summer’s graduates. Jim Dempsey is a floral designer who has made a name for himself in the floral industry. Jim has been spending the last five years studying handcrafts like weaving and paper folding, to name a few, and their connection to floristry. This has proven to be an area of interest to American Institute of Floral Designers (AFID) who has chosen his concept as their topic for their National Symposium next July 2013.

Vase “collar” that has some sort of natural embellishment and some red or black detailing.

 

Modern floristry will surely be influenced by Jim’s passion in growing the industry as well as his love for color.

 

Take a look at some of Jim’s other recent works.

  

These are some images from this past January’s Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. The float was made by/at Fiesta Parade Floats where Jim has worked as a designer during the past five Rose Parade events. All of these pictures were taken at Fiesta’s facility in Irwindale, CA the day before the parade.

A closer view of the purple Cattleya as used in the Dole Foods float.

 

Laelia crosses, very highly scented! 

Congratulations, Jim on your amazing achievements! I am always thrilled to hear about the wonderful things that my former students go on to do.

Surrealists Shocking Flacon

July 2, 2012

We are inclined to not think of women in the 1930′s as product designers yet there were some, though few. Among them was the multi-talented Leonor Fini, the designer of the flacon for Elsa Schiaparelli’s Shocking perfume. Fini was born in Argentina, raised in Italy, and moved ultimately to Paris where she too was closely associated with avant-garde creatives Dali, Picasso, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Max Ernst. Her prolific body of work includes illustrations and paintings, as well as costumes and décor for theatre, ballet, opera and film.

Musée international de la Parfumerie, Grasse
D644_010
14/04/2012 : Grasse, boulevard du Jeu-de-Ballon, Musée international de la Parfumerie : “Shocking”, Schiaparelli (Leonor Fini, 1936)

Click the image for more on Leonor Fini.

You might say that Leonor Fini was the Lady Gaga of her time. 

The following is a quote from a biography on Fini that sheds some insight on the daring woman. 

“Her eccentric persona and flamboyant dress was rivalled only by Dali. This was not posturing showmanship but a form of integral surrealist expression that uses the entire body as theatre to protest against conventional society.”

Celebrate women who push the boundaries and challenge the norm!

What women do you think push the boundaries and challenge societal conventions today?

Something Old. Something new. Something Borrowed That’s Not True About Blue

May 2, 2012

I hope my readers will forgive my taking a moment to vent. I love that there is more information available on the web concerning color psychology, when it is properly vetted and accurate. But I really dislike the propagation of information that is based on old information and urban legends. For example, the following article appeared on a graphic design website . It is attractively done and I am certain that these people mean well, are interested in educating others and are trying to show the importance of color, so please read the following copy and look for my comments at the end.

 

 

{BLUE} The color of peace and tranquility. It’s been stated that people are more productive in blue rooms. Although, be careful. It can cause feelings of sadness…we don’t want to cause people to have “A case of the Monday’s”. While blue can calm people, it can also decrease your appetite. People typically stay away from blue foods (aside from blueberries and plums)…blue is usually an indication that something has spoiled or is poisonous. If you want to eat less, eat off of a blue plate. 

{FUN BLUE FACT}: In Columbia, Blue is associated with soap. Yep, soap. Can’t get more random than that!

 Leatrice Eiseman says:

Love that you are promoting the use of color and helping to educate people about it, but sorry–there are no definitive studies about blue suppressing appetite. As matter of fact, blue china and dinnerware is a big seller all over the world, cobalt blue glasses and glass plates are very popular (think Williams Sonoma and Mexican glassware) so you would think there would lots of thin people as a result, whereas people are getting fatter, especially in U.S. That is an urban legend, especially when blue berry flavors are mixed in smoothies, drinks and with yogurts. There are blue potatoes now, blue corn chips, blue m&ms, blue sweet enticements on cakes and pastries. My advice is not to pick up on the old urban legends without checking more recent and credible info. I have written seven books on color, have three websites and a blog and am always looking at more current info to update the old legends that simply are no longer true.

 

One more point; as I point out in my books, not all blues speak of serenity. There are electric blues,that, just as the name implies, speak of excitement and high energy.

Enroll Today!

April 19, 2012

 

Dear Color Lover,

My next 4-Day Color/Design class will be held from July 12 through July 15, 2012 in Washington State. I hope you will join us for this exciting training program that will enable you to expand your career (as well as your thinking) into more lucrative and creative color consulting areas.

We are located on Bainbridge Island, a half-hour ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle, WA. For now you will need to know that you fly into SEA-TAC International Airport, take a cab or shuttle into Seattle and then take a gorgeous ferry boat ride across the Sound.

A much more detailed information letter will be sent to those of you who register for the class, but if you have any questions or need additional information in order to decide if you would like to attend, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

I look forward to hearing from you!

 

leiseman@nwlink.com

206-842-4456 (Ph)

206-842-6498 (Fax)

Happy 140th Birthday, Mondrian!

March 7, 2012

“Art is not made for anybody and is, at the same time, for everybody.”-Piet Mondrian

 

Back in 2010 I wrote a blog about Mondrian. At that time there seemed to be a resurgence of products that were inspired by his wonderfully expressive art. Today is the 140th birthday of Piet Mondrian and one that I think is worth celebrating.

 

Here is an excerpt of what I feel to be the reason behind our attraction to Mondrian.

 

We are drawn to the simplicity of the primary palette because it taps into our inner child. The basic shapes and colors together are pleasing without being overly complex.

Happy 140th Birthday, Piet Mondrian!.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 13, 2012

One of my colleagues and former students, Debora House, is a gifted colorist and a remarkable artist, who lives in Sweden. Every year she send us her unconventional and creative Valentines. I want to share this year’s creation with you.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!