Choosing colors, is it that complicated?

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

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Costi
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Sun Dec 06, 2009 4:09 pm

The secret is contrast, isn't it?
yialabis
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Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:50 pm

Again as it was previously said here colour choosing depends upon the training of ones eye for what works for them . I wouldn't know how to theoretically explain what is that works for me , when it does .. I just feel it , the harmony of an elegant combination that pleases my eye... I agree with Costi ..difference assures resilience , old law of the ecosystems ..! After all I think the best piece of advice on the subjest in my opinion was given by Michael in another topic when he encouraged us all to look in the nature around in order to see what works . That charming ,elegant, sometimes peaceful or other times chaotic beauty .. is all around us
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cheers
Vassilis
Jordan Marc
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Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:12 pm

yialabis:

Michael Alden's point is a good one. I like to say Nature makes lots of mistakes with color, but what glorious mistakes they are!

The late Abe Feder, who single-handedly created and championed lighting and color for the stage and architecture and countless interiors, ran workshops in his lighting studio in Manhattan for anyone interested in learning about color. I visited from time to time and often found myself in the company of designers, engineers from Boeing and NASA, architects, cinematographers and museum curators. Feder loved showing the participants the possibilities of lighting and its effect on our perception of colors. He was fond of saying: "Push back the darkness!" And he was adament about the interaction, or mixing, of colors. "If you want to see what a room or a costume looks like in red," he would say, "paint the entire room red or have the seamstress run up the gown for the ballroom scene in the second act using a rich red satin.
Never rely on paint chips from the hardware store or cuttings or the Pantone books. If you don't like the
results or can't modify the effect you're after with gels, Fresnels and rheostats, start all over again.
Trust your eyes!"

So it is with the colors and patterns with which we clothe ourselves. Experiment and see what works
for you. Never mind what this actor wore or that clothing stylist stuck on the mannequin in the display window, you be the judge of what works for you. If you can't be objective about the effect you want to achieve, put yourself in the hands of a really good tailor who will set you straight. All else is just marketing.

JMB
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