〝Indelibly imprinted in the human mind, Black is most closely associated with the magical mysteries of night.〞
CMTEL Blog /
Trends in Black:
Hue
/ Overview
Indelibly imprinted in the human mind, Black is most closely associated with the magical mysteries of night.
That impenetrable, after-dark, powerful essence of black is seen in every product category as the most sophisticated and highly stylized shade. The consumer sees black as the most powerful, dramatic, elegant and expensive presence. This extends into food packaging where the consumer will actually pay more for the “gourmet image”.
In recent years, attitudes about black have changed more than any other color with positive associations outweighing the negative. In some cultures, black is still associated with mourning, however, that somber attitude has given way to sophistication as more people identify it with black limos, black tie events, polished granite, expensive leather and many other up-scale looks that give black an elegant cache.
Eiseman, Leatrice – Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color; Black (pp 58-60).
Monotone Color Schemes
Use Black in a variety of values.
Adobe’s Color Wheel (or image in Extract Theme tab) can be used to generate color palette, which can be saved into Creative Cloud, after signing in. You can then use your saved color palettes in Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Fresco, etc.), via CC Libraries.
Further References >
Pastoureau, Michel – Black: The history of a color.
St. Clair, Kassia – The Secret lives of color; Black (pp 260-281).
Varichon, Anne – Colors: What they mean and how to make them; Brown and Black (pp 216-267).
Pantone – Color Finder
Finishes
/ By Material Family
Ceramic
Metal carbonates/oxides are added to a glaze or clay and produce color when fired.
Fabric
Dyes are soluble colored compounds suspended in a medium. Dyeing colors textile fibers or the surface of a textile.
Glass
Glass can be colored with metal/oxide additives, fired enamels, and specialty coatings.
Metal
In addition to their natural hue, metals can be colored through coating processes.
Natural
The extensive range of natural materials can be colored with coatings, dyes, and pigments.
Polymer
Chemical compounds in the form of dyes or pigments are additives used to color plastics.
Methods
/ Overview
One might think that the rocks, plants, and animals with whom we share the earth could supply us with many coloring agents, but in fact few are suitable. The chlorophyl that gives vegetation its rich green yields, when extracted from the plant, is an unstable tinting agent that fades and disappears in a matter of hours. None of the vibrant colors of the peacock’s striking plumage can be transferred to any other material. Fortunately, nature abounds with a generous supply of other organic and inorganic substances, whose colors are transferrable to a variety of supports. Most natural earths get their color from the mineral iron, which is found abundantly in the earth’s crust in a wide variety of tones: red and yellow ochers, green earths, and hydrated iron oxides of greater or lesser purity.
Pigments are pure colors in powder form, which must be suspended in a medium in which they are insoluble (such as oil) in order to make paint. The size of individual powder particles varies from 0.01 to 1 micron. When greatly magnified in an optical or electronic microscope, individual particles of pigment may be seen suspended across the medium they color.
Cloth (or fabric) is colored with another family of materials: dyes. Dyeing is the coloring of textile fibers or the surface of a textile. Dyes are soluble colored compounds suspended in a medium.
For a long time, applied-research chemists sought to isolate and characterize the principles of dyeing. As they began to succeed, the vast possibilities offered by chemical synthesis overwhelmed the colorant market. Large-scale agricultural production of dye plants gave way to the manufacture of synthetic pigments and dyes.
Delamare & Guineau – Colors: The story of dyes and pigments (pp 14-19, 98).
/ Pigments
Shungite
Shungite is a black, lustrous, non-crystalline mineraloid and can be low-, medium- or high-carbon percent by weight of carbon.
Wikipedia
