〝Although classified as achromatic, literally without color, the neutral tones of beige, grey and taupe are still a psychological presence that impart a message of dependability.〞
CMTEL Blog /
Trends in Grey:
Hue
/ Overview
Although classified as achromatic, literally without color, the neutral tones of beige, grey and taupe are still a psychological presence that impart a message of dependability.
Taupe is sometimes referred to as “grieve”, literally the combination of gray and beige. Neutrals may also be described as monotones. These neutral tones are identified with time and antiquity, the durability of ancient monuments, buildings and temples. Like the rock of Gibraltar, the Pyramids or the sands of time, they are seen as solid, enduring, timeless, and, above all classic; these qualities are transferred to the product or environment in which neutrals are used. Neutrals should be used whenever durability, permanence and dependable performance and quality is of utmost importance, whether in interiors, packaging, clothing or other products.
Eiseman, Leatrice – Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color; Neutrals (pp 50-52).
Monotone Color Schemes
Use Grey / Neutrals 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 >
St. Clair, Kassia – The Secret lives of color; White (pp 38-59).
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
Chalcocite
Chalcocite, copper sulfide, is an important copper ore mineral. It is opaque and dark gray to black, with a metallic luster.
Wikipedia
Minerology: Lab 7, Chalcocite
Kenneth Befus
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