Pantone your Street - Josef Albers: Use of Colour

Josef Albers: Use of Colour

In Albers’ interaction of colour, it shows that it is possible for two different colours to look alike through the process of subtracting from one another. Colours have different roles with colour differences caused by varying hues and light. By increasing these through the use of contrasts their initial qualities are subtracted. Any background subtracts its own hues from colours on top of it.

When looking at the centre of a coloured dot for a period of time and then looking at a white circle and afterimage or simultaneous contrast of the previous colour is seen on the white dot.

There are two kinds of physical mixture, a direct mixture of projected light, which is concerned with the scientific analysis of lights physical qualities e.g. wavelength, and an indirect mixture of physical light, for example when paint is mixed it is seen by the eye as reflected light. Direct mixture proves sum of all colours in light is white. Prismic lenses show colour spectrum dispersion of white sunlight showing that it is an additive mixture. In indirect mixtures, white, will never be the sum of all colours. The more colour that is added the more it becomes grey, making it a subtractive mixture. Mixes gain light in direct colour but lose light in reflected colour.

The Bezold Effect is an optical mixture where colours are perceived as merging. Impressionists used tiny dots in varying colours which when looked at mix creating the perception of one colour. This effect depends on the size of the dots and the distance at which the work is seen from.

A colour can have many faces, with the same colour looking different on varying backgrounds.

When the same coloured foreground element is placed on two varying backgrounds the foreground on one background will take on the appearance of the opposite background, this is called reversed grounds.

Pantone your Street - International Klein Blue and Examples

 Yves Klein: International Klein Blue

IKB, known as International Klein Blue was patented by Yves Klein, a French Conceptual artist, in 1957. He registered the formula for the blue he used for his famous blue monochrome paintings. The formula included a certain amount of ‘Rhodopas MA’ which was made from ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. By suspending pure ultramarine pigment the synthetic resin, Rhodopas, he was able to create a paint that did not lose luminosity, which was a problem when using traditional linseed oil suspensions. Varying the concentration of the pigment and the type of solvent used in the paint means it can be used with a brush, roller or a spray gun making it highly versatile. Klein believed the colour had a quality similar to pure space and associated it with immaterial values beyond what can be seen or touched. The pigment has a rich, velvety texture which creates the appearance of depth, whilst also appearing to float above the surface it is used on. He described his blue monochrome paintings as having different atmospheres despite using the same blue treated in the same way. In graphic design IKB has become increasingly popular, with it mainly being used in a monochrome palette or with another colour such as red or florescent green. Other RGB colours are difficult to recreate in print, however IKB does transfer without the need of florescent inks. To create the colour all other colours can be shut off to leave a vivid blue which retains its intensity when printed.

International Kline blue in graphic design

 

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Sagmeister and Walsh’s rebrand of the Jewish museum used blue because of its significance in Jewish culture and as a reference to Tekhelet, which is a dye mentioned in the Hebrew bible. The use of IKB and neon reds and oranges provide a modern and up to date branding.

The use of IKB by Katharina Drasdo with the typography ‘experimental what?’ suggests a reference to the experimental techniques such as risograph printing which encouraged the surge in popularity of the use of IKB in graphic design. This work seems to question whether the colour is experimental anymore.

The use of IKB is the most appropriate colour to use in this context. This represents the essence of Klein’s work making it the obvious choice for an exhibition notice.

Studio Dunbar created a new identity for OVG real estate in which they aimed to create the idea of strength and rigour in the logo, which would then be projected onto different shapes to create a ‘living’ identity. IKB creates a luminosity that makes the colour ‘float’ on a surface which further evokes the feeling of an organic changing form. Blue is also associated with reliance which reflects the company’s desire to be seen as reliable and bright blue creates a sense of energy which enhances the ‘living’ identity concept. 

This poster series by My Name Is Wendy uses IKB to great effect and further emphasises the glowing qualities of the colour through the use of increasing dots which creates a heightened sense of depth and radiance.

Summer Studio’s proposal for the identity of the Royal College of Art show 2016 was based upon the concept of individual achievement and collective spectacle which was visualised through the use of a ‘dancing’ typeface, which would evoke a sense of movement, with each letter having their own dance routine. It would be used in animations on the web and in printed material. IKB is effective across both web and print based material and can retain its vibrancy when converted from RGB, making it ideal for a multiplatform identity. The colour also evokes a sense of energy which ties in with the concept of movement within the design. The use of IKB on a white background makes it stand out further and reinforcing the idea of a spectacle. 

Pantone your street - Pantone Research

Pantone

Lawrence Herbert bought Pantone and developed the first colour matching system in 1963. Pantone is an international system for matching colours to specific printing inks, allowing accurate colour reproduction and consistency between printers and manufacturers. It is mainly used for digital printing however it has branched out and is now used for fabric and plastic matching. The system uses a specific mix of pigments to create new colours which are called spot colours. There are 1867 solid spot colours for digital printing, with special colours such as metallic also available. Pantone uses a small amount of inks to produce each colour, creating spot colours which are much cleaner and vibrant than if they were produced using CMYK printing methods, as well as allowing a wider range of colours. The Pantone guide is made up of strips of card with colour swatch variations of the eighteen basic colours. Each colour is allocated a number making it easy to specify which colour is to be used. In digital printing the spot colours also have a letter suffix at the end of the number which refers to the paper stock it will be printed on, with ‘C’ being coated and ‘UC’ being uncoated. By using a Pantone name or number this means you will always get the correct colour even if the screen is not correct. Not all Pantone colours can be matched across to CMYK or RGB, so the ‘colour bridge’ swatch book is used which contains colours that work across all media. The Pantone ‘colour bridge’ matching is particularly useful in branding and logo design where colour consistency across various media is important.

Pantone your street - Colour Theory Research

Colour Theory

Terms

Primary Colours

From these any colour can be mixed, with blue, yellow and red being the three primary colours.

Secondary Colours

These are created through the mixing of two primary colours, with green, orange and purple being secondary colours.

Tertiary Colours

By mixing adjacent primary and secondary colours tertiary colours can be created.

Warm Colours

These include red, orange and yellows which evoke a sence of fire and warmth. These colours elicit feelings of passion, positivity and energy, whilst also making a space look closer.  

Cold colours

Blue, green and purple are all referred to as this and are often associated with water and nature. They also create a calming and relaxing atmosphere and look like they are receding which increases our perception of the size of a space.

Neutral colours

These are often used as backgrounds and are combined with brighter elements which stand out well against them. When used on their own, sophisticated layouts can be achieved, however neutrals are affected by the colours around them, creating different impressions. Neutral colours include brown, black , white, grey, beige and cream.

Hue

A hue is another term for a colour.

Chroma

This refers to the purity of a colour and the brightness of the hue in comparison to white. When black, white or grey are mixed with colours, this reduces there the colours chroma.

Saturation

This is how the colour looks in different lighting conditions and denotes how intense the colour is in terms of how pale or pure a hue looks under light. Colours of a similar saturation are more cohesive.

Value

This determines how light or dark a colour is, with a lighter colour having a higher value. White has the highest value and black the lowest. It is best to have a range of different values to create contrast between high chromas.

Tones

These are created when grey is added to a hue, which makes it duller or softer than a pure hue. The addition of grey can create a vintage feel to work and evoke a sense of sophistication and elegance.

Shade

A shade is created by adding black to a hue to make it darker. Very dark shades are often used instead of black and tints can help break the ‘darkness’ up.

Tints

This is created when white is added to a hue to lighten it. Pastel colours are created in this way and evoke a feminine and lighter feel to designs.

Colour schemes

Monochromatic / Monotone Schemes

Shades and tints of a base hue are used to create this scheme. By adding white or black to the base colour variations of the hue can be created, for example dark red, red and pink

Analogue schemes

These use a base hue and the two colours directly either side of it.

Complementary Scheme

These are created using opposite hues on the colour wheel creating warm and cool contrasts.

Triadic Scheme

This scheme uses three equally spaced hues in the colour wheel.

Split Complementary Schemes

By using hues next to the direct opposite hue this scheme can be created

Tetradic Scheme

This uses four colours from two complementary pairs that are equally spaced around the colour wheel.

Square Scheme

This uses four equally spaced colours from the colour wheel and is most effective when one colour is dominant in a design.

Colour Meanings

Red is associated with negative concepts such as anger and danger. It is a powerful colour which can be overwhelming if used too much. It also evokes passion and energy, with darker shades creating an impression of power.

Orange is vibrant and energetic and associated with the fruit linking themes such as health and wellbeing to the colour. When muted this resembles autumnal and earthy tones leading the colour to reflect change and movement. It is inviting and more friendly than red.

Yellow is associated with sunshine and happiness creating a sense of brightness and energy. Is also linked to danger however not as strongly as red. Light yellows are calming, whilst dark yellows create an antique feel which creates a sense of age and longevity.

Green evokes a sense of nature and growth with new beginnings. A sense of renewal and abundance is also created, however it is also associated with feelings of envy and jealousy. It is calming like blue but retains the energy of yellow. Olive greens are natural, whilst darker greens create a sense of wealth and stability.

Blue is often associated with sadness however mainly evokes a sense of calmness and responsibility. Dark blue is strong, reliable, and confident making it ideal in corporate branding. Light blue is relaxed, calming and friendly, whilst bright blues are refreshing and energising.

Purple is associated with wealth and royalty, whilst also reflecting creativity and imagination. Wealth and luxury are associated with dark purple, whilst light purple is more romantic.

Black evokes a sense of power, elegance and formality, whilst having negative connotations and being linked to concepts such as evil, death and mystery. Its neutrality means it is often used in typography and functional elements within design.

White reflects purity and cleanliness and is associated with healthcare and weddings. Used as a background it allows colours to stand out and its simplicity is useful in minimal design.

Brown is natural and warm and is linked visually with earth, wood and stone. It can be seen as a dull colour; however, it is reliable and dependable. It is often used in wood and stone textures for backgrounds which reflect an earthy appearance. In its darkest form, it can replace black.

Beige’s characteristics alter depending on the surrounding colours, taking on either warm or cool tones. It is warm like brown and cool like white, but can be seen as dull and bland. It is a conservative colour which is usually used for backgrounds, particularly paper textures.

Cream and Ivory are sophisticated, holding the warmth of brown and the coolness of white. They are subtle but create a feeling of history. Ivory is calming and has the pureness associated with white. In combination with brown or peach colours it takes on an earthy quality, whilst when used with dark colours it can help lighten them instead of the stark contrast of white. 

Studio Brief 2 - The Land Travelling Exhibition - Gordon Cullen and Serial Vision

The Concise Townscape by Gordon Cullen 

Gordon Cullen was an English Architect appointed as head of the Typographic Panel for the Festival of Britain. His drawing technique, serial vision informed the way the maps for the Festival were created.


  

Serial Vision 

As a person moves through a space different views of the area are discovered.
New views are discovered even though a person is travelling at a uniform speed.
The scenery of towns is revealed in a series of revelations which is called serial vision. 
The aim of the drawing technique is to manipulate the elements of a town, creating emotional impact. 

A long straight road has little impact as the initial view is easily understood.
The human mind reacts to contrast which is created by comparing different aspects of the environment, this juxtaposition creates contrast.
A town is unified in a scientific or commercial point of view, however the optical view is split between the existing and emerging view.
When moving through space the effect created from the linking of views is usually accidental.
Instead the technique uses the art of relationship in which designers can mould the city into a narrative creating an emotional situation for the viewer.

Studio Brief 2 - The Land Travelling Exhibition - Crystallography Research

Pattern and Science at the Festival

The Festival wanted to create the impression that technology would create a Utopian society.
Kathleen Lonsdale presented a paper about crystallography and how crystal patterns would be suitable for contemporary textiles at the Society of Industrial Arts 1949. This led to Mark Hartland Thomas contacting Helen Megaw who went on to initiate the Festival Pattern Group.
Half the designs were for textiles which suggested the importance of the textile industry in manufacturing.
The Regatta Restaurant was the largest project for the Pattern Group.
The discovery of microscopy , which was a type of photography allowed magnification of very small objects.
The scientific displays in the festival ordered scientific achievements into a historical narrative. The use of molecular and crystal shapes would continue this story into the future.
The molecular systems and structure were used heavily in engineering and architecture.
For the public microscopic photography suggested objectivity especially because these things could not be seen by the eye, revealing 'a reality normally hidden from view'
The power of progress suggested by science and technology heavily influenced the Festivals outlook for the future.

From Atoms to Patterns  

It was suggested that they be produced as a series with there proper names.
The process of crystallography meant taking X ray photographs of crystals.
The regularity of the structures meant that the light was refracted in a regular way. These refraction's were then recorded as black spots or lines on a film.
From the position or intensity of the spots it was possible to identify the size and contents of the structure.
Using these calculations allowed 'maps' to be plotted, showing the relationships between atoms.
 Many of the crystallography that Dr Helen Megaw contacted and submitted to the Pattern Group would go on to win Nobel prizes for there discoveries.

Studio Brief 2 - The Land Travelling Exhibition - Newspaper Headlines

Press Coverage

Headlines (in Bold)

Shining Red Roof in Leeds Festival 

- structure made from welded steel

- 35,000 square feet

- 120 ft high towered entrance

- shining roof of red plastic sheeting with red, white and blue spotlights

10 Lorries will make 100 journeys with the Festival exhibition for Leeds

- 60 foot long 'Queen Mary' truck

Princess Royal praises and criticises during Festival Tour

- suggested the toy exhibits were moving too fast for the cuddly toys to the be taken in 

- she thought the top bunks were too high in the nursery exhibits

- praised much of the exhibition and asked lots of questions

Leeds Graduate solves a festival hitch

- the exhibition needed someone who could demonstrate knots, ties and splices at the Sea travel section

- they found it hard to find a suitable person with the knowledge

Scoutmaster is exhibition knot tier

- he was the only applicant to the Yorkshire Post advert in which a 'demonstration knotter' was needed

How Leeds Festival looks now

Exhibition in Leeds opens today

Festival Flower garden may stay

- an acre of wasteland was converted into a flower garden and was planned to remain after the festival

Leeds Festival radio link with Italy and Sweden

- Leeds ameteur radio station received 20 postcards since the beginning of the show from other stations across the country and world

Glimpses of the big Leeds Exhibition

5000 'Wonders' on Woodhouse Moor

Travelling exhibition has a more homely appeal

- suggests that it was more attractive to the everyday person in comparison to the main event in London

- London was very futuristic and modern whereas Leeds was understandable to the people

- However the Leeds Exhibition was cramped with the amount of people visiting and how long they took to look at things , when compared with London

- advises to see both exhibitions - people who see only the London exhibition 'may regard the Festival of Britain Exhibition as too much of a scientist’s domain, and excessively expressive of modern art.' However people who miss the London Exhibition will not see the Dome of Discovery

Exhibition Linguist

- Mr Daniel Reardon a head attendant at the Leeds Festival could speak eight languages - was a prisoner of war and then worked for a travel company 

Well Behaved children 

- 23000 children from across Yorkshire visited the exhibition

Household Troops win a victory at Leeds 

- their site next to the fairground is moved closer to the main marquee allowing them to be seen more and increasing inquiries from possible recruits

Festival show moves on

- one minute past 11 on the Saturday the show started being dismantled

- 20 men began the 7000 man hour day and night job of dismantling the show to be sent to Birmingham

- final attendance figures - 144,844 which beat Manchester at 135,736

Flowers, dinner for 100.000th Festival visitor in Leeds

- prearranged plan for the 100.000 person who visits

- be given a bouquet of flowers worth over £3, entrance free with an guided tour by an exhibition official

- behind the scenes at the model theatre and see the festival mannequins

- allowed to send and receive messages at the exhibition radio station, taken by taxi to the city to have a restaurant meal then taken home by taxi

- Presented a souvenir catalogue signed by the Director General of the Festival of Britain

100,000th visitor to Leeds festival

- Mrs E.M. Reeves (66 years old) was told by her doctor to go to the exhibition

- lived only 500  yards from where the exhibition was taking place

Festival site 'not to be wasted'

- tarmac created for the marquee to be built on would be used by the Corporation Parks committee after the event

- could be used as tennis courts

'Get a souvenir for 2051 to show what 1951 was like" - Princess Royal launches festival in Leeds

-The Lord Mayor, introducing the Princess Royal, said the scientific side of our life, of which the Exhibition showed examples, had been achieved by two great wars, from which, in spite of their destructiveness we had learned a great deal for the good of mankind in the future.

-the Lord Mayor, “but it does show an enormous advance during the 100 years since the Exhibition of 1851, and I think we can be justly proud of the achievements that have been made.”

she said, “that if you buy a well-chosen souvenir and keep it safely, it will give your descendants of he year 2051 a chance to see what our workmanship and ideas were like in 1951.

Princess Royal opens Festival in Leeds : 'A Magnificent gesture'

- thousands of people lined the streets five or six deep to see the Princess Royal arrive 

- “This nation-wide event must be seen as a magnificent gesture of fortitude and determination by a people who had put pessimism aside, a people aware of their tremendous past and secure in the knowledge that the dark moments in their history had often been noble ones, and that trials and tribulations, war, poverty, devastation, are powerless to destroy the living spirit of a great nation.” she said.

“Like the air you breathe, the Festival spirit is all around you, and you yourself are part of it,”

"When half the world is forced to live behind a curtain of secrecy, Britain is opening her doors wide to visitors from abroad"

Traffic Jam blocked the view

- Visitors were prevented from seeing the Princess Royal and opening ceremony because of a huge traffic jam 

Nearly 19000 visit Leeds exhibition - Manchester Festival figures beaten 

Spotters seek 766 prizes in Leeds shops 
- all of the 30000 handbooks had a number on the back-cover, if this number matched to an article in one of the 170 participating shop windows the person would win a prize

Big festival programme for Leeds
- there were military displays at the exhibition 
- at Roundhay Park there was athletics,University Rag procreation,parachute jumping,flat and cycle racing, fireworks displays and music.

Y.S.O Festival of British Music 
- The Festival of British Music  by The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra took place at the town hall

'Tom Jones' at Temple Newsam 
- open air festival production which featured the British Legion players and Hunslet Choral and Operatic Societies

Studio Brief 1 - To Kill a Mockingbird - This Brutal House

Peter Chadwick of Popular Studio

This Brutal House is a website dedicated to Brutalism and aims to use the architectural style as inspiration for other formats of design. Chadwick has taken Brutalist architecture and re appropriated it in other forms to make it more functional and appealing, creating a new perspective on the style which many see as ugly and dated. Chadwicks documentation of the style aims to create inspiration for a range of creatives. Through recording the architectural style he aims to preserve it.

His poster series based around Thamesmead uses original recordings and press coverage about Thamesmead from the 1960s and 1970s. Using these quotes gives an insight into public opinion about the style which were negative. When comparing these quotes with Chadwicks work, which refines elements to shapes and textures in a minimalist way, a juxtaposition of the style is created showing Brutalism in a new way. 

Orange is used across a range of the posters in reference to the film a Clockwork Orange which was filmed there. The use of orange creates a strong contrast between the monochromatic photographs and graphics.

Other areas around London, which were once rundown have been redone, whereas Thamesmead has been left to disrepair and decay.  The use of textural 'swatches' on his poster series highlights the gritty feel to the architecture but contrasts this with flat colour to create striking designs. Depth is created in the work through the use of layering photographic elements with transparent colours over the top. The use of large typographic elements and symbols combined with imagery of the buildings creates a sense of scale, making them look like huge structures themselves.

Studio Brief 1 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Rolf Willimann

The Unprepared Society 1968 designed by Rolf Williams

The book is written by  psychologist who suggests that the world will be unable to cope with changing society and that the education system needs reform to produce leaders for the future.

The positioning of the circles means that one is cropped which creates a sense of instability and evokes a sense of imbalance in the image even though the elements are physically the same size. The use of a gradient creates a faded effect making the shape change from something that is solid to something less certain.

The use of two colours within the title helps to create a hierarchy of information and breaks the two parts of the title up into two.

Placing the image on a white background creates the greatest contrast.

Colouring both the title and authors name in black creates a sense of importance, however the longer title on the right creates a sense of imbalance horizontally.

Things to take forward:

- Aesthetically the grainy texture of the design

- Using the same typeface in different colours to create importance within the title

- Filling the cover with the image at approximately a ratio of 1: 2 to allow maximum space for the image

Study Task 2 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Book Cover Analysis

Existing Book Covers

The book cover makes reference to the children's swing in their back yard which was the main focus of their discussions and plans for adventures. It reflects the innocence of their play and provides a symbol for childhood. The use of black typography on a cream background could possibly make reference to race but cream rather than white better reflects a natural skin tone. The typography fits around the imagery allowing for the smaller words to fit alongside the image and providing enough space at the bottom of the cover for 'Mockingbird'. Having typography below the image creates a sense of elevation , making it seem like the swing is raised off the ground with the 'Mockingbird' acting the floor, helping with perspective. The typography is brush like with the ends of the strokes being quite feather like which could reference the Mockingbird. 

Sarah Jane Coleman

This cover is much more illustrative in its approach and uses the whole cover as a means of placing the imagery, which allows the image to wrap around the cover. The book makes reference to Boo Radleys tree, where he leaves objects for the children to find. Placing the tree trunk along the spine with the hole in the middle of it creates balance and symmetry in the design whilst allowing space for typographic elements on the front and back covers. Having a child on both sides of the tree also balances the design graphically. Scout is looking directly up at the Mockingbird which draws the viewers attention up along her line of sight, however for me this stopped at the title as the bird was not as obvious in the top right corner.There are four different typefaces used in the cover which is possibly too many. The type in yellow may be too ornate and clashes with the main illustrated title on the cover, also the contrast between the two types of typography on the spine, is too much with one being very angular and the other being curved and script. However the yellow typography works well in reflecting the whimsical nature of the title illustration, with this in mind potentially the authors name should be changed to a typeface that is less severe. Using the serif typeface on the front cover for the yellow typography would have been better matched creating similarities in the design rather than a mix match.

When the children get rifles Atticus tells them to never shoot a mockingbird because

 '...its a sin to kill a mockingbird' ..... 'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.... but sing there hearts out for us'. On the book cover the bird is circled similarly to when a guns line of sight is trained on its target, also the fact that the bird is perched on a branch in its natural surroundings tends to suggest it is being hunted.

Frutiger suggests that a circle provides protection from outside influences and is a life preserving form. In this case the circle may represent the idea, that because it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, it is protected or should be protected, however the use of a thin line suggests the protection is quite fragile. 

Keeping the design simple with a clear idea being represented is effective.The design is clever in juxtaposing the two ideas of protecting the bird , whilst also possibly showing it being targeted through the use of a simple circle. 

The image of the mockingbird in this cover has a similar aesthetic to the children's drawing in the opening sequence of the film. Using the drawing reflects the innocence of the children and their main role in the story. By colouring the bird red this evokes a sense of danger or blood which could preempt the outcome of the story with Toms death as he was seen as a representation of the mockingbird. The use of black for the background and white for the typography suggests reference to the topic of race in the book. 

Breaking 'Mockingbird' into two words makes sense in allowing the typography to all be the same point size however it could be seen to be a little clumsy particularly because of the dash which signals the continuation of the word on the next line.

Study Task 1 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Research on the Author

Harper Lee

Her full name was Nelle Harper Lee and she was born in 1926. Her name orginated form her grandmothers with the letters spelt backwards. When she published she dropped it from the book because she didn't want people pronouncing it Nellie which she hated.

She came from the same town as Truman Capote who wrote In Cold Blood, they were both close childhood friends.

Her first book To Kill a Mockingbird became an instant classic making it difficult to follow on from.

Only a year before her death did she publish another book called Go Set A Watchman which followed the characters years later, although there were questions as to whether this was her choice or the publishers to print the book.

She mostly kept to herself after the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird and did not do an interview after the early 1960s.

After her death in February 2016, her will stated that there was no longer to be a mass market copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, only trade copies.

Comparisons between Harper Lee and Scout Finch 

Both:  
- were tomboys 
- had fathers that were lawyers
- had friends that were practically abandoned by their parents (Dill represents Truman Capote)
- were interested in reading