Comments on: Project Runway Judges: Do You Know Color?

By: colorforbeadartists

colorforbeadartists — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:20:23 +0000

Thanks, Chris! Though I’m not judging the Artbeads color challenge, I look forward to seeing your entry!

By: Sunday Brunch: Week 11 « Wild Vanilla Designs

Sunday Brunch: Week 11 « Wild Vanilla Designs — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:34:18 +0000

[...] 1. Color for Bead Artists Project Runway Judges: Do You Know Color? [...]

By: Chris Murphy

Chris Murphy — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:18:44 +0000

I didn’t see the episode but I could not agree more. Reading your book has stretched my ideas of color and I am experimenting with your artbead challenge of color. I am more aware of color now when beading thanks to you and it is my hope to take one of your classes someday.

By: colorforbeadartists

colorforbeadartists — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:56:55 +0000

Thank you, Gabriela. I appreciate hearing from you – and I think it took courage for Amy to use those colors on Project Runway, too.

By: Gabriela

Gabriela — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:44:36 +0000

Hello. My name is Gabriela and I just want to say thank you for pointing this out. I have been beading as a hobby for the last six years and I thought the outfit on Project Runway was a good use of colors that designers don’t take into consideration. I love the color scheme and it took guts for a designer to break away from the traditional looks and colors of fashion. I am not a fashion trend setter but I do know what colors would compliment my skin tone and which ones would not.

By: Meredith

Meredith — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:39:58 +0000

Well, gee Margie…I guess my ignorance is showing as well. I never noticed there were two choices. Thanks for the English lesson! Spelling has never been one of my strengths LOL!

By: colorforbeadartists

colorforbeadartists — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:34:49 +0000

Hi Meredith,
There are 2 spellings of the word “complementary” and I use both in the first few paragraphs of my post. I consider the judges use of either definition wrong (as I said in my post). Using the word “complimentary” is a bit more subjective, but of course blue and orange do flatter one another because they are complementary.

I am in agreement with your fashion pet peeve, too! It does nothing for me!

Proportions are critical to color use, and I plan on several publications and classes for that alone. You can have gorgeous colors, but they won’t spectacular unless they are used in a spectacular proportions – so it is no wonder this is a difficult area for you or anyone.

Thank you for your compliment on my blog – I want it to be valuable and inspirational and fun to readers!

By: colorforbeadartists

colorforbeadartists — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:24:12 +0000

Hi Brenda – thanks for calling me an “advocate for colour”.. I am. I feel the need to champion it when people make negligent, unfounded remarks.

Your piece (thank you for posting the link here!) is PURE blue and orange… how very brave of you! Its really fun! And it works!

I think people are afraid of color for many reasons. The two I find most prevalent in my classes is the amount of choices and lack of knowledge. Put those two reasons together and you have a formula for fear of anything. It makes sense… that’s why I teach. Everyone leaves my color class with little to know fear after a bi of knowledge, and the permission to listen to their intuition.

As for Project Runway judges – I totally agree with you “show a little respect for color” ! LOL!

Thank you for your fun post – I’m on the soapbox with you.

By: colorforbeadartists

colorforbeadartists — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:46:39 +0000

I wrote to Leatrice Eiseman, a color specialist and prime consultant to Pantone, Inc., because I value her opinion. I wanted to know her thoughts on people in color-dependent careers not understanding color, which is the essence of my issue. Read what Lee wrote to me:

“I couldn’t agree more with your comments about the lack of color education, even from those people we would expect more of! I have consistently told my students (or anyone who cares to listen to my rantings) that there is a difference, for example, between the word “complimentary” (with an “I”) and complementary (with an “e”) and you have stated it very well in your response to the Project Runway faux pas.

What is even more astounding is that Tory Burch would raise the issue of “I don’t think that orange and blue are that complimentary’. First of all, what arbitrary rules is she using? And would that mean in every single usage of pairing orange and blue, she considers they would not be complimentary? It is what I refer to as the “sweeping generality” that you so often hear about color. Who decreed that those two colors do not compliment each other (with an “I”) or do not “look good together”? Especially anyone who has studied the color wheel and does understand, in fact, that orange and blue are complementary (with an e). As you stated so aptly in your blog— they “complete’ each other as they are opposites on the wheel.

Another very important point is: What shade of either of the color families is she referring to? What about terra cotta and turquoise blue? Or peach and periwinkle? Or ultramarine and coral, not to mention any shade of denim blue with any shade of orange? Do they not both complement and compliment?

Lastly, after many years of teaching, consulting, researching, forecasting and writing books on color, I am the last person to say that artists and designers should not use their own “instincts” in putting colors together. But we all need to continue our color education, to open ourselves to learning more that might provide an impetus —a “jumpstart’ to inspiring new or interesting or intriguing ways of combining colors.”

Lee’s books and work have been an inspiration to me for many years. I love her approach to color and her humor and spirit. You can learn more about her work here:

http://www.colorexpert.com
http://www.morealivewithcolor.com

By: Meredith

Meredith — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:34:21 +0000

It certainly is disturbing when people in a position where they exert some authority are so obviously ignorant. However, when I looked the word ‘complimentary’ up in my online American Heritage Dictionary this is what it said:

complimentary |ˌkämpləˈmentərē; -ˈmentrē|
adjective
1 expressing a compliment; praising or approving : Jennie was very complimentary about Kathy’s riding | complimentary remarks.
2 given or supplied free of charge : a complimentary bottle of wine.

no where was its use in color terminology mentioned! Odd—and a possible reason for such ignorance. — Anyway, I have all your books and enjoy them tremendously. Now the area where I come up short is not in color combinations so much as proportion, distribution, and the use of neutrals, to give one’s eye a resting place. Often I think gold, silver, copper, bronze, etc. are the beaders neutrals—and then there is the whole issue of matte beads, crystals, AB finishes, sizes, and on and on endlessly. Thanks for a such a fun blog. I don’t read too many of these, being an old lady, but this is really great.
My fashion pet peeve is the Kurt Cobain legacy, the whole ‘grunge’ look…dirty colors, mismatched and extremely distressed.