The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
The Personal Color Palette Color is a powerful communication tool. The more one understands the unspoken language of color, the more effectively he or she communicates who he or she is, and what he or she wants to say. Colors can alter mood, affect actions, sooth or agitate, and even influence the way one is perceived — whether approachable or unapproachable. Personal colors designed around resonances and intensity ranges are chosen based upon the following: • Personal intensity and energy • Body tautness • Posture • Weight of walk • Activity level of the body movement • Intensity of eyes — the gaze • Voice quality — pitch and resonance The following categories are found in a balanced range of colors for personal wear: • Basic Colors o Basic colors act as background or neutral colors, and generally need touches of other discernable colors around the color wheel… or metals to give them vitality. In order to avoid looking drab and to wear neutrals effectively one needs a balance of line, texture, careful attention to details and accessories. Often when one wears basic or neutral colors, more attention needs to be given to makeup. o The most formal neutral commands authority and formality, it is cool in temperature, and in value contrast to the value of skin. This means light-‐skinned people wear dark colors for formality, and dark-‐skinned people wear cool light or white colors for formality. o Other neutrals/basics can be chosen from one’s hair color. The brown and blond hair-‐color neutrals generally are warmer in temperature and more approachable than cool ones. Deepened or extremely lightened colors of recognizable hues around the color wheel can act as neutrals around which a basic wardrobe is created. For instance deep burgundy is a ‘neutralized’ red, or champagne is a ‘neutralized’ gold. Tip: When one wants to appear quiet, understated, and/or stable wear basics or neutrals. •
Eye colors o Eye colors that are in the blue, green, violet, or gray range act as gentle and approachable hues. These colors are often the most quiet of active colors on the color wheel. They take little energy to wear. o If an eye color is in the brown or black family, wear this hue in combination with the white of the whites of the eye.
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Tips: When one wants to appear credible and trustworthy wear the eye colors Wear this color when under stress, or when in informal, conference, or counseling situations. If the eye color is in a strong yellow-‐green family, avoid wearing it when meeting someone for the first time, as some people have a strong dislike of yellow-‐green. •
Skin tone colors o Melanin is the ‘beige’ of one’s skin tone seen in the inner arm, the neck, and face. Hemoglobin is the red/orange often found in the palm of the hand, inside the ears, or in the gums. o A melanin skin tone is best when worn in combination with the hair or eye color, or with other colors found in the personal palette. Tip: One appears healthy, well-‐rested, and feminine (for a woman), or approachable (for a man) when wearing a form of the hemoglobin.
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Dramatic or high intensity colors o Often one’s form of Red is a relatively high intensity hue. This color, be it cranberry, fire-‐engine, poppy, rust or hot pink, intensifies the femininity of a woman and the masculinity of a man, and often is a stronger version of the hemoglobin hue. o If a person’s natural coloring is high contrast, and he or she has naturally high energy, then wearing relatively high intensity colors is energizing. o If a person’s natural coloring is low contrast, and he or she has naturally moderate to low energy, then wearing relatively high intensity colors takes energy to wear and therefore should only be worn in small quantities, or for short periods of time. o Dramatic colors take more energy to wear than neutral ones. Tip: When one wants to be noticed wear a high intensity dramatic hue.
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Quiet colors o These are colors on the color wheel that have more energy than neutrals, but are lower intensity than the dramatic ones. Tip: Wear quiet colors when one’s energy is low or when one wants to blend in with a group.
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Metals o Metals are worn in jewelry and are also used for home accessories. o If the coloring is dominantly warm, then warm metals are usually worn. o If a person with dominantly warm coloring wants to wear a cool color, then wear it with warm jewelry. o If the coloring is dominantly cool then cool metals are usually worn. o If a person with dominantly cool coloring wants to wear a warm color, then wear it with cool jewelry.
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The Color Master Class o
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Many people have both warm and cool coloring in their natural color pattern of hair, skin tone, and eye colors. If this is the case, they can wear both warm and cool metals, and often can wear them together.
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Pastels Tip: During seasons in hot climates, when a true pastel-‐type can easily wear cool-‐looking pastels, the non-‐ pastel-‐wearing person can wear his or her version of white in combination with one of the more intense colors.
Notes About the Personal Coloring Based on the perceived personality of your case study check one or more of the following. The case study has: ❏ Quiet intensity ❏ Medium intensity ❏ High intensity ❏ Combination The Dominant Color Resonance of your case study is: ❏ Pure / Saturated ❏ Washed ❏ Tinted ❏ Shaded ❏ Toasted ❏ Muted
Palette Notes The personal color palette will not have every color that could effectively be worn… only the colors that best support or intensify the natural coloration, and work together to form a useful system of color coordination for a wardrobe. It is important to encourage clients to be flexible with the palette. If one finds a garment that is not on the palette yet the texture and cut of the garment are good, then the outfit will most probably be a good choice. It is important to remember that the resonance or quality of the color is best when it is in harmony with the actual palette. The determining factors in any decision for clothing purchases are: How much does one love it when seeing it reflected back in the dressing room mirror? And, will it easily fit into the existing wardrobe?
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Color tips: The use of color is affected by • Temperature — cool colors recede and warm colors advance • Light — tropical climates require more vivid and intense colors while northern climates call for darker and more somber ones. • Texture — red silk taffeta is light and playful, while red velvet is heavy and serious. • Relationship to other colors and textures — deep emerald green next to indigo and royal purple does not appear as strong and intense as it does when it is contrasted with white. • Distance field — colors appear softer when viewed from a distance. When wearing a print the eye blends colors of the print together creating an impression of a muddier, more muted color. When choosing a solid garment to combine with a print, choose the solid color when viewing the print from a distance of at least ten feet. Do not exactly match a color found in the print unless the color blocks of the print are large.
Color Patterns There are three natural color patterns found in the natural coloring of hair, skin, and eyes, that when repeated in the clothing create a pleasing visual balance between the person and the clothing. 1. The Natural Color Harmony between hair, skin, and eyes ❏ Triadic — red/yellow/blue — or — green/orange/violet ❏ Complementary (opposites on the color wheel) — red & green —blue & orange — yellow & violet ❏ Analogous (next door neighbors on the color wheel) — red & violet & orange , etc. ❏ Color with a neutral ❏ Monochromatic (different values and resonances on one hue) ❏ Neutral — combinations of black, gray, white, brown, or ivory Tip: Repeat the color harmony in some way in the clothing presentation. 2. Color Temperature as seen in the hair, skin, and eyes ❏ Warm — warm reds, oranges, yellows — relatively warm red-‐violets and blue-‐greens — warm neutrals of browns yellow-‐ or green-‐ grays, and warm whites ❏ Cool — violets, blues, greens — and relatively cool yellow-‐greens, yellow, and cool reds — cool neutrals of black, bluish-‐gray, blue or stark white ❏ Both warm and cool — wear cool metals with warm colors in clothing, and warm metals with cool colors in clothing. Tip: Repeat the color temperature in some way in the clothing presentation.
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
3. Color Value In the red family: burgundy is dark in value; crimson is medium in value; and pink is a light value. Skin ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Hair
Very light Light Medium-‐light Medium Medium-‐dark Dark Very dark
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Eyes ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Very light Light Medium-‐light Medium Medium-‐dark Dark Very dark
Whites of eyes
Very light Light Medium-‐light Medium Medium-‐dark Dark Very dark
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
Very light Light Medium-‐light Medium Medium-‐dark
Tip: Repeat in the entire clothing presentation that includes accessories, the same value separation found in the natural clothing. Based on the natural value pattern a person will naturally fit into one of the following contrast patterns: ❏ High contrast — wear something light and something dark in the clothing presentation ❏ Medium contrast — wear colors that are light-‐to-‐medium value; or dark-‐to-‐medium in value in the clothing presentation ❏ Low contrast — wear colors in clothing and accessories that are o f the same value ❏ Combination — repeat in clothing presentation all of the values found in the natural value pattern.
Exercise: Create an “I Love” look book As a way for someone to get to know, and become familiar with, his or her personal color palette, collect pictures of the colors as they are found in clothing, nature, gardens, art and/or interiors. This study also shows examples of the ways in which colors can be worn in combination.
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Personal Energy Chart
Walk
Color Expression
Voice
Color Expression
Fast Moderate Slow Bounce Swat Pound Glide Loud Medium Soft Other
Loud Medium Quiet High Medium Deep Edgy Soft Mellow Rich Other
Personality
Color Expression
Energy
Color Expression
Sweet Dramatic Vibrant Mysterious Calm Fun Serious Happy Joyous Other
High Medium Low Varied Other
Tip: Color intensity, combinations or colors, and color resonance are affected by the personal qualities circled in the above chart.
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Paint Pigments & supplies Purpose of the color sensitivity, and skin tone painting studies: to see subtle nuances of color relatedness.
Supplies: 1. 3/4” or 1” wide long handled sable (or good quality) paintbrush with square tip www.DickBlick.com Square edge natural stroke brush #5840-‐4134 2. 1 pad artist palette paper (or a roll of waxed paper: place a sheet of waxed paper on top of a white plate) Dick Blick Canson disposable palette 9” x 12” pad of 40 sheets #030111-‐1003 3. 1 pad student quality watercolor paper for pigment & harmony studies. (9x12") Dick Blick Canson student watercolor paper 9” x 12” pad #10035-‐0033 4. Ott Light true-‐color tabletop lamp #55125-‐1112 – or other small table top full-‐spectrum light (optional) 5. From calendars or magazines 20 large color pictures of particularly beautiful-‐to-‐you color combinations (nature, art, interiors, landscapes, flowers, etc.) These will be used to practice optical color matching. Please LOVE these pictures, for they can be used as a marketing tool for you. 6. From magazines or calendars 15 large pictures of faces. No writing on the face, natural looking photographs. Choose as wide a variation of skin, hair and eye color as possible. These can be men or women. 7. Apron 8. Dumping bucket for dirty water 9. Water pitcher filled with fresh water 10. Clear plastic cups 11. Color wheel – optional 12. White plastic tablecloth 13. Paper towels
ACRYLIC PAINTS : High Viscosity (Pigments in bold are necessary for skin tone painting.) Purchase 2 oz. tubes for all colors NEUTRALS Raw Umber — Liquitex Raw Sienna — Liquitex Burnt Umber — Liquitex Burnt Sienna — Liquitex Titanium White — Liquitex Unbleached Titanium — Liquitex Portrait Pink —Liquitex Davy’s Gray — Liquitex, Neutral Gray. 5, Value 5.0
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Black — Liquitex, Mars Black Payne’s Gray — Liquitex, Payne's Gray, Value 2.36 BLUES Indigo Blue — Winsor & Newton, Indanthrene Blue Ultramarine Blue — Liquitex, French Ultramarine, Value 2.0 Thalo Blue (blue shade) – Liquitex, Phthalocyanine blue, Value 2.37 Prussian Blue — Liquitex, Prussian Blue, Value 2.22 (A second and better choice for Prussian Blue: Golden, Prussian Blue) Cobalt Blue — Liquitex, Value 3.33 Cerulean Blue — Liquitex, Value 3.9 Manganese Blue — Grumbacher, Manganese Blue Cobalt Turquoise — Liquitex, Value 4.16 Turquoise Deep — Liquitex, Value 2.4 GREENS Transparent Viridian – Liquitex, Phthalocyanine Green, Value 1.5 Permanent Green — Liquitex, Permanent Green Deep, Value 3.0 Hooker's Green — Liquitex, Hooker's Green Hue Permanent, Value 2.95 Verde Green — Liquitex, Sap Green Permanent, Value 2.9 Chrome Green – Liquitex, Chromium Oxide Green, Value 4.1 Sap Green – Winsor & Newton, (Galleria) Sap Green YELLOWS Lemon Yellow – Liquitex, Yellow Light Hansa, Value 8.8 Chrome Yellow – Liquitex, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Value 7.96 or A second choice for Chrome Yellow — Liquitex, Yellow Medium Azo, Value 7.96 Cadmium Yellow — Liquitex, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Value7.7 Turner's Yellow — Liquitex, Turner's Yellow, Value 7.04 Yellow Ochre — Liquitex, Yellow Oxide, Value 5.9 ORANGES Indian Gold — Liquitex, Yellow Orange Azo, Value 7.12 Persian Gold — Liquitex, Cadmium Orange, Value 6.8 Persian Orange – Liquitex, Vivid Red Orange, Value 5.45 REDS Vermillion – Liquitex, Cadmium Red Light, Value 5.2 Geranium Lake – Liquitex, Naphthol Crimson, Value 3.9 Cadmium Red – Golden, C. P. Cadmium Red Dark Red Oxide — Golden, Red Oxide English Red – Liquitex, Cadmium Red Deep, Value 3.3
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
Alizarin Crimson – Windsor-‐Newton, Permanent Alizarin Crimson Carmine – Grumbacher, Permanent Alizarin Crimson Magenta – Liquitex, Acra Violet (Quinacridone) VIOLETS Thio Violet — Liquitex, Deep Magenta, Value 3.0 (try Value 2.6) Thalo Violet — Liquitex, Prism Violet, Value 2.5 Parma Violet – Liquitex, Dioxazine Purple, Value 2.42 Another good option for Parma Violet: Golden, Dioxazine Purple
HAILSTONES AND HALIBUT BONES By Mary O’Neill What is Gold?
What is Yellow?
What is Purple?
What is Brown?
Gold is a metal Gold is a ring Gold is a very Beautiful thing. Gold is the sunshine Light and thin Warm as a muffin On your skin. Gold is the moon Gold are the stars; Jupiter, Venus Saturn and Mars, Gold is the color of Clover honey Gold is a certain Kind of money. Gold is alive In a flickering fish That lives its life In a crystal dish. Gold is the answer To many a wish. Gold is feeling Like a king It’s having the most Of everything… Long time ago I was told Yellow’s mother’s name Is gold…
Yellow is the color of The sun The feeling of fun The yolk of an egg A duck’s bill A canary bird And a daffodil Yellow’s sweet corn Ripe oats Hummingbirds’ Little throats Summer squash and Chinese silk The cream on top Of Jersey milk Dandelions and Daisy hearts Custard pies and Lemon tarts. Yellow blinks On summer nights In the off-and-on of Firefly lights. Yellow’s a topaz, A candle flame. Felicity’s a Yellow name. Yellow’s mimosa And I guess, Yellow’s the color of Happiness.
Time is purple Just before night When most people Turn on the light… But if you don’t it’s A beautiful sight. Asters are purple There’s purple ink. Purple’s more popular Than you think… It’s sort of a great Grandmother to pink. There are purple Shadows And purple veils, Some ladies purple Their fingernails. There’s purple jam And purple jell And a purple bruise Next day will tell Where you landed When you fell. The purple feeling Is rather put-out The purple look is a Definite pout. But the purple sound Is the loveliest thing It’s the violet opening In the spring.
Brown is the color of a Country road Back of a turtle Back of a toad. Brown is cinnamon And morning toast And the good smell of The Sunday roast. Brown is the color of Work And the sound of a River, Brown is bronze and a Bow And a quiver. Brown is the house On the edge of town Where wind is tearing The shingles down. Brown is a freckle Brown is a mole Brown is the earth When you dig a hole. Brown is the hair On many a head Brown is chocolate And gingerbread. Brown is a feeling You get inside When wondering Makes Your mind grow wide. Brown is a leather shoe
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The Color Master Class
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And a good glove… Brown is as comfortable As love.
What is Gray? Gray is the color of an elephant And a mouse And a falling-apart House. It’s fog and smog Fine print and lint, it’s a hush and The bubbling of Oatmeal mush. Tiredness and oysters Both are gray, Smoke swirls And grandmother curls. So are some spring Coats And nanny goats. Eagles are gray And a rainy day The sad look of a slum And chewing gum Wood ash and linen Crash. Pussy willows are gray In a velvety way. Suits, shoes And bad news, Beggars’ hats And alley cats Skin of a mole And a worn slipper sole. Content is gray And sleepiness, too They wear gray suede Gloves When they’re touching you.
What is Black?
What is Pink?
What is Green?
Black is the night When there isn’t a star And you can’t tell by Looking Where you are. Black is a pail of paving Tar. Black is jet And things you’d like to Forget. Black is a smokestack Black is a cat, A leopard, a raven, A high silk hat. The sound of black is “Boom! Boom! Boom! Echoing in An empty room. Black is kind… It cover’s up The run-down street, The broken cup. Black is charcoal And patio grill, The soot spots on The window sill. Black is a feeling Hard to explain Like suffering but Without the pain. Black is licorice And patent leather Shoes Black is the print In the news. Black is beauty In its deepest form, The darkest cloud In a thunderstorm. Think of what starlight And lamplight would Lack Diamonds and fireflies If they couldn’t lean Against Black…
Pink is the color of a Rose. They come in other Colors But everyone knows Pink is the mother-color Of a rose. Pink is a new baby, The inside of a shell Pink is a cooked shrimp And a Canterbury bell. Pink is peach bloom Gauzy…frail The wind’s exquisite Wedding veil. Pink is a bon-bon, Pink is a blush, Some Easter bunnies Are pink plush. If you stand in an Orchard In the middle of Spring And you don’t make a Sound You can hear pink sing, A darling, whispery Sort of thing. Pink is the beautiful Little sister of red My teacher said, And a ribbon girls tie Round their head. Pink is the sash With the lovely fold You’ll remember When you’re old. Pink is the flower On a lady’s hat That nods and bows This way and that.
Green is the grass And the leaves of trees Green is the smell Of a country breeze. Green is lettuce And sometimes the sea. When green is a feeling You pronounce it N-V Green is a coolness You get in the shade Of the tall old woods Where the moss is Made. Green is a flutter That comes in Spring When frost melts out Of everything. Green is a grasshopper Green is jade Green is hiding In the shade… Green is an olive And a pickle. The sound of green Is a water-trickle Green is the world After the rain Bathed and beautiful Again. April is green Peppermint, too Every elf has One green shoe. Under a grape arbor Air is green With sprinkles of Sunlight In between. Green is the meadow Green is the fuzz That covers up Where winter was. Green is ivy and Honeysuckle vine Green is yours Green is mine…
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The Color Master Class
WITH CARLA MATHIS, AICI CIM
What is Blue?
What is Orange?
What is White?
Blue is the color of the Sky Without a cloud Cool, distant, beautiful And proud. Blue is the quiet sea And the eyes of some People, And many agree As they grow older and Older Blue is the scarf Spring wears on her Shoulder. Blue is twilight, Shadows in snow, Blue is feeling Way down low. Blue is a heron, A sapphire ring, You can smell blue In many a thing: Gentian and larkspur Forget-me-nots, too. And if you listen You can hear blue And when evening Steps into Lonely rooms. Cold is blue: Flame shot from a Welding torch Is, too: Hot, wild, screaming, Blistering blue… And on winter Mornings The dawns are blue… In wind over water And wherever flax Blooms
Orange is a tiger lily, A carrot, A feather from A Parrot, A flame, The wildest color You can name. Orange is a happy day Saying good-by In a sunset that Shocks the sky. Orange is brave Orange is bold It’s bittersweet And marigold. Orange is zip Orange is dash The brightest stripe In a Roman sash. Orange is an orange Also a mango Orange is music Of the tango. Orange is the fur Of the fiery fox, The brightest crayon In the box. And in the fall When the leaves are Turning Orange is the smell Of a bonfire burning
White is a dove And a lily of the valley And a puddle of milk Spilled in an alley A ship’s sail A kite’s tail A wedding veil Hailstones and Halibut bones And some people’s Telephones. The hottest and most Blinding light Is white. And breath is white When you blow it out On a frosty night. White is the shining Absence of all color Then absence is white Out of touch Out of sight. White is marshmallow And vanilla ice cream And the part you can’t Remember In a dream. White is the sound Of a light foot walking White is a pair of Whispers talking. White is the beautiful Broken lace Of snowflakes falling On your face. You can smell white In a country room Toward the end of May In the cherry bloom
Thank you for attending! If you enjoyed this and would like to learn about additional training opportunities with me, please visit www.theStyleCore.com. Whether you are just starting your new career or looking to deepen your training, we have many options for you; from 1-‐hour webinars (watch any time, anywhere and as often as you like), in-‐studio courses from 1-‐6 days, and distance learning courses.
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