IND 5325 ALYSSA GARCIA
WHO ARE YOU
COLOR + BALANCE QUIZ
COLOR + CULTURE
COLOR + EMPHASIS
COLOR+ THEORY QUIZ
COLOR + SCALE+ UNITY
COLOR + DESIGNERS
COLOR + VARIETY
COLOR + PERCEPTION QUIZ
COLOR + WORKPLACE
COLOR + EMOTION
COLOR + EMOTION
MODULE 1
My name is Alyssa and this module portrays some of the things that make me tick. I will be using a 3x2 grid for this booklet.
DEREK a.k.a BOYFRIEND + LIAM a.k.a THE KID =
I have an Etsy shop called A WALL STORY
I like to craft with my hands using materials such as wood, yarn, cement and copper. This is ‘ME’ time to destress and keep innovating. These projects helps me put into perspective the time and effort it takes to make our built environments. Life is a process and this is mine.
I am THAT girl that touches everything! My obsession with materials has lead to a mini collection library in my home office. The materials I’m currently inspired by is metal (especially perforated), stone, and felt. And is it obvious? My favorite color this year is yellow.
MODULE 2
Get to know more about your culture as it relates to color. Also, analyzing another countries use of colors. Color symbolism in art, society, and anthropology refers to the use of color as a symbol in various cultures. I’ve chosen to study color and palette symbolism in my heritage Cuba and as a country I want to learn more about, Norway.
Blue was dominant in its european colonial period. It is used also to reflect the depth and shades of the island’s coast, loyalty, and tied to heaven as we cubans can be very catholic. Yellow and gold is hope, love, and wealth. Yellow is also a symbolic color tied to religion. White is purity and authority. It is often tied to the afro-heritage Yoruba religion. Not to mention, it is the ideal color to wear for the humid and hot climate.
Green is the lush tropical landscape of Cuba. It represents the earth and the color of their military clothing.
Havana has seen inspired by the colonial period but when the modernist movement arrived in Cuba, a distinct architectural culture was born. The adaptation of the climate and use of native materials resulted in the vibrant Havana we know today.
Red is romance and revolution. Cuban people are passionate. Red binds them with the association of communism and the red sea.
Red is symbolic through norse history as an aggressive force but spiritual color. It symbolizes vigor, and protective strength. Gold and yellow represents the light of the sun, honor, earthly power in all the realm, desire, and lust. I think they use a lot of warm palettes because the perception is the feeling of warmth in a country that’s constantly cold because of its high altitudes.
The consistent use of wood and natural/neutral colors in their interiors, weavings, ships, furniture brings warmth to the cold landscape. The nordic aesthetic is minimalist and raw tying even present day with their rich past.
Blue is a sign of restless motion and all encompassing like the ocean. In viking times the color was a call for adventure.
From paintings/carvings and tattoos the culture transcends time, telling tales of the past.Through the art, nordic culture runs deeper than most countries.
MODULE 3
1.
Hue is the pureness of a color.
2.
Tint is the addition of white to a pure color.
3.
Shade is the addition of black.
4.
Tone is the addition of gray.
5.
Value is the lightness or darkness of a color.
6.
Chroma is the purity of a color with no additions.
MODULE 4
Pick a designer and and a project of significant color influence to do a case study. The precedent analysis focuses on overarching concepts and the palettes used.
A Mexican engineer and architect known for his use of vibrant regional color, minimalist aesthetic, and bold landscapes. He had a poetic view that a home was a retreat. Along with his religious beliefs, the a house and studio is flushed with christian iconography in every room although not overpowering the interiors.
“ I DO NOT PAINT WITH GREEN, I LEAVE THAT TO NATURE �
His home and studio created in 1948, Mexico City, reveals layers in which more public parts of the house are gradually stripped away to reveal the sparse rooms inhabited by the architect and intended for only him.
Orange is pleasant, citrus, and energetic Pink is calm and feminine
Both colors celebrate the culture and natural foliage of Mexico as a bioclimatic response
Barragan made it a point to design the exterior facade as modest to blend in with surrounding residencies. He wanted to preserve the architectural character of this small collective of vecindades.
Past the blush door is the vestibule with volcanic rock flooring. The intense lighting effect is produced by the reflections of daylight on the gold art surface. The beams of light bounce off the rose colored walls and create a blush wash on the adjacent white walls.
The compressed entrance creates sensory stimulation. Upward lighting invokes a pause and gaze before entering. This space serves as a waiting area and a spot for discoveries.
I think that varying daylight, at different times of day and seasons makes this space seem new and casts a whole range of pink shades and tones.
As the day progresses, the light penetrating and reflecting the vestibule dims and the shadows now casted in the late afternoon transform the hot pink walls into a deep fuschia, altering the mood.
Yellow is warm and represents sunlight. White is tied to religion and purity of Mexico.
Use of local stone, plaster, and volcanic material is present inside and out.
From the terrace, an abstract landscape of planes and sculptural volume emerge.
Barragan was a very religious man. His house is filled with christian icons and subtle references. Many of the private spaces have 4 panel window shutters that reveal a cross when the light penetrates through the seams.
Through the studio, a dutch door painted rose leads to an outside niche that is the Patio de la ollas. This space was a product of the removal of the large window opening on the east facade. Vegetation grew into the patio, which was part of his architectural expression.
Natural elements such as sky, water, plants, and concrete are used to contrast the vibrant scheme. The materials above feeds the minimalistic concept. The play of shadows and direct sunlight again add to surprising the user with various tones and shades.
1. Rectilinear repetition 2. Framing vistas and volumes 3. Bringing the exterior indoors
HTTP://WWW.CASALUISBARRAGAN.ORG HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI LUIS_BARRAGAN_HOUSE_AND_STUDIO HTTPS://WWW.FT.COM/CONTENT/3B25E156-A532-11E3-8988-00144FEAB7DE
MODULE 5
1. Orange: being a combination of yellow and red, orange is also a warm, stimulating and attention-getting color. 2. Pink: the lighter shade of red represents love and romance, as well as femininity. Pink is generally considered to have a calming effect and lower testosterone levels. 3. Red: represents danger, warning, or error, but also warmth, love, passion, and intense emotion. Can also symbolize bravery, war, or blood. Some studies have shown it to stimulate appetite (which is why there's so much red at McDonald's restaurants) and improve accuracy on certain tasks.
4. Yellow: this bright, attention-getting color is seen as a sunny, happy color, yet studies have also shown, paradoxically, that prolonged exposure to it can make adults lose their tempers and babies cry. Yellow is also the most fatiguing color to the eye. 5.Blue: seen as having a calming effect. Darker shades of blue suggest reliability and security. Studies say that blue can increase productivity and creativity and may lower body temperature and pulse rate.
MODULE 6
What Dreams May Come is a classic film that uses vibrant colors to literally paint the narrative and symbolize important things like character representation and complex emotions.
After Chris Nielsen dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert. His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie, commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. it’s apparent to them both, that Chris and Annie are soulmates a rare occurrence. Upon arrival in hell, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined. Along his journey through hell he recalls the times his marriage has been strained like after their kids died. this is the link to her that helps him find her and how he saves her. he remembers when she was committed in a ward after the kids, that she asked why he couldn’t just join her in her sadness and pain and how he was able to move on. this was the key and ultimate sacrifice to retrieve her soul.
The majority of the film is set in the afterlife. The film constructs the afterlife by using vivid warm colors so the afterlife is obvious for the audience to recognize. The scenes of the afterlife have similarities to surrealist and romantic paintings. The use of warm colors and dramatic visions of light, create a dreamlike image. This is essentially a love story, with strong messages about destiny, playfulness and synchronicity. It also covers some very raw human emotions. It gives a great portrayal of suffering and loss. It also offers some interesting perspectives on denial and forgiveness.
Chris before being a family man and marrying Annie, is represented wearing blue and Annie as red. in this scene they are the primary colors set against green- a secondary color- as a background.
Blue means calm and Chris is always the level headed one throughout their lives. he is always comforting Annie who is unstable even before he met her.
Red means danger and passion. Annie represents both of these attributes as she is the wild card in the relationship. she loves fiercely to the point that it is self destructive and hazardous to others like Chris.
Red and blue make purple. Purple is the color that represents the bond between Annie and Chris because after blue and red are mixed they can’t be separated. In this scene, Chris (in his heaven) sees the tree Annie painted at first it’s vibrant and he feels she is okay. But as he gets closer, Annie’s emotional state takes a turn because she senses his presence gone. She ruins the canvas and the tree starts to lose its vibrancy, bringing in darker and dull tones of the once vivid purple. He senses her mourning and that something is wrong in her world. The storm rolling in and these dark tones signify death approaching and it’s foreshadowing Annie’s death.
Marie, Chris’ daughter is represented with Analogous colors such as blue green, purple and blue. So even if we don’t know her identity or tie to Chris as Leilani we can get a hint through the colors she wears and the colors Marie used to wear. Her purple accents reinforce the idea that she and Chris share a special bond- that of family.
In Marie’s heaven, everyone wears orange or pale neutral colors. There’s a celestial quality to the scene as some sepia tones and highlighting are used in the landscape. Marie is the only person of contrast in her heaven as her colors are blue-violet in this scene.
Chris and Annie are reunited however, they are depicted as individuals since they are both back to wearing their original colors of red and blue, from when they met. It’s as if they shed any co-dependency they had on each other or insecurity that attached them at the hip. Because they are truly soul mates they are reassured they will find each other again and again wherever they are and through whatever life. This is true love, persistent yet unselfish and unrelentless.
https://www.123helpme.com/color-as-metaphor-in-film-what-dreams-may -come-preview.asp?id=232818
https://seeingthemagic.com/what-dreams-may-come/
MODULE 7
As a rule of thumb, rooms should contain as little as 1 color and no more than 5 colors.
There are 3 types of spatial balance: Symmetry (left), asymmetry (middle), and radial (right).
Intense colors (like yellow) need to be balanced with neutral or dull colors (like black and white). Light colors (yellow) appear to advance or seem closer. Dark colors (black, brown) appear to recede or seem farther.
MODULE 8
Pick a boutique high end retail/ flagship store and observe how they utilize the concept of emphasis. I chose MIU MIU, Prada’s sister company.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Hue Value Design Feature Texture Focal point
Contrast of hue exists in the complementary color scheme chosen for the store. Green being a cool color, complements red, a warm color in the sense that they both help each other stand out. The saturation of the colors being opaque further emphasizes them.
Contrast of texture exists on the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the store. The floors and ceilings are smooth and neutral whereas, the walls are textile patterns and metal textures. the displays are also smooth like the shelves against the metal walls are a contrast of smooth and solid to perforated. .
Contrast of value exists in the materials because when lit they reflect to show dimensionality with lighter and darker tones of the material. The copper metal can look dull without light and vibrant hot when illuminated. Along with lighting, the red textile gets mirrored on the copper and that’s why it looks bright red.
The exterior envelope of the building seems to pierce the interior faces. The interior also wants to keep an orthogonal geometry and separate itself from the irregular angles of the exterior. This design feature of contrasting geometries emphasizes the theatrical interior and organizes it in a familiar manner.
The focal point is the mannequin display that greets you at first glance into the store. this display is the largest on the first floor and its importance is further marked by the change in flooring that bounds the display. the focal point also brings attention to the staircase behind as it is perfectly centered and bound or sized the same as the floor display.
https://www.contractdesign.com/projects/retail/miu-miu/
MODULE 9
Proportions of color should be considered in the context of the scale of a space. Unity and harmony work together to make processing information and spatial cues easy. In this module use techniques to establish an interior color palette with dominant, subdominant, and accent colors.
6 Nature images that inspire values, hues, and intensities for color rendering an interior. Relationships of proportions and scale are further examined as applied to the interior .
Using the Fibonacci series and the proportioned color grid, the relationships and strengths of color create all the possibilities for rendering. The first image utilizes the contrast of warm and cool tints. It was almost an achromatic scheme but the intense green draws attention and is bold.
The second image is working with complementary colors and hues of greens and shades of red (pink). The third image is an analogous palette with varying intensities and shades of blue and green neutralized by off-white.
The cool analogous palette creates depth and contrast by using various tones of blue and green and further contrasted by the off white. The 60-30-10 rule was used to figure out the dominant color of the walls juxtaposed to subdominant colors on the feature wall/ceiling, and larger furnishings like the seating and drapes.
The center of the room neutralizes all the strong colors using the subdominant off-white. And finally, the accent colors lie in the decor and greenery that hold a small area and are a variation of the hues and intensities found in the room. To further neutralize the saturation, keep it from becoming too dark, and to add some appropriate texture to the room, a rustic oak flooring and ceiling was utilized. Now there is a bit of warmth and these can relax in this space.
MODULE 10
Pick a local luxury hotel and choose two different areas to analyze for evidence of how they utilized variety. Variety is the principle that is concerned with the combination of one or more color elements with shape, form, pattern, and texture. I have chosen Faena in Miami Beach.
The theatre’s shape and form of the second floor is curvaceous adding depth to the highly monochromatic space. Red and pink is reflected on walls and ceiling. There’s polished golden columns and seating. The balcony cladding is textured as are the walls adding to the texture of the tufted booths. The patterns of the wallcovering help distinguish boundaries and provide contrast.
Lighting over each table provides visual direction of where the users need to go especially, since the rest of the area remains unlit and shadowed. The polished gold elements, although a warm color, still provide contrast to everything else that is red because they reflect light rather than absorb it like the red textiles do. The form of the theatre also dictates the way users move through the space as radiating in circular paths.
The complementary color scheme is applied rather unevenly. The red is the dominant color and warmest. The turquoise is a sub dominant color and coolest, creating high contrast. The accent color, green, is also cool and a complementary of red. Also, providing warmth and grounding the saturation of the space, is the subdominant seating in wood and neutral tile flooring. The horizontal and ribbed ceiling condition creates depth and drama and indicates movement or circulation paths.
Further inside past the pool side seating, is the display of the tree of life. The excess use of plants makes green the subdominant and not the accent anymore. The columns are dressed with shells of varying colors and forms (some ribbed versus smooth textures). The tiled art walls contrast and create focal points to the rest of the smooth and neutral colored walls. The white tables and umbrellas and neutral stone flooring highlight the rest of the seating which creates drama and calls attention.
https://www.faenatheater.com
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34439-d7787044-Reviews-Faen a_Hotel_Miami_Beach-Miami_Beach_Florida.html#photos;aggregationId=14&a lbumid=104&filter=7
MODULE 11
Pick a commercial workplace environment and look at how color is used to create movement, continuity, establish program, indicate circulation, add visual stimuli, and offer variety in experiences to the user. I have chosen Sandow HQ in New York.
Open office areas requiring productivity are mostly black and white so as to not distract workers and it balances out the space with equal contrasts of neutral colors. There are pops of the corporate accent color for some visual variety.
If the accessories had texture it would be overwhelming stimuli as yellow is already a strong attention seeking color. Smooth surfaces and accessories are yellow.
The art pieces are custom; they compliment and contrast yellow. It gives variety to the dominating white walls around the office and become focal points. The black and white photo of the Time’s building that is the Starbucks wallpaper is in juxtaposition to the yellow wall. It’s drawing attention and providing way finding to people looking for a rest from this bright yellow wall.
Although the workspace is neutral and simple there is texture and form to certain furniture pieces like the felt shelving diving the work desk area from the main circulation. Across the workspace the yellow calls attention to the meeting space.
PATTERN + TEXTURE = VARIETY Pattern or images on the walls are 2D but the hanging sculpture is 3D and mimics the telescoping and curving of the 2D pattern. This means there is repetition and because it’s in different dimensions it creates variety and cohesiveness.
In areas of high energy, the dominant color is yellow because it’s a cheery and energetic color. In the break room it is acceptable to have lively noise and people conjugating so all the yellow in that space invites you to speak at normal to high levels and to socialize.
However, when yellow is an accent to dominant colder colors such a white and grey, it can be a calming color because of its perceived warmth and contrast. This private office seems relaxing and quiet, but if you change the sofa color to white or grey the space will seem cold and dull.
Areas requiring high concentration, privacy, and rest are given a pause from yellow. The accent color is used sparingly to give a little pop or depth to a neutral and mainly monochromatic color scheme. Private areas include the conference room below and the personal office.
https://www.interiordesign.net/slideshows/detail/8047-a-strong-statement/
Some of the most important lessons to me were involving variety, balance, and scale, proportion and harmony. Knowing these principles will give me the tools to be an effective designer all around. I feel that now I can work through color to pull together my concept and the required functions.
My biggest take away from this course is to stop and observe. Dig into the information a place is giving off. Analyze why things look the way they do and what the color scheme is doing for concept, visual cues, and behavior.