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Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun. - Pablo Picasso
chilly sunshine
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Yellow is the brightest hue in the color wheel and it is the color people see first among all other colors. Yellow is also one of the warmest and most energetic colors that represents happiness, joy, cheerfulness, optimism and pleasure, and it works best as a companion to other colors. The hue for the theme of this book is called “Chilly Sunshine�, which is a rich, bright yellow with a small amount of cyan and magenta. This hue is selected based on the theme of the book, yellows in winter in NYC.
inspi rations
Yellow can be found in the form of both organics and inorganics. Organic yellows can be easily seen in nature such as flowers, leaves, fruits, insects and birds. Whereas inorganic yellows are usually artificially made by paint or dye in order to achieve certain visual and emotional effects such as yellow clothing, accessories, furniture and cartoon characters.
winter in nyc gray scale study
The season that best represents yellow is summer; especially at the beach during summer when the sun shines on the sand to make it look like a golden painting. On the other hand, yellow is rarely seen in the dreary winter in New York as the weather becomes colder, leaves and grass are covered by snow and people start wearing sweaters and coats that are usually in darker colors such as black, gray or navy. I was thinking if people start to incorporate more shades of yellow into their lives during winter in New York to add a tiny ray of sunshine, it would make the city a little warmer as well as lifting our spirits.
yellow
on the street monochromatic color harmony
On a typical Saturday in the end of October, I decided to fulfill the practice of wearing yellow out and explore the city. I opened my closet and started checking out my wardrobe to decide what to wear today. I realized that I do not have anything yellow that could be worn in a cold day. As I walked on the street, I started to look for people who wear yellow. I found a teenager who wears a bright yellow beanie that pops out in the crowd and a woman who wears a pair of yellow rain boot moving fast on the crowded street. I started to feel the magic that yellow brings to this cold, windy day as winter is around the corner and it not only makes me happy to see such a colorful scene but also feel that it is going to be a brighter day.
neon night complementary color harmony
Complementary hues usually create a strong contrast to achieve a strong visual impact. The complementary hue for yellow is violet, and the pair can be spotted on neon lights through out Times Square in New York City. The vibrant lights decorate the space with full of energy in winter and makes Times Square the most famous tourist spot in the world.
concrete jungle
neutrals & metallics
New York city is one of the biggest concrete jungles in the world with hundreds and thousands of skyscrapers. One of the interesting facts is that most of the buildings are painted with yellowish neutral hues to prevent your eyes from being overwhelmed by the concretes in the city. The neutral hues also make the buildings a perfect match with the nature in the city, especially in the Upper East and West around Central Park, which makes the neighborhood the best spot in the city for taking a walk on a leisure day off work.
interior space analogous color harmony
In comparison with the exterior of New York city, the interior space can be decorated variously to create a cozy type of feeling. The analogous hues of yellow- yellow-green, makes it a perfect choice to make up a relaxing atmosphere. The wooden floor, chairs, curtain, wall paint and sofa with the analogous hues of yellow can reach a visual harmony and make you never want to step outside of your dream home on a chilly winter day.
brick new york analogous color harmony
I especially like the brick buildings in New York city because they make me feel like living in a city with full of history. The yellow-orange hues are another analogous color scheme for yellow; with the hues of the brick buildings, they make New York city a place with full of history and rich culture waiting to be discovered. Everytime I see a brick building in the city, I always wonder what the building is used for, when it was built and how long it has been there.
texture study monochromatic
There are organic and inorganic yellow textures that can be found in our lives with a monochromatic color scheme. Yellow organic textures often appear to be in nature such as a group of flowers or things made naturally such as a sweater made with organic cotton or pasta made with flour.
texture study analogous
On the other hand, inorganic yellow textures can be found on paint that falls off gradually over time on a various patterns of surfaces. When yellow textures are made manually, the paint seems to reveal the original texture more with a strong contrast because of the nature of the hue being very bright.
texture study complementary
When yellow textures are made manually, the paint seems to reveal the original texture more with a strong contrast because of the nature of the hue being very bright.
pattern study
The motifs for this set of pattern design are a pair of gloves and the sun, which represent the theme of my color story- warmth in winter. Both of the patterns are designed geometrically. The first pattern uses one of each motif to create a matrix and plays with diagonal repetition. The second pattern plays with scale and rotation from the center.
pattern study
Nothing beats a hot cup of coffee in hand walking on the street during winter in New York city. The motifs for this set of pattern design are a snowflake and a paper coffee cup. The first one is designed geometrically, using the coffee cup to rotate around a snowflake to form a matrix, and repeating it diagonally. The second pattern plays with different scales of the motifs to create a pattern that is freeform.
color pattern application
Adding colors to a pattern gives it a different feeling, especially when the patterns are applied to everyday living things in our lives. I used the complementary color scheme and two of the primary colors- yellow and blue for my pattern designs. The colors were tinted down so that they give the audience a cozy mood when they are applied to the pillow sets.
trans parency study
Transparency can create a lot of amazing visual effect, usually with different colors of light going through transparent materials such as glass. Some of the amazing transparent visual effects are done on purpose and some are just created through natural sunlight; however, both of them are eye pleasing and have endless possibilities.
conclusion
I really enjoyed doing this project because It gave me a chance to explore the city and I also learned a new vision about the hue yellow that I have never experienced before. Prior to doing this project, yellow to me is just the color of the cabs that are on the streets in New York City and I have also never thought of wearing yellow in my life. However, my perception has changed that yellow is such a pwerful color that changes people’s emotion and makes New York City a better place. I hope everyone who reads this color book could feel the same thing I feel and start to appreciate yellow more. Thank you for reading this book!