Š 2010 by Deborah Lynne J. Flores. All rights reserved. Printed as a Color Workshop Trend Book for Pratt Institute, New York.
Escape. Escape the dull and dry greyscale of your routine, and plunge into the luminous waters of the extraordinary by following the evolving spectrum of the color blue green. Every turn of the page will bring you deeper into the mysterious beauty of things you may have forgotten still exists in your world. Pieces of paradise, creatures exotic, magnified by the blue green hue, waiting to be rediscovered by you. This is your exotic paradise. Welcome back, and welcome home.
The Many Names of Blue Green
Turquoise
Teal
[ gemstone ]
[ bird ]
Cyan [ salt ]
Aquamarine [ water ]
Sea Green [ sea ]
Just like the open seas and skies, blue green is about as limitless in its spectrum as its given names. It is referred to as Teal, Turquoise, Cyan, Aquamarine, Sea Green, among other variations. These connote the natural elements - fauna, gemstone, salts, minerals, and water - all of which contain and represent life. Blue green is a hue of life, from its most pristine tints to its dramatic shades. This color is alive with light and warmth, actively flowing, with the intrinsic ability to cradle growth.
Monochromatic Studies in Coloraid
A monochromatic spectrum creates a feeling of depth. The tints, tones, pastels and shades of blue green represent the amount of light that reaches out from the surface. Its combination gives off a dynamic dimensionality that interacts with the eye, allowing things come forward and others recede into the shadows.
LP P2-3 S2 S1
T4 P2-2
S3
Shades, Tones and Tints. S1 to S3; P2-1 to P2-3; Hue; T2, T4, LP.
H P2-1
T2
90S >100 S
60S 40S
They laid down a blanket, these two best friends, shared earphones listening to Jack Johnson’s music, and just stayed silent. Content. Their conversations were each other’s steady breathing, in sync with the rhythm of the waves, and every so often one or the other would look over, and think to themselves, “Nothing’s ever better than this.” Then, he
20S
offered her a ring and waited for his best friend to say yes.
Degrees of Saturation. Percentage, L-R: 100, 80, 60, 50, 40, 20, 10, 0.
Blue green captures a kind of nostalgic paradise that belongs to lovers and friends when saturation or neutrals come to play. Sand and seaform are all it takes to transport them back to their private getaway, where you fall asleep to the lullaby of the waves. This romantic palette is the quickest escape anyone can take down memory lane.
The Soft Neutrals. RO P3-3, P3-2, P2-3, P2-2; BG P3-2, P3-3, P2-2, P2-3.
If one were to touch blue green, it would be grainy yet soft, textured yet fine, delicate yet firm. Blue green would be the feeling of wet sand strolling on the beach, or underwater anemones, or freshly laundered towels, bath salt crystals, or the worn wooden cabin on the island.
Degrees of Complements in Texture
Temperature expands the versatility of blue green and enables a refreshingly novel mixture of warm and cool complements interpreted in the language of fashion, style and design today. There is a carefree interplay of chic cool and haute heat in blue green which makes the spirit rise and celebrate the tropical paradise or the urban exotic we feel within.
Photo Collage. New hues Dune, Wild Berry, Paradise, Azure, Lifeguard, Seahorse, Cirrus, Poseidon.
Complementary Threesome. Neutral Gray 4.5 (or 60% Black), RO-Hue, and BG-Hue.
Enchant. Blue green and red orange are an exotic tandem of hypnotic energy. Whether it is because of its vibrations against each other or the polarity of its temperatures, something about their combination draws you in, casting as it were an almost enchanting spell. You are certain to find yourself lost in the intricate and exciting weave of brightness against shadows. Awash with the abundance of colors, you will never look at anything the same way again.
In a simple complementary scheme, blue green finds its perfect partner in red orange. However, this relationship is hardly plain at all. Blue green’s calm and collected nature is activated by the spontaneity of red orange, creating adventurous harmony together. Red orange, with its commanding presence, enables blue green to exact attention, thus making an impression most difficult to forget.
Complementary Pairs. BG P2-3, P2-2, P2-1, S1; RO T3, T2, T1, Hue.
P2-3 P2-2 P2-1 S1
H T1 T2 T3
Blue green is a living habitat. It is a place to get away to, but also an experience of escape. It may be as spacious as the open seas, or as thick as a virgin rainforest. Whatever emotion it may radiate, blue green is always an adventure. Vivid scenery, vivid memories of living, blue green is the habitat of the exotic, where one’s wealth is the richness of dreams conquered and colors combined.
Exotique.
Deriving the Color in Pantone, RGB, CMYK, and Hex
CMYK
100C 50K
Pantone 321
RGB
0R 128G 128B
HEX
#008080
The peacock is a shining epitome of the vibrance of blue green when expanded along the analogous color wheel. It is a living rainbow walking among us on earth. From warm to cool, blue green works in harmony with the brightest to the most royal of hues, showing off the best that nature has to offer.
Analogous Studies. RV, V, BV, BG, G, YG, Y.
The unique trait of blue green is that whether it covers the entire subject or serves as a backdrop to something else, it creates a statement of elegance. It knows when to shroud something in mystery so as to seduce the eye, or when to let something bask in the spotlight.
Compound Triadic Studies. BG, RV, YO with O and G Tints
Fortune [ plant ]
Dusk Peacock
[ time of day ]
[ bird ]
Blossom [ flower ]
Mango [ fruit ]
Y
BgT
RO
B
RV
BgS
V
YO
Sand Castle Royalty Tetrad
G
Gc Tidal Wave Analogous Who knew that petals, minerals, rock formations, and feathers can come together in such stunning harmony?
O
BonďŹ re Dance Tetrad
Textile prints can take advantage of the hypnotic, almost trance-inducing feel of blue green when paired with red orange. In this retro-inspired graphic symphony of teardrops and pointed ellipses, tints and shades in neutral complements transport a physical space to the wide open space of sand and surf.
Dimensional Pattern. Low Chroma RO P3-3, RO P3-2, RO P2-2, BG P3-3, BG S1, BG Hue.
Taking advantage of its ability to highlight or conceal a particular trait, one can apply the intuitive color blue green to one’s daily habit. Step out in this color and it will be like stepping into your own exotic paradise.
Painted Complementary Swatches and Color Stripe Study
Come home.