Color Noodle

Color Noodle Is Moving

Lori Sawaya — 2009-05-31T08:38:00Z

Color Noodle is Relocating

Brand Spankin' New Website

Color Strategies ™

New Website and Blog Entries Coming Soon!

Thanks for being patient.

What Colors Can Your Dog See?

Lori Sawaya — 2009-03-03T05:46:00Z

I was amazed to learn that Luke sees my favorite color, blue-green, as white!

That's my dog, Luke, up there and when he was a puppy we had a definite sense that he could understand every word we said. A few of his key words are "walk", "play", "treats", and "bye-bye". We learned early in his puppy hood to spell those key words instead of saying them out loud. Now, I swear the little stinker can spell!

So, we got to wondering what else Luke Skywalker Sawaya could do. Sure he has a catchy and befitting name due to his dark and light sides, but what abilities lie within those moniker-inspiring eyes. I had read many times before that dogs could not see in color, only achromatically meaning black, white, and gray. Knowing Luke, I didn't believe it and set out to find more information.

What I found was a study in which Dana K. Vaughan, Ph.D., Dept. of biology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh vounteered her two Italian Greyhounds named Flip and Gypsy. "Source" below is a link to her paper entitled "How Dogs See Color". As a dog lover and total color geek, I found every word fascinating.

The results from the study tells us that dogs do see some colors: violet, indigo, blue, yellow and red. They are especially adept at differentiating between shades of violet, indigo, and blue. Who knew!! "The colors Green, Yellow, and Orange all look alike to dogs; but look different from Red and different from various Blues and Purples."

"How Dogs See Color" advises us that in order "to maximize an object's visibility to a dog, we should strive to combine (1) moderate motion (when feasible); (2) maximal contrast (a dark and white pattern unlike that of the background scene); and (3) stand-out color (one that is identifiable by dogs and does not occur very often in the background scene). The best of all possible worlds for most background scenes would be boldly-patterned Bright Purple and White objects."

Source Link from PupLife Healthy Dog Supplies: How Dogs See Color

Color of the Month - Shocking Pink February

Lori Sawaya — 2009-02-20T01:40:00Z

Shocking Pink was made world famous by the Italian Elsa Schiaparelli 1890-1973.

The story of how Shocking Pink was *invented* goes that one of Schiaparelli's clients, a heiress named Daisy Fellowes, owned a 17.27 ct pink diamond from Cartier called the Tête de Belier (translation Ram's Head). The diamond was inspiration for the color of the box of Schiaparelli's first perfume which she named "Shocking". Leonor Fini is credited with designing the packaging for the fragrance as well as the bottle design. The perfume bottle is the shape of a woman's torso widely believed to be based on Mae West's custom dress form. West was one of many movie stars for whom Elsa designed clothing.

Her fragrance, Shocking, is available through the Schiaparelli website:
http://www.schiaparelli.com/cannes2.htm

More about the trail-blazing designer, Elsa Schiaparelli:
http://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Art-Fashion-Elsa-Schiaparelli/dp/0300100663

WHAT EMOTIONS CAN SHOCKING PINK BRING TO A SPACE?

11 Ways Shocking Pink
Feels Good

When Shocking Pink
Feels Bad

Bright

Dynamic
Sexy
Stimulating
Sweetness
Enthusiastic

Exciting

Fun
Modern

Playful

Youthful

Cloying

Feverish

Flamboyant

Juvenile
Lusty
Agitating
Throbbing
Unsophisticated

Loud

Vampish
Cheap

Color of the Month - January's Icy Blues

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-25T05:30:00Z

Blue. Notorious for being the most favored color. Blue's fans seem to know no boundaries as they are from all age groups, both genders, and varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Apparently blue rules and for good reason. Blue skies are favored over gray ones. Oceans in a range of blues and turquoise are inviting, calming and are the unofficial international symbol for VACATION! Blue has a lot to say. Here are some of its most recognized emotions.

WHAT EMOTIONS CAN BLUE BRING TO A SPACE?

11 Ways Blue Feels Good	When Blue Feels Bad
Calm Classic Fresh Modern Peaceful Playful Restful Retreat Serene Tranquil Youthful	Bland Cold Depressing Devoid Empty Hard Heavy Oppressive Sharp Unappetizing Vapid

Are you White-Knuckling "Inspiration Pieces"?

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-23T07:53:00Z

It's time for my Process of Coloring Series right here on Color Noodle
Step away from the inspiration pieces and mood boards and no one gets hurt

We will be discussing what it means to:

Define Expectations
Identify Tolerances
Evaluate Proportion of Space
Observe Natural Light
Inventory Artificial Light
Consider elements
Understand why it is not possible for paint color to ever be "first"

"Why can't I pick the right paint colors?"

Don't even know how many emails I have received over the years about this topic -- I lost count. In response to questions about how to successfully choose paint colors, I have typed the following paragraph eleventy million times:

"You have to define expectations, identify tolerances,
evaluate proportion of space, observe natural light,
inventory artificial light, and LASTLY consider
permanent, semi-permanent, and
transient elements that reside in the space."

My color point of view is more inclusive than most and I firmly believe that you don't HAVE to have an inspiration piece in order to properly fit a room with color.

Logically, the question to pose to those white-knuckling the staid philosophies of color scheming and ye old inspiration piece is: If it works so darn well, then why are there so many people -- professional and DIY alike -- out there struggling hard and falling flat when it comes to choosing paint colors.

My tried and true mantra is as follows: before considering anything as the one piece of inspiration around which you intend to color and build an entire atmosphere, you need to at least define expectations and identify tolerances. Otherwise, you are floundering in a sea of commercialized and bastardized color concepts. Just because a piece of fabric has a colorway running along its selvage doesn't mean it's a good choice for what you're trying to achieve. Just because a _____________ (fill in the blank) has a *color scheme* doesn't mean it's a good one -- or the right one.

The notion that some arbitrary piece of inanimate "whatever" can be the key to coloring an environment in which humans have to function and live is a little short-sighted... pun intended.

Link to recent decorating forum post: Garden Web "How to Use a Paint Wheel" Post from 12/ 20/ 2008

Peanut Butter Slices

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-22T09:20:00Z

When peeled baby carrots hit the supermarkets, I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. Peeling carrots is no fun and takes too long so the baby carrots are a reasonable convenience food in my book. But the PB slices might be crossing a line. I have lots to do but I'm not so busy that I can't dip a knife in a jar of PB and smear some across a slice o'bread! Is this what we've been reduced to, peanut butter slices? I'm sorry but this type of processing and packaging should be exclusive to cheese and cheese only.

Can you imagine in the dim morning light packing lunches and mixing up PB Slices and American Cheese Singles? (((shudder))) A ham and PB sandwich does not sound appetizing to me at all. However, something did catch my eye when I saw this new PB innovation....

... THE COLORS! Fabulous paint color inspiration! The PB slices could almost pass for paint chips. On behalf of paint store staff everywhere, allow me to list some of my favorite "peanut" inspired paint colors so you can leave your PB slices at home:

Color Name	Color Number	Paint Brand
Peanut Butter	2159-20	Ben Moore
Peanut Brittle	84B	ACE
Peanut Shell	2162-40	Ben Moore
Peanut Shell	8262W	Pittsburgh Paints & Frazee
Peanut Shell	2055	Pratt & Lambert
Peanut Shell	84D	ACE

You can see virtual interpretations of the colors at My Perfect Color

What is Luminosity

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-22T00:08:00Z

LUMINOSITY

Color is a wavelength. Wavelengths can be measured and therefore the luminosity of a color can be measured. The definition from dictionary.com says it more clearly than I could: "the brightness of a light source of a certain wavelength as it appears to the eye, measured as the ratio of luminous flux to radiant flux at that wavelength."

Luminosity of a color is about how LIGHT or DARK it literally is; how much light it keeps and how much it is able to emit or bounce back into the room. Notice on the graphic how the lightness of the black on the far left is markedly less than the lightness of the neutral gray on the opposite end. When it comes to paint colors, the measure of luminosity is available to you on paint chips or fandecks and it is call LRV. "L" = light or luminosity. See this article to better understand LRV and paint colors. LRV - What is Light Reflectance Value

The Three Parts of Color

What is Saturation

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-22T00:08:00Z

SATURATION

Saturation speaks to the part of color that we see and describe as bright or dull. If you want to dull a paint color, you decrease its saturation. If you think it's too muddy or dull, you want the saturation to be clearer or more pure -- closer to the color's root hue. Adjusting saturation means adding black, gray, or color complements to a paint color in order to decrease saturation which will dull it or "knock it back". Doing so moves the color farther away from its purest state of hue. The more black, gray, or complement you add to a color, the more neutralized the color becomes. See how the blue in the graphic is moved from a bright, vivid blue all the way down to a neutral gray.

The Three Parts of Color

What is Hue

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-16T12:32:00Z

HUE

Newton divided the visible spectrum into seven basic hues. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet - ROY G BIV makes it easy to remember. Colors that can be produced by a single wavelength, the pure spectral colors, are hues. There are more hues in the visible spectrum besides just these basic seven. In the book Optiks, it tells us why Newton chose to edit it down to only seven hues. The seven are based on a belief, derived from the ancient Greek sophists, that there was a connection between the hues, the musical notes, the known objects in the solar system, and the days of the week -- so that's why those basic seven hues are the ones that get the most spin.

The graphic below shows how a few extra wavelengths can get squeezed in to various charts depicting hue. Your basic color wheel has more than seven hues too as it will show: red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet, and red-violet.

The Three Parts of Color

Another Variation

Source

Hue vs. Color

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-14T23:47:00Z

Did you know that the window for learning new words stays open throughout life, but the ability to learn a second language is greatest between birth and six years old?  Source

Here's the bad news, since we're a lot older than six and if we are not already fluent in a second language, the odds are we're never going to be fluent in another language. The good news is your noodle keeps the window for learning new words open. So let's get noodlin' on some common color words!                                                                                                                    Source

One of the biggest challenges as a consumer of color is getting the color you want! The problem is the language of color theory is confusing and not too many people use color terms correctly.  A more clearly defined color vocabulary will help you build your color expertise and refine that knack for color you already have.

HUE vs. COLOR

The words "hue" and "color" do not mean the same thing, they are not synonyms. Hue is not interchangeable for the word color and vice versa. Hue is actually just one part of color.   Color has three basic components, Hue, Saturation and Luminosity also known as HSL. See graphic below.

The Three Parts of Color

Welcome Fellow Color Noodler!

Lori Sawaya — 2009-01-14T07:36:14Z

Let's talk about spaghetti! What does spaghetti have to do with paint and color, you ask. Let me explain...

When making spaghetti, you have a choice. Leave the noodles big or break them in two. I break mine in two because I think it's easier to eat that way. The task of sorting out those long and entwined strings of spaghetti just to get one good bite can be overwhelming and messy even when you think have the right tools.

My intent is to break down the basics - and not so basics - of color so you understand color better. Just like breaking spaghetti in two, we'll make color less overwhelming and easier to manage. We'll noodle on everything and anything paint and color!

Color Noodle

Color Noodle Is Moving

What Colors Can Your Dog See?

Color of the Month - Shocking Pink February

Color of the Month - January's Icy Blues

Are you White-Knuckling "Inspiration Pieces"?

It's time for my Process of Coloring Series right here on Color NoodleStep away from the inspiration pieces and *mood boards* and no one gets hurt

"You have to define expectations, identify tolerances,evaluate proportion of space, observe natural light,inventory artificial light, and LASTLY considerpermanent, semi-permanent, andtransient elements that reside in the space."

Peanut Butter Slices

What is Luminosity

The Three Parts of Color

What is Saturation

The Three Parts of Color

What is Hue

The Three Parts of Color

Another Variation

Hue vs. Color

The Three Parts of Color

Welcome Fellow Color Noodler!

It's time for my Process of Coloring Series right here on Color Noodle
Step away from the inspiration pieces and mood boards and no one gets hurt

"You have to define expectations, identify tolerances,
evaluate proportion of space, observe natural light,
inventory artificial light, and LASTLY consider
permanent, semi-permanent, and
transient elements that reside in the space."