color studies
To understand color is to understand the nature of frequency and the perception of the phenomenological experience of reality.
magenta
color, metaphor and the paradox of not existing
Color is not part of the material world; color is part our phenomenological experience of the world. Our senses are already on shaky ground here, so when we come to understand that the color called magenta is not even on the visible light spectrum, we realize that our brain is truly just making things up. magenta
color wheel
on the 12-color CMY/RGB scale
The traditional artist’s color wheel, with primaries of red, blue and yellow (RBY), could use a reboot with an understanding of the role of the extra-spectral color magenta. The CMY/RGB color wheel, which combines primaries from the additive and subtractive color gamut, represents a more accurate interpretation of visual color. color wheel
color mixing
with 5 (not 3) primary colors
Using a base palette of 5 primary colors, I painted a series of color swatches to determine all the hues in between, to help me visualize the gradience between primaries. To borrow from a musical analogy, it was an exercise in “doing my scales,” but with color tones. color mixing
lightfastness
of acrylic paint colors
In researching the properties of pigments, I found that single-pigment paints provide more reliable mixing results and better lightfastness compared to the common “convenience mixtures” that are pre-mixed in the tube at the factory (the price for convenience is impermanence, perhaps). However, the various pigments used by acrylic paint manufacturers differ by quality and chemistry, and some pigments are better than others. I created this chart which aggregates pigment traits with common acrylic paint brands to determine a paint’s relationship to pigment quality. acrylic colors