Can Certain Colors Attract the Opposite Sex?

Specific colors can attract the opposite sex: true or false? The definitive answer to this question is a mystery. However, the theory that claims certain colors act as magnets for romantic attention is one that is supported by many people’s personal experiences.

Colors are the Best Love Potions

How to attract the opposite sex has been a hot topic throughout the ages. It has also been the subject of many academic and scientific studies. Those who study human behavior are discovering more everyday about the factors that can help individuals attract love interests.

The impact that color has upon sexual attraction is a subject of interest for scientists and laypeople alike. However, while color’s bearing upon attraction is a topic worthy of study, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that wearing certain colors can increase one’s sexual attractiveness.

Women and Men are Attracted to Different Hues

Are you ready to begin wearing colors that will attract a romantic partner? If so, it’s important to first understand that, not surprisingly, females and males are sexually attracted to individuals wearing gender-specific colors. Women should consider wearing pink, coral, and peach to maximize attraction from men. These shades may cause men to perceive women as feminine and approachable. For a man, wearing shades of blue may increase a woman’s attraction to him. This is because a man wearing blue is frequently perceived as stable and dependable. Many women also view red as an attractive color for men to wear.

The Magic Color that Garners Attention from Both Sexes

Red is a color that both sexes are equally attracted to. Of all the colors a woman can wear, shades from the red family are usually the most attention-grabbing and attractive of all. Jeremy Nicholson of Psychology Today explains this phenomenon: “The color red triggers a basic, primal response in humans as a signal of sexuality and fertility.” When a man sees a woman wearing red, in many cases his attraction for her increases. According to Nicholson, “When a woman sees a man in red, she instinctively sees him as higher status and is more interested in having sex with him.” It seems that wearing red can help both of the sexes attract romantic partners.

Science is proving that wearing certain colors can increase someone’s sexual desirability. Because of this, single people who desire a mate should consider dressing in colors that will cause them to be perceived as sexually attractive.

What Colors Attract You?

Do you believe there is any validity behind the theory that certain colors can attract the opposite sex? Have you ever noticed that people tend to be more attracted to you when you wear particular colors? What colors most attract you to the opposite sex?

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Red Artwork is Worth Fortunes

Roses May Smell the Same, but Colors Make a Difference

St. Valentine and the History of Romance

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Next Color Can Heal the Nervous System

Can color heal the nervous system? Do different hues have the ability to bring health to the body through the gateway of the eyes?

The answer to these questions is, amazingly, yes. Optometric phototherapy, which heavily relies upon the use of color, has been proven to deliver results to patients. This means that color is not only beautiful, but is also medically useful.

What Is Optometric Phototherapy? How Does It Work?

Syntonics, also known as optometric phototherapy or colored light therapy, is a form of therapy that has been studied formally for over 70 years. According to the College of Syntonic Optometry, syntonics “is the branch of ocular science dealing with the application of selected light frequencies through the eyes.”

To understand syntonics, you must first understand color. Color is not just something lovely to look at; it actually emits physical frequencies, or vibrations. Different colors emit different frequencies. Researchers in the field of vision therapy have discovered what color frequencies, when received through the visual system, treat specific health problems.

Optometric phototherapy is administered via a syntonizer, which is an instrument that resembles a long tube. At the end of the tube is a white-light source, and placed in front of the light source are colored filters. In a typical therapy session, a patient places his or her face onto the wider end of the syntonizer in order to gaze upon the backlit colored lenses for a period of time. In the Brain World index, Syntonics: Colored Light Therapy for Balance, these “certain selected light frequencies applied by way of the eyes…can produce beneficial results in the body.”

The combination of color and light bring about results that are extraordinary.

What Health Issues Can Syntonics Successfully Treat?

Though there is a low level of awareness of syntonics, it remains a highly effective treatment for many different maladies. This under-recognized therapy helps relieve a myriad of health problems, including:

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Strabismus (eye turns)
• Convergence insufficiency
• Learning disabilities
• Headaches
• Eyestrain
• Pain
• Inflammation
• Trauma/stress-related issues
• Sensory processing disorder (or sensory integration dysfunction)
• Depression
• Amblyopia (lazy eye)
• Anxiety

Colored Light Therapy Ministers Healing to the Nervous System

Colored light therapy can heal visual problems, but it doesn’t stop there. Because, according to Brain World, syntonics causes balance to be “…restored in the regulatory centers of the body’s nervous system, specifically the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems,” it has the ability to bring peace to a troubled mind. Colored light therapy has been known to be an especially effective treatment for those having an unbalanced nervous system.

Different Colors Treat Different Health Problems

What colors, applied via optometric phototherapy, might help correct your health problems? That is a question that can only be answered by a certified vision therapist. However, the following is a list of health concerns and the corresponding colors that may help resolve them:

• Yellow — Depression, lethargy
• Blue and/or green — Allergies, fatigue, acute illness
• Purple — Migraines
• Red and/or blue — Adrenal problems

Do you suffer with any of the health problems mentioned in this post? Colored light therapy may be a viable, safe, and artful treatment that could be useful in your pursuit of better health.

Communicate Your Feelings Through Flowers

Flowers are perhaps the most perfect gift, graciously supplied by the earth. The mere sight of one’s favorite flower can soothe frazzled emotions, stoke the fires of new love, and rekindle feelings of hope. Flowers are living works of art that remind us that life is worth living. It would serve anyone well to learn more about flowers.

Read on to discover what types of flowers may be most meaningful to your loved ones (or yourself) on a special occasion or just an ordinary day.

Let the Flowers Do the Talking

Before you choose a type of flower to give to your loved one, ask yourself what you’d like to communicate to him or her. Whatever the sentiment is, flowers can express it. For example:

• Love – There is no better way to express love than with classic, exquisite roses. Though typically associated with romance, roses are not just for lovers. Yellow roses are often exchanged between dear friends. Red roses are the ultimate Valentine’s Day treat. If you’re looking for something out-of-the-box, ask your florist for tie dyed roses.
• Purity, Beauty, Innocence – Daises are often equated with innocence and youthfulness; they are an ideal gift for a young girl, a high school graduate, or a free spirit of any age. A bouquet of daisies can minister feelings of carefreeness and youthful exuberance.
• Style, Class – Lilies, particularly Casablanca lilies, communicate that you see your loved one as beautiful, stylish, and one-of-a-kind. Its amazing fragrance makes this type of flower even more perfect.
• Luxury, Strength, Beauty – Orchids are the best flower to give to someone you deeply value. Most people liken orchids to costliness and rarity. Katie Pavid of the Bristol Post explains, “During the Victorian era, orchid symbolism shifted to luxury, and today this sense of magnificence and artful splendor continues, with orchids representing rare and delicate beauty.” A gift of orchids will be long remembered.
• Fascination – You might not know it, but carnations can effectively express fascination, making them a great gift to be sent by a secret admirer.

Colors Change the Meaning of Flowers

The color of a flower has the ability to alter or totally change the message you wish to communicate to the flower receiver. For example, giving your loved one pink flowers will communicate that you admire her femininity. White would highlight the receiver’s purity. Purple speaks of the high regard you hold your loved one in, and red represents romantic love and passion. Ralph Waldo Emerson exclaimed, “The earth laughs in flowers.” This lovely statement reminds us of the joy flowers can bring, and the simple power they possess to touch hearts and express sentiments. What is your favorite flower, and what color do you prefer? When was the last time you received a breathtaking bouquet of nature’s art? Share with us in the comments section below.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color: Colorful Flowers to Plant this Spring Sunflowers are Summer’s Glory Roses May Smell the Same, but Colors Make a Difference

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Coloring Book Fosters Emotional Healing

Can art help heal the emotional wounds of adults? Specifically, does color possess the ability to act as a healing agent to the human psyche?

The short answer to both of these questions is yes.

Art therapists and other medical professionals are well aware of the amazing ability art and color have to minister healing to the unseen injuries inflicted by emotional trauma. An increasing number of universities and colleges are designing degree programs that enable students to pursue art therapy as a profession. Art-based therapies are becoming commonplace in hospitals, and are often integrated into treatments for behavioral health patients.

Psychologist Ellen Lacter took art-based therapy into a new and exciting direction when she created a therapeutic coloring book aptly named A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse.

Coloring Book May Resolve Abuse-Related Issues

A Coloring Book of Healing Images was created to assuage the hurts that result from abuse. Author Ellen Lacter, who has been an art therapist since 1977, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor since 1998, and clinical psychologist since 1986, designed this coloring book with results in mind. Lacter brought nearly 30 years of experience into the creation of this coloring book, packing it with tools that foster self-care and can bring healing and resolution to abuse-related issues.

This very special coloring book consists of 17 chapters. Each chapter details a facet of healing; examples of chapter titles include Acceptance, Self-Love, Hope, Joy and Play, and Healing Abused Parts of Myself. Included in each chapter is a description of a particular aspect of healing, as well as plenty of ready-to-be-colored illustrations.

Illustrators Robin Baird Lewis and Jen Callow helped the author bring the curative coloring book to life by composing its images. “As the reader applies art media to the images, their meaning can be deeply internalized to tap into the survivor’s infinite internal resources and to pave a personal path for healing.”

Color Your Way to Healing

The memories of child abuse have a way of seeping deeply into the subconscious and expressing themselves in ways that negatively alter a person’s life. Individuals who live through child abuse are true survivors. A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse is a resource designed to help people go from merely surviving to thriving.

Coloring books are no longer just for kids. If you are an adult survivor of child abuse, Ellen Lacter’s healing coloring book could be a steppingstone on your journey toward emotional wholeness.

Read more about A Coloring Book of Healing Images for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse here.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Art Therapy Treats more than the Heart

Why Is Your Favorite Color Your Favorite Color?

“The Pixel Painter”

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Favorite Things About Spring

An old proverb promises, “No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” After a long, hard winter, are you ready for spring?

While winter is a beloved season for some, most of us would definitely concur that cheery spring is a welcome change from the frigid dreariness of winter.

Segmation is certainly excited about the approach of spring. Read on to discover our favorite things about the season that thousands of people are inviting with open arms.

Reasons Why Segmation Loves Spring

There are so many reasons Segmation adores spring. Here are just a few:

• Sense of Promise — Would you agree that spring carries a sense of promise that things will improve and problems will finally be resolved? In our opinion, spring is interconnected with a sense a promise. With that sense comes hope that newness is on its way. This newness can look like fresh flowers blooming, making plans for a new start in life or a career change, or even spring cleaning your home to cleanse it of winter’s doldrums. The sweetest promise offered by spring is the assurance that summer is just around the corner, waiting to make its appearance.

• Beautiful Weather — Segmation’s very favorite thing about spring may well be the weather that it introduces. When spring comes, coldness and misery flee, making way for bluer skies, warm breezes, and walkways that are clear of ice and snow. It is the rare person who does not eagerly anticipate the opportunity to once again dress in light, non-confining clothing. Without a doubt, most people can hardly wait to bask in spring’s balmy atmosphere.

• Baby Animals — Is there anything more pleasant than baby chicks, bunnies, horses, and cows? Isn’t it wonderful to take a drive in the country and see a mare with her foal? This explosion of new life is special and anticipated because it only takes place in springtime.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables — Food that originates in a garden is not only nourishing to the body; it is also pleasing to the eyes. A bowl of fresh produce brings a sense of abundance and health to a home. There is no better way to announce the arrival of spring than by serving beautiful, fresh fruits and vegetables to your family.

• More Daylight — Segmation dearly loves the increased daylight time that comes with spring. More daylight means more time to enjoy the outdoors. Also, it is a welcome feeling to wake up to a brightly lit morning sky as opposed to the pitch black that should be restricted only to nighttime.

What Do You Love About Spring?

What are some of your favorite things about spring? Do you love the flowers that shoot up from the earth, the restored greenness of grass, or the general feeling of hope that consumes the atmosphere? Comment below and let us know why you are excited about the approach of spring.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Colorful Flowers to Plant this Spring

Welcome Spring with a Freshly Painted Front Door

Coloring Each Season with Healthy Food

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When Art Sells Art

Suppose you walk into a bookstore and are immediately beckoned by a brightly colored book cover that features an exquisite sunset over a stunningly surreal ocean. You pick up the book and turn it on its face. Unfortunately the description on the back doesn’t pique your interest nearly as much as the book’s enchanting cover. Nevertheless, you pull out your debit card and carry your newfound treasure to the cashier.

What just happened? Art sold art.

Art Sells Art

This happens all the time. Songs featured in movies become wildly popular; an art exhibition features the works of an unknown artist, which in turn makes him or her a household name overnight; expertly designed DVD covers allure consumers to buy; and theater posters sell theater tickets unassisted.

Erik Piepenburg of The New York Times declares, “Great theater posters…sell by design…the best posters convey the conceptual complexities of the plays they serve.”

Indeed, some of the most beautiful designs in the world can be found on the covers of theater posters.

Examples of Great Theater Poster Art

There are many remarkably crafted theater posters. Here are a couple posters that are impressive:

A Small Fire – Designed by Julia McNamara, A Small Fire’s show poster features two sets of hands, one red and the other white, on a solid black background. Speaking of the hands, McNamara says, “…I think of them as more feminine hands. They were always red, like fire. The color scheme really works. It makes it striking.”

Stage Kiss – Stage Kiss’s show poster, designed by Courtney Waddell Eckersley, displays hundreds of lipstick-laden kiss prints, all layered on top of one another. In reference to creating the graphic for the poster, Eckersley says, “I…picked up as many bright opaque and inexpensive lipstick shades as I could find.” Then, she and an intern “kissed the page a lot.” The piece appears abstract from a distance, but the lip prints are quite visible up close.

Art in all its forms often says more than words can ever express. Art is beauty. It entices, allures, and invites the beholder to come closer. There is no better way to sell art than by using another form of art to do so. This phenomenon takes place when an artful theater poster sells out a show.

Has a theater poster ever inspired you to purchase a theater ticket, simply because the poster was great? What are some of your favorite theater posters? When have you noticed art enticing you to purchase art?

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Selling Your Art in a Strained Economy

Art Transforms Traditional Business Practices

Selling your art at outdoor art fairs

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Art that Sells Broadway

The versatility of art is not easy to define. Art is an umbrella term that encompasses different mediums, genres and styles. Each medium of art is attractive on its own, but when several types of art come together, a fresh, deep, enriched level of art is born. For instance, this is the case when music, dance, storytelling and graphic design collide. You may be wondering where these diverse art mediums intersect. On Broadway, of course.

Erick Pipenburg (@erikpiepenburg) has one of the most interesting jobs in America; he is the senior theatre editor at the New York Times. Recently his job has taken him away from Broadway stages and into the studios of graphic designers and photographers who create promotional posters for hit shows.

“Behind the Poster” is a category on the New York Times blog, Artsbeat. In this genre of his professional art medium, writing, Pipenburg interviews the talented visual artists who are on the front lines of theatre show productions. He has gone behind the curtains of shows like “The Visit,” starring Chita Rivera; “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” starring Neil Patrick Harris; and a new play, “Stage Kiss,” which is promoted by an abstract poster that is made up of lipstick kisses on paper. Each time, Pipenburg’s interview reveals a story that goes beyond the script and into the lives of all the artist who create and promote the play.

To better grasp what Pipenburg does, read the response from freelance illustrator Julie Furer Knutson, who created the poster for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” playing in Seattle, Washington:

“I wanted this to scream ’60s. That blue is very of that era. When I was a kid we had a couch that color. It seems everybody had that couch back then. I guess it was Danish-designed and had that very plain but textural fabric to it. The characters keep drinking to hide what’s going on in their lives. They are outward with their rage, but they are hiding behind the alcohol. I thought white for the title really exposes things.”

Here is the New York Times article that contains this poster review and five others: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/arts/posters-the-fine-art-of-selling-theater.html.

Erick Pipenburg is revealing another element of art that goes into creating shows that grace Broadway stages each night. He is showcasing the tapestry of art mediums, styles, and genres that go into producing show-stopping productions. In a way, he is identifying the many parts of a fulfilling, multi-dimensional work of art.

Art is often made up of several pieces. No art program knows this better than Segmation. Paint-by-number has been allowing people to become artists for years. Now, Segmation is making paint-by-number a digital phenomenon, too. By putting together the pieces of artful imaging, you can be an artist. Have you tried SegPlay PC or SegPlay Mobile yet? Click here to learn more about the software that can transform you into an artist: http://segmation.com/. Piece by piece, you can, like Erick Pipenburg, expose a beautiful picture.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Paper Quilling – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Can Elephant Art Save the Species?

What Is True About The Color Blue?

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The World’s First Tetrachromat Artist

The unique nature of an artist can be considered art itself. What sets great artists apart may not be their talents but their circumstances. While we know much of our destinies are determined by the decisions we make, remnants of happenstance hover over many of the artists we know and love.

No one understands this better than Concetta Antico, who, in 2012, received news that would change her life and send her already successful art career into high gear.

The Making of an Artist

To Concetta, art and life have always been one in the same. Her love of art began at the age of seven, when she found herself fascinated by color. This was around the time she started painting. Even at a young age her peers recognized the Australian native’s creative talent.
Now in San Diego, the place she considers home, Concetta’s days begin at the sight of color. The moment she opens her eyes she feels inspired by the color variations outside her windows and inside her home. Even the different fibers found in her wood floors can captivate this color connoisseur. These everyday sightings are what encourage Concetta to paint extraordinary works of art.

As an oil painter, Concetta paints each piece of art in one sitting and may accomplish 12 or more paintings per month. (With an exhibit on the horizon she has been known to paint up to 30 pieces in that time.) As it may seem, there is no time for creative blocks in Concetta’s world, although, she rarely feels confined by the age-old artist’s plague. Each day Concetta’s appreciation for art is renewed as she takes in the millions of shades, tones and hues that color her world.

Beyond her own art, Concetta also owns and operates an oil painting school called The Salon of Art (http://www.thesalonofart.com/). In her 25 years of teaching, she has instructed over 15,000 people on how to paint.

At a glance, it seems Concetta Antico has lived multiple lives, all dedicated to the pursuit of art. But these are merely chapters of a single story; the story of an artist. And the current chapter, the one where she and her art become known throughout the world, is only just beginning.

Behind the Artist’s Eyes

Concetta describes some of her recent fame as a result of being at the right place at the right time. And to some degree, this is true. In fact, had Concetta’s life not unfolded the way it has, the world may still not fully understand tetrachromacy, a condition where a person possesses four types of cone cells (independent channels for conveying colors) in the eye. It is typical to possess three cone cells but not four. Ultimately, a person with tetrachromacy, or a tetrachromat, may see 99 million more colors than the average person.

Concetta Antico is the world’s first tetrachromat artist, a combination that some researchers have dubbed “The Perfect Storm.” One reason why few people know about tetrachromacy is because not many people know they are seeing more colors than other people. Concetta, on the other hand, has been immersed in color her entire life. Therefore, she is a highly functioning tetrachromat who fully embraced her condition before she knew it was there. This is why Concetta is able to help researchers better understand 2-3 percent of the world’s population that have four color cones. Tetrachromacy involves a unique connection between one’s eyes and brain. Sometimes, people who are unaware they are tetrachromat’s have not allowed their brains to recognize the large amount of colors their eyes take in. Because Concetta has been using color her entire life, her brain is quick to recognize assortments of color that others (even fellow tectrachromats) cannot process.

However, if it weren’t for being at the right place at the right time Concetta may not have learned she has tetrachromacy. Nor would the world have the first artist who can shed light on what it is like to see life through rich color.

Recognizing Tetrachromacy

Two separate occasions led Concetta to the team of researchers who would genotype her as a tetrachromat. The first was a trip to an optometrist with her daughter, and the second came in the form of an email from one of her students.

In 2009, Concetta’s then 8-year-old daughter came home from school with an uncommon concern. She couldn’t see the board when her teacher wrote on it in orange. It seemed like a case of colorblindness, which is odd because it is very rare for girls to be colorblind. However, a trip to the eye doctor proved that Concetta, a lifelong lover of color, had a daughter with colorblindness.

Concetta didn’t think too much of the rarity in her line of DNA until a student of hers, Wendy Martin, sent her an email about a genetic factor that may influence how some individuals see color. Wendy was a research scientist herself and had noted an “alchemy” in Concetta’s work. When Wendy told the artist/teacher that she couldn’t put her finger on what made the art unique, Concetta joked that it must be her fourth receptor. Shortly after this conversation, Wendy sent Concetta an email with an article that connected the dots of her unique talent. The article stated that a person with four receptors could, in fact, have a colorblind daughter.

On this day in November, 2012, Concetta emailed the authors of the article, thus taking the first step in recognizing what the world knows her for today. Concetta Antico is a tetrachromat.

Same Art, New Fame

What has changed since receiving this news? Concetta still wakes up inspired by colors outside her windows and inside her home; she still owns and teaches at The Salon of Art; she completes each painting in one sitting. But on top of these decades-long practices, Concetta now has a press career. With the eloquence of a tenure educator, the accent of an Australian empress, and the poise of an internationally renowned artist, Concetta grants interviews about her artwork and how tetrachromacy influences her craft.

There is no doubt that Concetta’s talent and work ethic are worthy of fame, but much of this new wave of success has come from her accepting and embracing a DNA condition that is propelling her career to new heights.

So in an exclusive interview with Concetta Antico, the world’s first tetrachromat artist, Segmation has one burning question: What is your favorite color?

Her response might come as a surprise. “White,” she says.

An artist who is known to live in a world of color is most drawn to the color white. Some might argue that white is not a color, but those people are not tetrachromats. “Everything speaks to me,” explains Concetta. “It’s hard to detach from color. It is a huge component of everything I do.” She also expresses that colors like red and yellow are too strong. To her, white is peaceful. And let us not forget, to a tetrachromat, even white is a mosaic of color.

Images made available by Concetta Antico.

Paper Quilling – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Paper Quilling: is it a craft project? Is it an art form? Is it enjoyed by adults or children?

Yes to all the above.

According to Aunt Annie’s Crafts, “Quilling is the art of rolling narrow strips of paper into coils or scrolls, and arranging them to form elegant filigree.”

People who are young and young-at-heart both enjoy paper quilling as a craft. They roll, pinch and place computer paper, craft paper, construction paper and even junk mail to create 3D masterpieces. However, paper quilling is nothing new. Look back in time to better understand the evolution of this art practice.

Paper Quilling in the Colonial Era and Beyond

Is it any surprise that paper quilling, a favorite craft for artsy people of all ages, has been around for hundreds of years? Even though it gets its name from the Colonial era, when feather quills were used to create these works of art, filigree art has been around since the 14^th century.

Before paper filigree filled the free time of craft enthusiasts, metal filigree was all the rage. Most popularly known as a jewelry metalwork, this form of filigree twisted golds and silvers together to create beads and threads that were used in jewelry items and small standing art pieces.

Today, paper filigree is growing in popularity again. However, thanks to the creativity of quillers throughout the world, paper quilling goes far beyond creating 3D art. People have created bowls, baskets, vases and teacups by rolling and coiling colorful papers.

Paper Quilling as Modern Art

Crafters aren’t the only people embracing paper quilling. In an article posted to mymodernmet.com, it is reported that “Seoul-based artist Ilhwa Kim hand-dyes, cuts, and rolls thousands of individual sheets of Korean mulberry paper to form vibrant, three-dimensional works of art bursting with striking patterns and imagery.”

Kim doesn’t refer to her art as paper quilling, although it seems to derive from the same family. Nevertheless, she seems to modernize the centuries-old practice. She “…carefully [arranges the rigid layers of paper] according to color so that, when seen from afar, the viewer spots subtle impressions of eyes, hearts, human figures, and more in Kim’s densely packed images.”

Paper filigree has come a long way and continues to evolve. Where will the art and craft go next?

Have you tried paper quilling? What was your experience with the craft? It seems like there are several ways you can make quilling unique; what is your technique?

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

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Paint by Number – The Original DIY Project

Graphic Designer Creates a Different TYPE of Art

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Properly Defining Color: Webster’s Dictionary and the Science of Color

Color is one of the hardest things to properly define. Most people do it by using comparatives such as “sunset orange,” “sky blue,” and “jade green”. But Webster’s Dictionary, wanting to be as direct and precise as possible, actually hired a color scientist to assist with color definitions for its Second Edition.

Isaac H. Godlove, who was chief color consultant for Webster’s from 1921 until 1935, had excellent credentials for the job. He was the chairman of the Committee of Measurement and Specification of the Inter-Society Color Council, a member of the Colorimetry Committee of the Optical Society, and director of the Munsell Research Laboratory, which created the Munsell Color Company, formed specifically to standardize colors.

Dr. Godlove created a system of defining colors by hue, saturation, and brilliance. Hue was the color itself, such as red or yellow; saturation described how the color looked under certain lighting conditions; brilliance (also known as brightness) was measured by how close it was to white. He defined ‘cherry’ as “a bright-red color; a color, yellowish-red in hue, of very high saturation and medium brilliance.” The entry for color is three columns long and includes graphs and two color plates.

Pleased with and even awed by his work, Webster’s editors called Godlove in to work on color definitions for the Third Edition. In the intervening years between the two editions, color names had become increasingly standardized. Popular use of these names had even been analyzed in mass-marketing campaigns, and their findings were to be incorporated into the new edition.

The Third Edition contained comprehensive color plates as well as an entire page dedicated to explaining the color charts and the descriptive names of each hue. There was even a five-page dye chart! Other additions and changes included:

• Color definitions were now relational: each one was now something “more or less of” another. There were no more formulaic descriptions of a color’s hue, saturation, and brilliance.
• Color names were defined by so-called ‘color specialists’ from retail giants Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. This resulted in consumer-style definitions such as ‘Cerise’: a moderate red that is slightly darker than claret (sense 3a), slightly lighter than Harvard crimson (sense 1), very slightly bluer and duller than average strawberry (sense 2a), and bluer and very slightly lighter than Turkey red.

In retrospect, the Third Edition took the ‘color as science’ concept too far. These definitions are too full-blown and subjective to make sense to the average person, except for ‘light blue’, ‘pale green’, or, in the cerise example ‘moderate red’. Accordingly, they were demystified and translated into simpler language in future editions: today, Webster’s defines the color blue as ‘the color of the sky’.

When Webster’s original 1847 edition was being revised during the 1850s, colors were more simply defined. Red was blood. Green was fresh grass. Those are descriptions we can easily relate to today, over 150 years later.

Science is an amazing and liberating field, but when it comes to describing the raw beauty of color, it seems simplicity is all we need.

Read more Segmation blog posts about art and color:

Color Advances Science

Art Illuminates Science

The Psychology of Color

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