The Color Popularity Contest: Cars, Weddings, Sports Teams, and Much More

We all know that colors can conjure up various meanings and sometimes even feelings. The color red can convey power, passion, or caution. Blues and greens can evoke feelings of peace and tranquility. But what are the most popular colors out there?

The multimedia resource center for DuPont recently released the 2011 Global Automotive Color popularity report. This report made us curious to know what the popular color choices are, not only for cars, but for other material things like clothing, home decor, sports teams, and weddings.

According to DuPont’s Global Color Popularity Report, the most popular car colors in 2011 were white, solid, pearl, silver, and black. This is the first time in quite a while that whites have surpassed black and grey in popularity. The colors green and yellow came in last, leaving red, blue, and brown to fall somewhere in the middle.

In North America, white, black, and silver still ranked highest on the list for popular car colors. Green, yellow, and brown came in last, while grey, red, and blue took the middle ground. To view the report yourself and discover which colors were the most popular in numerous countries, visit the website below.

http://www2.dupont.com/Media_Center/en_US/color_popularity/

Color popularity can depend on many factors including seasons, fashions, and purpose. The popularity of a color is always subject to change as new styles, needs, and combinations come to the surface. It is also incredibly hard to determine the most popular color in many situations.

General surveys have revealed that blue is usually the most popular color overall. However, green has been a favored decorating color.

When it comes to sports teams, each team typically claims at least two primary (bold) colors. At the moment, the most popular color scheme for sports teams is red and black.

Popular fashion colors can change by the year or even by the season. Popular shoe colors are generally red, black, and silver. However, discerning popular hair colors is a bit trickier. Usually when we talk about hair color we are referring more to hues and shades than we are to actual colors. For those worried about fitting in to current fashion, platinum blonde is still “in,” as is blonde.

Popular wedding color combinations are also difficult to keep up with, but black and white seem to stay consistently popular. This year you may just be seeing a lot of neutral colors paired with small amounts of bright, eye-popping color.

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Related articles

• Car colors: An Artistic Expression? (segmation.wordpress.com)
• How Well Do You Know Your Colors? (segmation.wordpress.com)
• Using Complimentary Colors (segmation.wordpress.com)

How Well Do You Know Your Colors?

Have you ever wondered how we go about distinguishing color? Have you ever considered why we call a color by a certain name? The world we live in is saturated with color. All throughout the day our eyes work to distinguish the various hues of color we come in contact with.

The human eye can distinguish over one- million colors. Most of us are familiar with basic color classes,

• Achromatic Color terms: Black, gray, and white
• Primary Color terms: Red, blue and yellow
• Secondary Color terms: Brown, orange, green, and purple

However, these eleven color terms only make up a small percentage of the colors we humans are able to see and identify.  Is there any system we can use to name and organize the million plus colors that don’t automatically fall into the basic color classes?

In the 1930’s and 1940’s the British Color Council attempted to create a structure for naming colors.  What they came up with is viewed by some as slightly confusing.  For example, the British Color Council chose to use terms such as squirrel and bee eater blue to name colors.  What colors come to mind when you read these terms?  Do you think that others would agree with you or do you believe they might interpret the terms differently?

Currently, there exists a more scientific structure of naming colors.  A set of 267 colors exists that are named, or described, using familiar color language.  For example, this scientific method combines words such as, light, grayish and red to create a name for a color that we all might be able to identify easily in our minds.  Yet, a set of 267 color names is still only a small percentage of the colors our eyes can see distinctively.  Is it possible to create a more extensive set of color names that can be collectively agreed upon?

Think about the word you might use instead of light yellowish brown.  Did you come up with words like tan or khaki?

Now consider how you would scientifically define some commonly used color names.  Start with the color name puce.  Does purplish brown work?  What about the color name ocher?  Did you come up with a phrase such as, dark yellow or dark golden yellow?

The process of naming over one million colors seems to be more complicated that it appears.  Visit http://www.colormatters.com and take part in their Global Colors Survey to test you own color naming ability.

Images made available by Marian Kraus Photography Inc.

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What are your Summer Colors?

Thinking about summer usually evokes thoughts of vibrant colors and warm temperatures. In fact, mental flashes with shades of yellow, sky blue and soft orange can be tormenting during drab winter months. Let’s face it, a 90 degree summer day is the only appropriate time to pull out the yellow linen table cloth, light blue Bahama-shorts and fill your drink glass with colorful fruits.

So, we have to ask: What are your summer colors?

In Martha Stewart’s 60 Days of Color 2011, she shares 19 colorful images that are sure to spawn ideas about how you can incorporate summer colors into your warm days. After flipping through some of the pictures, Martha’s favorite summer colors become apparent.

Summer Colors according to Martha Stewart

• Dramatic Yellow
• Martha Stewart repeatedly uses yellow as her primary color. To compliment this shade she pairs it with a variety of greens. The yellow has a deep tone, closer to a shade of mustard, and nowhere near the color of a street sign. This allows her to use the summer color in large, solid amounts. However, the shade can also carry an entire design and dominate the swirling motion of flower patterns. No matter how it is used, this deep shade of yellow adds brightness to a room without overwhelming the eyes.

• Shades of Blue
• Martha Stewart uses a myriad of blue shades in her collection of summer colors. She often uses light blues to cover large background areas, such as walls, bedspreads and curtains. This allows light to flow through the room and reflect off of dramatic blue accents. Various pieces that are dark blue include throw blankets, vases and paint trim.

• Orange: the soft and the bold
• In her 2011 collection of summer colors, Martha Stewart features some bold rooms with bright accents. Perhaps she does this because her readers spend so much time surrounded by dark colors in those drab winter months. The bold rooms photographed are filled with burnt orange, dark woods and deep greens. Something she uses to splash these dark settings with summer color are light orange accents, soft peach center pieces and lots of complimentary candle light.

Martha Stewart has named her summer colors. Have you chosen yours?

There is still time to pick your 2011 summer colors. Immerse yourself in a world of color by doing a leisure summer activity. Paint by number with Segmation is certain to bring out the color expert in you.

Image made available by Shahram Sharif on Flickr through Creative Common License

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The Many Different Hues of Blue

The Many Different Hues of Blue.

The Many Different Hues of Blue

The Many Different Hues of Blue.

The Many Different Hues of Blue

The Many Different Hues of Blue.

The Many Different Hues of Blue

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If you want to paint a seascape with soaring blue skies and rippling blue water, you might go to the art supply store and stand in awe at the sheer range of blues available with different shades, tints, and variations in hue. For instance, a major paint manufacturer offers at least 15 different types of blue, from Cerulean Blue on the lighter end of the spectrum to Indigo Blue on the darker end.

The more you work with your paints, the more you’ll intuitively recognize which tube of blue to choose when you need to paint blue eyes, a bluebird or a deep blue sea. Although the distinct characteristics of each blue might be familiar to you, do you know where the name for each particular color comes from?

As we discussed in a previous article on the origins of color names for artist pigments, many paint colors derive their names from what they are made of: for instance, Phthalo Blue is named for the synthetic pigment Phthalocyanine, and Cobalt Blue is named for the lustrous metal cobalt, etc.

Let’s explore where some of these other blues get their color names:

• Anthraquinone Blue – “Anthraquinone” is an organic compound that forms the basis for many dyes.

• Cerulean Blue – “Cerulean” has its roots in the Latin word caelum which means heaven or sky.

• Indigo – “Indigo” is named for the Indigofera genus, many plants of which are used as a dye.

• Navy blue – The color “Navy blue” is named for the dark blue uniforms worn by officers in the British Royal Navy and was first used as a color name in 1840.

• Primary Cyan – “Cyan” comes from the Greek word kýanos, which means dark blue substance.

• Ultramarine blue – “Ultramarine” derives from the Latin word ultramarines which means beyond the sea.

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Art Basel with Lois Ostrov Abstract Artist!

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A beautiful collection of 22 tropical and abstract artworks by Lois Ostrov, an award winning water color and water media artist living in the Miami, Florida area. You’ll find oranges, sailboats, hibiscus and poppy flowers as well as a lighthouse, and toucan in this warm blend of South Floridian themed collection.

Lois Ostrov, originally from Ohio, taught for 25 years before choosing South Florida as the physical place to further develop her art.

Curious about textiles, her first fine art medium, she began to research other techniques of the fine arts. Ostrov found that painting, with collage added, provides the greatest opportunity to express ideas and thoughts in a personal and creative way.

As an artist, selection of colors and mediums depends on the atmosphere and surroundings of the places to choose to paint. Paint in a series. The colors, forms, and textures depicted in each series are quite different. The spirituality one feels about a place is an integral part and helps develop a personal relationship with the environment when painting.

Vision for work is acquired from photo references taken on locations from around the world. The right blend of photographs enhances feelings about a place and allows the construction of a perfect painting!

Ostrov invites the viewer to enjoy, analyze, and question her work.

Ostrov paintings have won awards and placed in juried shows including: Art Serve Broward County, Artists’ Eye Fine Art Gallery, Art Expressions Gallery Artists Haven Gallery, Broward Art Guild, Broward Library Gallery 6, Coral Springs Museum, Cornell Museum of Art, Delray Museum Art School, Florida Watercolor Society (Signature Membership), Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, Gold Coast Watercolor Society, Hollywood Art Guild, Miami Watercolor Society (Signature Membership), Palm Beach Watercolor Society, Parker Playhouse, Plantation Art Guild and in private and commercial collections.

In the Press: April 2006 Edition of Palette Magazine, April, 2006– Edition of Watercolor Magic , August, 2003–City Link, December, 2002–City Link

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