Studio Practise: 2016

Introduction

This blog will address the investigation of colour. The research will explore Pantone, CMYK, RGB, Josef Albers colour theory, Yves Klein, colour in graphic design, and harmonies colours.

Josef Albers

Josef Albers was influenced by the history of modern art in Europe and America. Albers is recognized by his Homage series paintings, where he produced them at the age of 62. His work varies throughout his career however the Homage series explore a graphic construction of line and space.

Josef Albers worked for the Bauhaus as a reigning faculty member. However, Bauhaus closed in June 1933, by November his wife, Anni Albers, and Josef Albers moved to the United States. Josef Albers started teaching post at the newly formed Black Mountain college in North Carolina.

In 1930, Albers encouraged students at Black Mountain college to use autumn leaves for colour studies. The Leaves acting as the material to gather content of heterogeneous colour ways. Albers experimented further with colour transparency where developed homage series further and illustrated in interaction of colour. Albers created a systematic format of using squares to record the concept of colour.

In 1950-1976, Albers produced his best known work, Homage to the squares. Albers use colour: unmodulated colours against each other, colours which are close tone and contrasting or near compliments. Albers oeuvre contained a simple and repetitive working method.

After retirement, Albers published teachings, Interaction of colour in 1963. The colour effect in the Homage series relates to this course of Interaction of colour. This contains Albers approach towards colour, creating relationships with other colours to establish a meaning of human relationships. Albers explores contrasting compliments to highlight drama and friction. The use of the Pompeian reds being repeated throughout his oeuvre contains a contextual meaning of the colour being used for backdrop curtains in theatre. The use of colour acting as a dramatic mysterious colour during that time period.

Josef Albers: Homage Series Painting

Josef Albers created around thousand paintings based on different colour ways.

Information from a Book: Josef Albers by The South Bank Centre.

RGB v CMYK

CMYK stands for: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. In addition to RGB standing for: Red, Green, and blue colour ways. RGB tends to be dealing with web in contrast to CMYK dealing with printed materials.

Throughout printing history, to achieve a colour, each ink had its own plate. The first printer would lay a colour, wait until the ink had dried, then would apply another coat of colour. This process would be repeated numerous of times to achieve the final outcome colour.

Printing processes still work with this theory, however with the exception of offset printers. Offset printers are used to spot colours which are mixed together to create a certain colour, this is through Pantone.

Computer monitors give of colour light known as RGB, whereas CMYK are colour ink. Computer monitors have a larger colour knowledge than printing. That’s why colours appear different on screen contrasted to the same colour being printed.

Cruxcreative.com

Klein Blue

Yves Klein intention was to fill the demand to trigger some emotional sensibilities. Klein work ethic was to investigate paint formulas to establish the visual effects of pure pigments.

In 1955, Klein found solutions to the problem with colour intensity. This was with the new chemical product, ‘Rhodopas’. The solution was when the fixative was thinned, it could combine pigments without altering the luminosity. The outcome was a matte paint with a vibrant effect, Klein referred to this as, ‘poetic energy’.

Klein described his investigation of colour as an individual, a developing recreation of the same primary colour. Klein decided to focus his work on monochrome art, focusing a specific modification of the colour blue.

By 1956, created a ultramarine pigment, which Klein called, ‘the most perfect expression of blue’. The Blue was inspired by the elements between the Heaven and Earth; inspired by the sky, sea and mountains. The purpose of this context was to apply distance, longing and infinity towards the colour.

In 1957, Klein created the original, ‘Blue Stamps’ when sending out invitations to his dual Paris exhibition. This gained reputation of monochrome art as usually Klein colour work was misread as decorative art. The Monochromes produced, were considered the most perfect quality of monochrome painting in the twentieth century.

IKB (international Klein Blue) would become well known around the globe. The year 1957, was a turning point in Klein’s career, his monochrome series ‘Proclamation of the Blue Epoch’ staged at the Galleria Apollinaire in Milan, which was held in Paris. Klein produced eleven paintings in monochrome Blue. At the end of the event, 1001 blue balloons were released into the blue night, to symbolise the concept from Earth to Heaven. This was the breakthrough in Klein’s art on the European scale.

Hannah Weitemeier:Klein

Pantone

Pantone matching system is a company used to identified colour. Throughout the art movement of the 20^th century different swatches of colour have been developed. The production of colour is influenced through culture, creativity, and socially. Colour is a fundamental part of the human experience, for instance certain colours will be on trend at a certain timer period. The power of colour is to develop an emotion through the context applied. For instance, the red placed on a stop sign suggest urgency, danger however red applied theatrically could be associated with horror and envy.

In modern day new colours have been produced such as: iridescent and fluorescents colours. The advance technology of computer screen perceiving the same colour to appear different. This relates to the printing quality of the colour appearing different on screen contrasted to the printed copy. This is also a developing process of new formed colour ways.

Klein Blue: Examples.

International Klein Blue, designed by Yves Klein, is a dark ultramarine blue colour, mostly used in graphic design as well as the fashion industry. During 2013-2015 the statistics show a high peak of popularity for the colour IK Blue.

2015

Designed by Jean Ducret from Switzerland in 2015, where the design incorporated letterpress.

Here the designer has incorporated a 3 dimensional technique towards the typeface through repeating letterform shapes. This establishes a more contemporary approach through the typeface having a joyful personality and identity. The use of the colour IK Blue is incorporated in the spelling of graphics to suggest the power of the colour having popularity during this time period. Therefore, this creates the colour to appear powerful and important. It could also have the interpretation of the journey of colour and how the importance has developed into the idea of a ‘craze in fashion’.

This piece is called ‘Dear Graduation’, designed by Lennart’s & de Brujin from Netherlands in 2015. The colour Klein Blue was used as a theme for the website. The website based on a graduation campaign for 27 photography students graduates from the Royal Academy of Arts The Hague. The campaign also produced brochures and catalogues created of the student’s work using Klein blue colour level effect. As the colour at the time was on trend it was created to ensure the event looked fresh, and modern. However, saying this as the colour has gone out of trend the work could perhaps look more dated now of the student’s work. As the colour was used as an educational purpose it also addresses an informative sophisticated approach. A sense of a higher class.

www.lennartsendebruijn.com The link for the website for : Dear Graduation campaign.

This piece was designed in2014 by Lucia Del Zotto from Italy. The piece was placed in a magazine to promote events. In this piece the context is promoting a dinner party. The IK Blue creates a a diverse, comfortable feel towards the event. The colour blue is usually associated with something calm and relaxing. The added vibrant effect creates a more contemporary approach towards the event. To perhaps create the idea of the event being the new trendy event to go to.

Resource: http://luciadelzotto.com/brutalstuff.html.

This piece is called ‘Birds of Paradise’ designed by Isabel Seiffert from Switzerland in 2013. The vibrant aspect towards the colour IK Blue really captivates the birds personality and identity. The concept of flight associates with the contextual production of the colour IK Blue (the colour being inspired with the tones in the sky). Also the colour blue includes a sense of peace through the movement of flight. Due to the colour being on trend at this time period, the font creates a contemporary, trendy approach towards the poster.

This poster is called, ‘Zeitgeist’ designed by Matthiew Salvaggio,created in France. The definition of the word Zeitgeist is:the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. The use of the ‘T’ appearing droopy created the idea and contextual understanding of the concept mood. The use of negative space being used against the IK Blue creates a juxtapose aspect towards the piece. The use of the Blue being a more darker tone plays a contrast aspect towards a lighter background. As the type addresses a droopy aspect to suggest mood the background creates a more lively feel towards the piece due to its vibrant pigment.

Resource found: http://matthiewsalvaggio.fr/zeitgeist

This poster was designed by La Villa Hermosa from Belgium in 2013. Contrasted to the example above, in my opinion, is less successful due to the CMYK print out which creates more of a dull feel which loses the vibrant quality of IK Blue. This perhaps proves due to RGM creating a more vibrant colour appearing onscreen explains the reasoning of why the colour was popular at the time.

Colour in Graphic Design

Throughout the research process, Joseph Albers uses colour harmonies exploring which colours work best as well as contrast tones between complementary colours. To adapt this into graphic design shows the idea of which colours work well together to communicate a particular context. However, saying this the idea of individuality is lost through the combination of tones. The idea of a certain colours creates more of a meaning and feeling towards the piece.

Joseph Albers would use the technique of selecting colours from a specific photograph or natural context for example leaves. The use of collecting colours through this process creates a colour which perhaps would be unexpected as well as creating a harmonies contrast with colours to see if this works well in advertisement and layout. This creates the idea of density towards the work as well as addressing layout which could be used with colour. This works as an advantage as colour ways could help play out composition layouts.

This then leads to Pantone and how they have identified each colour which leads to different pathways of creating an emotion to refer to context of Graphic design. For instance, a pastel blue could be associated with something angelic, innocence this could then relate to context of creating a baby advert poster. This therefore has understanding towards the context. Applying colour to context creates more of an identity however the concept may not be as innovative. People could argue that certain colours have become to cliché which then leads them to easily recognised.

When researching into Yves Klein, the use of one colour creates a more of an individuality and identification. It creates the concept of the brand being recognized more. However, the problem with specific tones, for instance Klein Blue is in trend and how fashion uses colour to create a trend.

The statistics showed that Klein blue had a peak between 2013-2015. Due to this colour being in trend there is that aspect of fear of the colour being more dated and out of style which therefore creates bad graphic design. Also the issue with a colour being in trend creates the concept of designers creating the same work, Graphic design looking similar to its competition. Therefore, combining colours connotes a sense of making your own trend, not following trends to stay individual.

However, you could argue that in advertisement with big companies would rely on more trend setting as products are selling there and then. For instance, take Urban outfitters, if there was a certain colour in trend graphic designers would use this colour to attract people into the store. On the other contrary, if the colour was used for logo types the logo will have to stay in trend longer as it will have to be recognizable. Therefore, trends create a disadvantage for this concept in Graphic design.

With development in the modern day, RGB is used for computer monitors, colours may appear more vibrant which could adapt more of a fresh, younger look. However, saying this, this could relate to the release of neon colours first been used, now the use of neon colours has been used more often which has created a less innovative idea.

To summarise, colours are used to suggest a certain feeling; red suggests warmth, blue suggest coldness, and relaxation. However, in my opinion fashion works as a disadvantage with colour as certain colours will go out of trend, which challenges Graphic designers to create something original and individual.

Evaluation of Colour harmonies, contrasts and groups

Complementary colours are opposites to each other on the colour wheel. These are considered complementary colours such as purple and yellow.

Analogous colour schemes are colours which are besides each other on the colour wheel. Analogous colours usually match well and are used for comfortable designs. These colours are usually found in nature and are pleasing to look at.

One colour is used to dominate the group, the other is used to support the colour theme. The third colour is used as an accent.

Triad colour scheme are colours which evenly spaced around the colour scheme. These colours tend to be quite vibrant.

The split-complementary colour scheme is a variation of the complimentary colour scheme. The base colour is used to compliment two colours which are adjacent.

The rectangle and square colour scheme uses four colours which are complimentary pairs of each other.

Production

When the project was set, I had to consider how this information will be set into a booklet form. As a designer, I previously struggled with technological skills. Firstly I planned the layout on Word but struggled with this. Also the typefaces were not suitable as I have gained knowledge of type through out the course.

Therefore I redesigned the booklet onto Illustrator. This was then converted in InDesign as the programme uses Vectors. This then formed a booklet layout.

The booklet was originally planned to be A5, however there was a lot of content, so I expanded the size to A4.

Due to this change, I could not print onto different papers which I had planned, as printing was restricted. If I were to develop this again, I would of printed onto better quality paper, perhaps a grey one to contrast with the theme of colour.

The colour's chosen was magenta and cyan. These colours come through the CMYK process. I wanted to include this as this is something I have learnt as well as the colour including meaning to relate to the printed format of the outcome of a booklet.

The front cover was photocopied on, purely typographic, onto sugar paper. This created a recycled effect to imitate the process of colour. The use of gathering colour from other sources. The lining within the booklet is magenta to relate to the type as well as creating a theme. To develop the theme further, I could have included magenta thread.

Feedback given

The booklet could include different grid layouts to create a diversity. Perhaps include more imagery and colour as a background rather than just leaving a block of type. The layout is clear which creates the booklet to be readable and presentable. The typeface is contemporary. Perhaps include handcraft qualities of screen printing and letterpress to relate to handmade colours from artists such as Yves Klein. The booklet could be developed further by applying a binding quality, perhaps on a sewing machine to create a better finish. The digital print room would create other sources available such as printing onto tracing paper which could create the booklet to be more interesting. The booklet could be more abstract to relate to my style, for example vary the paper sizes so it appears more interesting and unique.