|
|
Working with Colors
|
|
|
Color and Light |
People see color differently no matter what, but the quality and amount of light, as well as one color's proximity to another, can all affect the way a color looks. Jewelry designer Mary Tafuri shared with us that in her career "I've made more than one necklace, only to take it outside and see that my color choices didn't match up the way I had anticipated. I try now to make things with a large amount of natural lighting."
|
Picking the Right Metals for your Piece
|
|
|
Antiqued Brass is darker than raw brass and goes well with just about any color.
|
|
|
Antiqued Pewter is a base metal with a pewter-colored plating that closely matches "white" plate. The crevices of the bead and charms are darkened to give an antique appearance.
|
|
|
Copper is a reddish metal that looks good with silver, gold and gunmetal, even if you mix multiple colors together in one piece of jewelry.
|
|
|
Gold is often paired with warm complimentary earth-tones (amber, tigereye etc) or cooler pastel colors (peridot, amethyst etc). Because the color of "gold" jewelry can range from plated yellow to 14k to a brass-ish yellow, some bright secondary colors can clash (even the yellow plated findings can be difficult to match with other yellow plated items).
|
|
|
Gunmetal is complimented best by primary colors (blue, red etc.), although, because it is basically black, there are not too many colors that clash with it.
|
|
|
Silver is the most versatile metal in regards to color combinations and looks good with every color on the chart (even gold and gunmetal, although some would call the mixing of metals a trend).
|
|
Trends and Color Forecasting
|
New to the jewelry biz? Or just need some inspiration when you're tired of making the same old stuff? Check out the fashion forecasts for upcoming seasons.
Caveat: Don't be a slave to fashion. If the hot trends don't inspire you, then make what you love. Or try to find just one or two colors that appeal to you in the current or upcoming season's palette, and make your own variation.
|
Color Definitions
|
|
- Primary - Colors that cannot be mixed from any other colors: Red, Yellow, Blue
- Secondary - Two primary colors mixed together: Orange, Violet, Green
- Tertiary - One primary and one secondary color mixed together
- Warm - Reds, oranges and yellows
- Cool - Greens, blues and violets
- Hue - Another name for color
|
- Tint - Color + White
- Tone - Color + Gray
- Shade - Color + Black
- Intensity/Chroma - Brightness or dullness of a color
- Value - Lightness or darkness of a color
|
|
Color Wheels
|
|
Primary
|
|
|
|
|
|
Secondary
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tertiary
|
|
|
- Red-Orange
- Red-Violet
- Blue-Violet
- Blue-Green
- Yellow-Green
- Yellow-Orange
|
|
|
Color Charts
|
|
Warm
|
|
|
Cool
|
|
|
|
Back to Tips & Techniques
|
|
