A Color Theory Lesson from Sherwin-Williams Paint
Color Theory
Learning the basic “language of color” will help you achieve your decorating goals. Here is a simple break-down from Sherwin-Williams:
Hue
Hue identifies the general family of a color, such as red, yellow, blue or green. The traditional color wheel is made up of twelve color families: red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue-red-violet, violet and blue-violet.
Color Wheel
Colors on the opposite side of the wheel from each other are called complementary colors. In combination, these create striking contrasts. For less contrast, choose colors next to each other on the color wheel, which are called analogous colors. Choosing colors of different tints within one color family creates a monochromatic color scheme.
Warm or Cool?
Different colors in the same family may be described as being “warm” or “cool.” Colors with yellow undertones will seem warmer, while the same color with blue or red undertones will appear cool. Cool colors – blue, green, violet – invite relaxation and thought. Warm colors – red, orange, yellow – encourage conversation and play. Sherwin-Williams color experts suggest using both warm and cool colors in rooms where you desire balance and variety.
Value
Value describes how light or dark a specific color may be. On most color strips, lighter values are at the top, mid-tone values are in the middle and darker values are at the bottom. When you combine colors from a single color strip, you’re creating a monochromatic color scheme – perfect for creating a sophisticated, spacious look in a single room.
So you want to paint your home and it’s long overdue. Your neighbors have already painted their homes and you’re starting to get those looks because you’re the only hold out. You happen to live in a neighborhood that has zero lot lines, and all the houses are touching, which makes it even more obvious that you really need to paint your home.
We are a painting contractor. We paint houses, businesses, and other stuff. Our painters are great at what they do. But, once in a while, we ask them to step out of their painter role and join us in community events or company social activities. This photo is from the recent Christmas Parade in downtown Woodland. Some of our employees and their kids were part of our float and we had a great time bringing our holiday greetings to all the people on the parade route. One of our crew leaders even took the time to make a very real looking chimney for Santa and the kids blew bubbles and jingled bells as we rolled along. It was fun! The next weekend we had our company holiday party. We did something different than this year and went bowling. Every single employee was there! We shared good food and lots of goofing off and having a great time together as the “Brooks Painting Family”. It’s good to have a reminder once in a while that while we are a business, we are also individual people that need some fun and bonding time. The holidays is a great time to do that. We hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the year and wish you a prosperous and joyful 2012!