Computer as Color Editor

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Exploring Color Options



Recently, after finishing a couple of small projects with the same color palette, I got to thinking about color choices and how it is often the easiest and most comfortable choice to stick with what is familiar to us. But that can feel uninspired at times and we search around for fresh color combinations. 

What can be done to break out of the hum drum of our color habits?

One option is to take advantage of the tools at our fingertips. Often technology has a way of distilling information through its unprejudiced, engineered, and standardized processes that is different than the average person would process that same information. This can lead to a fresh perspective for its users. For instance, in the early 1800's the introduction of photography caused quite a stir in the artworld. Images captured through the rectangular frame of the camera lense inspired artists to look at things with a different eye. The result was a new approach to composition and the treatment of their subject matter.  

And we have the editing functions on our computers. 

To explore this idea, I took the photo used in a December post and started playing with the functions on an editing program. The original image is the first photo in the top left corner with its three colors; salmon, dusty green and navy blue. 


The color chart above is a compilation of some of the options captured when sliding through the color spectrum in the saturation/hue function. Based on the percentage of a specific color on the spectrum, the computer made an adjustment to each of the three colors of yarn and produced a series of color combinations that harmonize with each other. The lightest color in the original shows the greatest variation; the darker colors have much more subtle changes.  
 
And now there need not be a question of whether aqua, grey, and brown would "go together." It's just a question of whether they inspire a new project.


(This is a link to the source of this photo and it's original post, in case you're curious: 

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