Monday, March 16, 2009

Fun with Color!

Below are two very fun devices I came across on the web. Each one interactively illustrates the effects of color and simultaneous contrast. Click on the links and give it a try!

Simultaneous Contrast: How two colors, side by side, effect how they are visually perceived.


Click here to enlarge and move the control. Explore how your color perception of each circle is altered by increasing and decreasing the outer color "aura" around the circle.


I love this one! Click here to enlarge and move the cursor all around to change the background color. Watch instantly how it effects your visual perception of each of the colored circles! Cool!!! Call the kiddies to the screen and let them play, too!

To learn more check out this : link.

And while we are on the subject of color, I just loved reading the comments triggered by the Avocado Green/Harvest Gold post. Hearing about everyone's 1970's color scheme decorating memories while growing up, what a hoot! Here is a sample...

'Avocado green and gold wallpaper; crushed velvet gold couch and avocado green shag carpet; harvest gold wallpaper with lines of glittery gold all mingled in; orange and gold shag carpet, (which came with a rake!); green shag carpet, (which was like living with a golf course); yellow and avocado green walls; multi-orange-to-rust shag carpet; and last but not least... peach walls with bright yellow, green, & orange print fabrics!

Goodness, it's a miracle we weren't all driven to madness! Thanks so much everyone for sharing!

And here is one more funny personal '70's color combo from me... In 1972 I was 9 years old and my parents took me to see my very first concert, (Arlo Guthrie playing at the local college campus where my dad worked... how cool was that?! I still love Arlo!) Anyway, I remember what I wore that night... a bright yellow ribbed turtle neck sweater, with lavandar/purple crushed velvet pants. Talk about a color statement... I was one hip 9 year old!

14 comments:

Hey Harriet said...

After reading your post I had to go read all the comments left on your Avocado post. Took me a while to scroll past my long-winded one! Oh geeez! ;) That was fun, some of them cracked me up!

Thanks for sharing these colour gadget game thingies. I'm going to have a little play now. No kids around to join in the fun...and lazy-arse pooch has no interest in removing herself from the bed to take a look! A cookie dangling in front of the screen may spark her interest :D

Victoria said...

Tracy, I love your "long-winded" comments! They always make me smile and laugh, two things I treasure and value highly! Thank you, for never failing to put me in a good mood! xo

Victoria Bennett Beyer said...

I recently experienced the color contrast phenom when doing my "Thought Circles" paintings. I started off doing them in pairs, and frequently the very same colors in reverse didn't look the same at all. It was so strange.

Victoria said...

It really is a wild phenomenon. I think
I am just starting to fully appreciate it since starting these "mod square" pieces.

Colleen MacDonald said...

I love your color "toys" in this post; that was fun!

With regards to the insanity of 70's colors, I know that my family was, *ahem* not quite "sober" for much of that decade, so I'm sure there was some kind of altered perception. As you will observe, the children of that period had a long love affair with the "color" taupe until just recently branching out into the scary world of color again. I was traumatized for a while, I admit! :)

Victoria said...

Don't feel bad, as I can say for a fact that growing up my family certainly enjoyed their before, during and after dinner cocktails, to say the least! Looking back on that decade I can't help but to wonder if the government wasn't slipping small doses of experimental hallucinogenics into our collective water supplies... we all seemed a bit trippy with the colors and patterns we choose to wear and adorn our homes in. It's a wonder we didn't all walk around with migraine headaches, (oh, I forgot... that's what "Mother's Little Helpers" were for!)

picciolo said...

what an intersting tool, I could play with that for ages! I'm going to be picturing you now wearing that colour combination!
: )

Victoria said...

Careful, you may have nightmares!!

Anonymous said...

That was a seriously cool link...I loved reading that article...please send more if you find them. It was so interesting! And to have it demonstrated so effectively--seeing is believing :)

dutchcomfort said...

Working with colours is what I like so much about being a graphic designer. And making something with colourful fabrics is even more fun!
Thanks for the fun links!

Janis said...

Oh my goodness, how much time will I spend when I follow the links?! Looks like a lot of fun.

As for your concert ensemble -- I can't believe you wore such an outfit or that you would admit it today! Tee-hee, I remember a couple of mine but I'm not telling!

Jaimee McClellan said...

Very cool tool!!!!

please sir said...

This looks so neat - I can't wait to play!

msalleycat said...

Heehee, glad you enjoyed the comments. Obviously, you had a great sense of color early on: yellow and purple, perfect complements!