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Let's throw out the rules

What I learned from Interaction of Color by Josef Albers
1

Hi there!

Joseph Albers’s book Interaction of Color changed my entire mindset about color theory and storytelling in general. He invites us to throw out what we know about color and explore our intuitive reactions. It was a needed reminder, and my experience was so great, I wanted to share it with you.

All you need to do is erase everything you know about color theory, sit back, and enjoy the presentation (or you can read the transcript below without the visuals).

Note: I know you most likely don’t have much time, so I’ve decided to keep this and all future presentations under 5 minutes. I hope these 5 minute doses of creative analysis will provide a quick, fun, and interesting way to fill your creative well.


Is this button really green?


Joseph Albers

  • Lived from 1888 - 1976

  • An abstract artist, well known for teaching about visual design

  • Originally an elementary school teacher which I think informs his playful approach to color

  • Very influential in how people see color and the process of art making in general

The context

He said, “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than the giving of right answers.” I feel the same way about books. The best books leave me with questions more than answers, and get me thinking beyond the page.

He taught that “color is deceptive.” To truly understand it you also need to understand how your perception of color changes depending on the context.

No one is immune to color deception. We all will get affected by this.

We all remember color differently. If someone asked members of a group to think of the color red, everyone would see different reds.

Most people are pretty bad at sorting color by value from darkest to lightest.

He argues that preferences and dislikes, as in life, so with color, usually result from prejudices, from lack of experience and insight, so he encourages students to work with palettes chosen by others or palettes they don't like

The principles

Color changes constantly depending on its context. Put your left hand in warm water, and your right hand and cold water, and then move move them both to luke warm water at the same time. The same water will feel different.

One color can look like two colors.

Two different colors can look like the same color.

One color can change the feel of another color, so like the red with the black behind it, looks darker.

Color can indicate spatial relationships.

Instead of mixing two colors, you can put them next to each other to create an illusion that they're mixed.

Just like you can transpose musical notes from one key to another, you can change colors while maintaining the same value.

Color is also affected by distance. For example, a distant mountain appears blue, even though it's covered with trees which are usually green.

You can make boundaries nearly invisible, using colors with an equal lightness so different colors. But they would look the same if you turned it to black and white.

Water based color is affected by volume. He gives an example of tea looking lighter in the spoon and in the cup. And this is important, especially for watercolor artists, because they'll layer several colors on top of each other to increase the darkness, weight, and intensity of a color.

Color harmonies are not the only desirable relationship. A lot of times we talk about if the colors go together, but sometimes you do want color dissonance to convey something.

The big takeaway

Like in cooking, the interaction of ingredients changes depending on the other ingredients by changing the quantity, the size and repetition, intensity, transparency, or weight of the colors, as well as the intersection and space between those colors. The artist can change the climate, temperature, tempo, rhythm, atmosphere, and mood of her illustration.

This means that an artist's use of color goes way beyond typical harmony rules like complementary colors. Any color works with any other color as long as their quantities are appropriate.

Good coloring is comparable to good cooking. Even a good cooking recipe demands tasting and repeated tasting while it is being followed, and the best tasting still depends on a cook with tastes.

Throw out the rules!

The whole point of his book is about developing your taste by throwing out the rules and learning how colors actually work. Sure, you can understand complementary colors. But can you understand how those complementary colors will change depending on the context of your illustration? That's really where the color magic happens.

So let’s break the rules, shall we?


Here’s what’s coming up AT THE KID TABLE

  • A podcast chat with author-illustrator Isabella Kung: we’ll learn about the creative decision-making behind her hilarious books NO FUZZBALL and the sequel NO SNOWBALL.

  • A William Steig deep dive analysis: I’m currently immersing myself in his books and illustrated worlds and I’m already learning so much. A multi-part series inspired by his books and his life are coming up. Stay tuned!


Thanks for sitting with me AT THE KID TABLE. As always, I’ll save you a seat next week.

Your rule-follower-who-secretly-loves-rule-breaking-people-and-wants-to-be-like-them friend,

Rachel

Discussion about this video

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Authors
Rachel Michelle Wilson