Colour Knowledge

In this chapter the importance of colour as a design, marketing and sales tool for industry is outlined to substantiate the need for a strong knowledge of colour and the need to work confidently and proficiently with colour. The chapter is designed in a manner that promotes knowledge development and inspiration, and for the more proactive reader a rich experience of colour can be gained by working through the chapter activities, initially at a computer and later with pigments (paints, dyes) , which is highly encouraged and recommended. This workshop approach enables you to experiment with colour mixing and colour schemes to better appreciate colour and its application, without which the theories become just a concept; there really is little substitute for experimentation. A short history of colour is given that focuses on the building of the scientific underpinning of the most predominant theories of colour used today in relation to textile-based products (fashion). Insight is also given into colour psychology in relation to creating colour-ways, colour ranges and colour themes and to colour forecasting. Colour terminology is given and discussed throughout the chapter and the following fundamental theories and colour characteristics are also discussed:
• The principles of additive colour mixing and subtractive colour mixing
• The six-hue colour wheel and the twelve-hue colour wheel
• Colour schemes and colour combinations
• Metamerism
• Colour deficiency (colour blindness)
• Colour measurement