Feb 15, 2022Orange is not my color (2/3)The logic behind the colors that look good on us and how to get away with those that don’t. Part 2: INTENSITY — This is the continuation of an article in three parts. Read part 1 here, which covers value. Part 3 will cover hue. — Intensity An intense color can be thought of a color in its purest state, containing the greatest amount of “pigment”. Add black or white to it, and shades…Flattering Colors5 min readFlattering Colors5 min read
Jan 24, 2022Color and coffeeColor impressions from a novice coffee-drinker — This article was first published in Solo Magazine #7. “A tiramisu and four kinds of coffee. As different in color as possible.” I had been tasked with writing about coffee and color, and was on a coffee crash course. …Colors7 min readColors7 min read
Nov 9, 2021Orange is not my color (1/3)The logic behind the colors that look good on us and how to get away with those that don’t. Part 1: VALUE — This is an article in three parts (to make it more digestible). Part 2 will cover intensity and part 3 will cover hue. — As I learned more and more about color, I grew curious about makes certain colors flattering to some and unflattering to others. In a nutshell, we…Flattering Colors4 min readFlattering Colors4 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Nov 8, 2021An ode to yellow and pinkAnd why it is a joyful, positive colour combination — This article was first published in Slanted Magazine #38 — Colours. — A couple of years ago, hoping to understand how colour works, I started building a personal two-colour combination library using coloured paper. Oftentimes, many of these pairs were lying around on my desk overnight. As I passed by…Color Combinations2 min readColor Combinations2 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Sep 30, 2021How to create color palettes around black and whiteHint: bold colors, shades and tints make good companions — Creating harmonious palettes has a lot to do with grouping colors that share similar qualities. In spite of being “colorless”, black and white are crisp and powerful, and in combination generate an abrupt and stimulating contrast. What will match that strength? Intense, saturated colors. The epitome of pure color is…Color Theory3 min readColor Theory3 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Aug 1, 2021Harmonious color palettesApproaches to creating groups of colors that pleasantly agree with each other — Look up “harmony” in the dictionary and similar definitions will come up: “the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect”, “the quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole” or “the state of being in agreement or concord”. In the realm of color, a harmonious color…Color Harmony4 min readColor Harmony4 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Jun 14, 2021Halfway color combinationsBeyond complementary and analogous combinations — Complementary and analogous color combinations tend to be spoken of as the most harmonious and attractive pairs. And indeed, they are quite satisfying to the eye. But what about “halfway” combinations, those that find themselves roughly at a right angle in the color wheel? …Colors6 min readColors6 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Mar 5, 2021Color, gradients, and blurry boundariesWhat I have learned from working with color in a fuzzy context — Between 2018 and 2020 I created over 1500 abstract digital color explorations as an attempt to understand how color works and how to make it “shine”. In these explorations, I repeatedly relied on gradients and blurry boundaries because of their inherent softness. Hard color edges, at least at first, felt…Gradient5 min readGradient5 min read
Published in Bootcamp·Jan 21, 2021Fluorescent colors are loud and can be tricky to use and combine: here’s how to do it gentlyDon’t mariekondo your fluorescent yellow t-shirt yet — Fluorescent colors seem to be coming from a different, brighter planet, causing everything else to dull in comparison. That is because they absorb ultraviolet rays, invisible to humans, and convert them into visible light. …Fluorescent3 min readFluorescent3 min read
Published in The Startup·Dec 22, 2020Two-Color Combinations: A ToolkitHow I learned to combine colors more intentionally by focusing on the amount of stimulation they create — Whether it was graphic design, illustration or lettering, color was a recurring theme in my work. In spite of my attraction to it, I used it as no more than a secondary tool. Until I gave it my full attention. In 2018, I started devouring anything color-related. Josef Albers taught…Color Theory12 min readColor Theory12 min read
