The person who can explain the meaning of the color to a blind can explain anything & everything in life!

Here is a link that might be useful: The color and it's meaning

Thank you imagineyourhomes for posting the link to your site. I appreciate you taking the time. However, I suppose that I should have been more specific in my original post. What I am really looking for is more technical information about the nuances of color.

For example, in the past year, I have discovered Maria Killam's blog and have found many helpful posts on the nature of undertones and other color-related information. I have also recently read Janice Lindsay's "All About Colour", in which she gives some very in-depth work on the history, culture, psychology, and everyday use of color. I have also browsed several texts on the use of color in marketing and business, but since that is neither my field or my job, it didn't really have much application for working with color at home. If anyone has resources more along these lines, I would truly appreciate it. Thank you all again.

The best color education and information comes from people who are dead. Vast majority of the other stuff out there comes from people who are on a color journey that's stagnated far too early and/or has a very long way to go.

What I am really looking for is more technical information about the nuances of color.

When it comes to color for the three-dimensional built environment the best fit is the Munsell Color Model and Ordering System. Because unlike everything and everyone else, Munsell approached color from the same 3-D perspective as human percepts. A close second is the NCS color system.

Everything from fine arts color mixing methodologies to graphic design coordinate color models are germane to their respective field and as a result are poor fits for the built environment. Additionally, poor fits because their approach is only two-dimensional. There are a few fragments from fine arts that transition to the built environment. Color management aspects from graphic design is more useful and applicable than fine arts. Because the goal of graphic design color management is to mimic as closely as possible the 3-D world. But it's still not a perfect fit.

Color for the 3-D built environment is an entity in and of itself. Unlike anything else. The best books for architectural color/paint are yet to be written by experts yet to emerge.

As a side note, I don't get all the fuss about Pantone. Pantone is nothing more than a organized catalog of colors from which you can choose; like ordering color from a menu. Which is very different from an ordered color system. A paint manufacturer's fandeck is actually more sophisticated than Pantone.

This post was edited by funcolors on Wed, Mar 13, 13 at 1:45

Thank you very much funcolors! I had never heard of the Munsell Color Model and Ordering System, so I will be looking into that right away. I was also wondering if there is some sort of resource or set of resources that break down the most popular fandecks from the most commonly used paint companies (Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, etc). I understand if they haven't been written yet, but if anyone knows of any guides, I would truly appreciate it.

Thank you all again so much for your time and willingness to share.

Why is architectural color different from other colors? Why is a special system necessary rather than just choosing colors?

Why is architectural color different from other colors?

Because the built environment is three- dimensional. Paint world has borrowed the majority of its theories from fine arts and graphic design which are two-dimensional. The theories are not germane to color and structure. The Z axis factor is forgotten. Except for the Munsell 3-D color model based on human vision percepts. It has a color wheel but it's not a color pigment mixing color wheel. Munsell's color wheel is additive and its complements mix, additively, to a neutral gray. Aligns exactly with what we call "atmosphere"; that's where it comes from.

Like I said, some stuff transitions and fits. . . but for the most part there are huge gaps. And if you want to piss a bunch of artists off all you have to do is tell them that they aren't "all inclusive color experts" just because they mix and paint canvasses with oils or acrylics. Or happen to be the most noted color management gurus known in all of graphic design empires.

. . . . not that I've done that and would know. (ahem, cough, cough)

Yes, there is a resource that addresses architectural paint world's color mixing theories as well as its color ordering models. I wrote it. Can't really share here. Plus, I'm still living so there's a chance it sucks like all the other color ramblings currently available.

I still don't understand, but thank you for the explanation. Maybe someday it will click in this little brain of mine, lol.

So funcolors, if you wrote it, can I buy it on Amazon or through a publisher? I've loved your posts in general, so I'd be extraordinarily happy for more of the same.

If anyone has any more resources, I'd really love to hear about them!

I didn't realize there were Pantone decks available to the public. In marketing, a Pantone color is chosen and used forever for a specific product or company identity. The color couldn't be used for another company. At least that is what used to be or I thought was. Perhaps there are two entities going on, one industrial and another public.