The first exercise

This is one of Johannes Itten’s exercises.  Draw two grids of squares, filling one with colours that you like and the other with colours you dislike.  Then put the two grids side by side and ask, “which one looks better?”

The outcome

There are colours that I give preference to when creating an illustration or a design.  Although there are not really colours I dislike, I have to admit there are certain colours that won’t even cross my mind as the main colour in an illustration or design.  I used alcohol markers, for this exercise, with set colours, so no mixing colours are needed.  I have a pretty good idea of the colours needing refilling all the time compared to the colours that collect dust, so to speak. 

I was astonished by the outcome of this exercise.  Halfway through painting the colours I liked, my eyes started getting agitated.  It was too much brightness combined in one grid.  Then, painting the disliked colours was a pleasant experience.  It is interesting how colour can evoke specific responses.  Putting the two grids side by side, it is clear that the colours I disliked look better and are more balanced.  Johannes Itten says this is because the colours we think we don’t like as much are often the more subtle and muddier, tertiary, and occasional bright hues, and results in a more balanced grid.

This is a fascinating study by Johannes Itten, and I will keep this in mind when picking a colour palette in the future.  Use bright colours but balance them against more subtle colours.  

The second exercise

Next, try experimenting with placing colours together as Itten did.  Try and find combinations of two colours to illustrate each of the ideas given in your list.

The outcome

The book The Elements of Color, a treatise on the colour system of Johannes Itten based on his book The Art of Color, helped me gain more knowledge on how Itten placed colours together.  The same colour may be altered in expression by different juxtaposed colours.  I will consider this when finding combinations of two colours to illustrate the given list of words.

Angry

The first image that comes to mind when thinking of anger is red.

“The warmness of red is intensified to fiery strength in red-orange.  Proper contrasting turns red-orange into an expression.  Red is associated with blood and fire.  On green-blue, red-orange is like a blazing fire.” (Itten, 1970)

Anger is an intense emotion, and the red-orange on green-blue gives the word the vibrancy it needs.

Brave

“Red can be neither yellowish nor bluish.  It is very sensitive where it shifts into yellowish or into bluish.  Both yellowish red and bluish red unfold great capacity for modulation.” (Itten, 1970)  

I am using a red that is neither yellowish nor bluish for the word Brave on a dark blue.  Blue represents power.

Creative

“Yellow is the most light giving of all hues.  It loses this trait the moment we shade it with gray, black, or violet.  With yellow on pink, the radiance of the yellow is subdued.  With yellow on orange, the yellow looks like a purer, lighter orange.” (Itten, 1970)

I am using yellow on orange for the word Creative.

Dangerous

“Associated with the planet Mars, red is bound to the burning worlds of war and demons.  It was worn as a sign of material occupation by warriors in combat.  It has been the badge of revolution.  It is only in contrast with black that fire red develops its utmost unconquerable passion.” (Itten, 1970)

This is why I am choosing red on black for the word Dangerous.

Energetic

“Yellow on green gives a radiant effect, outshining the green.  Since green is a mixture of yellow and blue, the yellow is among friends.” (Itten, 1970)

Yellow and green radiate an energetic mood.

Familiar

“Orange, the mixture of yellow and red, is at the focus of maximum radiant activity.  By lightening brown, we obtain beige tones, engendering a warm, beneficent atmosphere in quiet, intimate interiors.” (Itten, 1970)

Orange and beige are my choices for the word Familiar.

Gregarious

“Within the range of yellow-green comes hope and joy.  Yellow-green may be activated to the utmost by orange.” (Itten, 1970)  

This is the ideal colour for the word Gregarious.

Hopeful

“Yellow on violet has an extreme strength of character, hard and inexorable.” (Itten, 1970)

Independent

“Blue is contracted and introverted.” (Itten, 1970)  

This tells me it will also be a good colour to describe independence.  Vibrant blue on beige is what I choose for the word Independent. 

Jumpy

Bright yellow on bright green-yellow.  Using two bright colours together will be enough contrast to signify the word Jumpy.  It doesn’t need to be contrasting colours.  This will be too much contrast.  These two colours are more saturated than the colours I used for the word Energetic.

Kinetic

“Yellow on red is a loud joyful noise, like trumpets on Easter Morn.  Its splendour sends forth a mighty knowledge and affirmation.” (Itten, 1970)

Masculine

“On dark brown (dark, dull orange), blue is excited into a strong vibrant tremor, and the brown simultaneously awakens into live color.  The brown that was dead is resurrected by the power of blue.” (Itten, 1970)

“Red, orange, blue, black and white are perceived as more masculine (than feminine).  The high levels of brightness tend to increase feminity. (Raizada, 2012)

I am using a Royal Blue on a dark orange-brown for the word Masculine.

Luxurious

“Yellow (or gold) is radiantly cheerful when contrasted with dark tones.”  (Itten, 1970)  

I will pair the gold with black for the word “Luxurious”. 

Black signifies authority, power, elegance, sophistication, niche, expensive and upper class. (Raizada, 2012)

New

When luminous green is dulled by grey, a sense of sad decay easily results.  If the green inclines towards yellow, coming within the range of yellow-green, we feel the young, vernal force of nature. (Itten, 1970)

This is why I choose green on yellow for the word “New”.

Open

Open means to be exposed to the outside.  Blue is cold and is fitting for the word open.  Green is the colour of nature which is outside.  I am using blue-green on yellow-green for the word open, keeping in mind that opencan be a friendly gesture, so I don’t want to go too cold with the blue. 

Precious

When something is precious, it becomes vulnerable to being lost or stolen.  This is why I think the colour peach fits the word precious.  Peach is close to pink, which might signify physical weakness.  I am using peach on orange-brown.  Orange-brown represents stability and groundedness but also compliments the peach to its full radiance because of the contrast in tonal value. 

Quiet

“As red is always active, so blue is always passive, from the point of view of material space.  From the point of view of spiritual immateriality, blue seems active and red passive.”  (Itten, 1970)

“Violet is the color of unconscious – mysterious, impressive, and sometimes oppressive, now menacing, now encouraging, according to contrast.  Blue on lilac appears withdrawn, inane, and impotent.  The lilac takes from it all significance by right of the greater material strength of “practical faith.”  When the lilac is darkened, the blue takes back its luster.” (Itten, 1970)

I am using blue on dark-lilac for the word quiet.

Reasonable

To be reasonable is an act of kindness and friendliness.  For this reason, I am using yellow on brown.  Brown is for stability.

Sociable

As described in Kinetic, yellow on red is a loud, joyful noise.  I used red-violet instead of red to add a charismatic flair for the word sociable. 

Tasteful

Orange is the colour for appetite, edible and health, and green is the colour for freshness.  I am using orange on green for the word tasteful.

Unhappy

“The expressions of diluted yellow are envy, betrayal, falseness, doubt, distrust, and unreason.  In Giotto’s “Taking of Christ” and in Holbein’s “Last Supper”, Judas is shown in dim yellow.  The gray-yellow cloak of a female figure in the “Stripping of Christ” by El Greco has a peculiarly mistrustful effect.  On the other hand, yellow is radiantly cheerful when contrasted with dark tones.” (Itten, 1970)

I am using a diluted yellow against a grey background to express the word unhappy.

Vital

Red comes to mind when I think of vital.  

“Orange, the mixture of yellow and red, is at the focus of maximum radiant activity.  It has solar luminosity in the material sphere, attaining the maximum of warm, active energy in reddish orange.” (Itten, 1970)

I will use orange on red to let the eye mix the two colours for a vibrant reddish-orange.

Wonderful

“Gold was formerly much used in painting.  It signifies luminous, light-emitting matter.  The golden domes of Byzantine mosaics and the backgrounds in the painting of early masters were symbols of the beyond, the marvelous, the kingdom of sun and light.  The golden aura of saints is the token of the transfiguration.  The attainment of this state was conceived as an envelopment by light.  This heavenly light could not be symbolized except by gold.” (Itten, 1970)  

Orange is the colour of excitement, and gold is wonderful in itself.  I am pairing a peachy orange with gold for the word wonderful.

Extra special

“Once violet is lightened, when light and understanding illuminate dark piety, delicate and lovely tints enchant us.” (Itten, 1970)This is what Johannes Itten said about violet.  It can be dark and disturbing, but as a lighter tint, it enchants us.  I will use light violet for the word extra special.  To emphasise the word extra, I will use light violet on red-violet. 

Youthful

I will use pastel colours to convey the word youthful.  Pastel colours have white added to them, and white symbolizes purity.

Zany

I will use a neutral red on a dull grey-brown background to convey the word zany.  The two colours are not pairing well and express the word zany. 

Johannes Itten was considered one of the most outstanding teachers of the art of colour.  He devoted over fifty years to instructing into the visual, psychological and esthetic world of colour.  Today we can study his research and apply it to our work to become more effective in the visual language in art and design.

Works Cited

Itten, J. (1970). The Elements of Color. Germany: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Raizada, S. (2012). Role of colors in consumer preferences. International Journal of Marketing and Technology, 167-186.