Fail-Safe Color Selection



Fail-Safe Color Selection

By Barbara Colby

In 1928, a man by the name of Robert Dorr, who worked as a poster painter for a large chain of theatres in Chicago, became aware of the fact that all colors contain an undertone mixture of either blue or yellow.

He noted as he painted in the pigment on a star’s face on individual posters, that there was a pigment relationship that varied with each person. In some cases, some pigmentation would be peachy, while for others it would be pink or rosy.

It was in the 1930’s that Dorr used this differential and successfully formulated the first correlated textile group for a manufacturer. After that time, he became well known as a professional color consultant who worked for cosmetic, automotive, advertising and graphics companies.

The colors today are still used by design, and color consultants so that they can easily and in a fail safe manner harmonize colors without failure mixing and matching color schemes. These colors fall into two groups. They are called Key 1 & Key 2.

Key 1 colors have a blue base undertone mixture. Key 2 colors have a yellow based undertone mixture. Basic pigmentation of the eyes, skin, and hair requires that our uniqueness falls into one of these two categories. Hair may change over a lifetime; eye color may change due to lenses inserted into the eye. When hair turns gray, or blond tresses darken down, they do so in the same color grouping or consistency in pigmentation.

Therefore, people who have Key One pigmentation will have rosier complexions; whereas, Key 2 pigmentation lends itself to a peach complexion. When hair turns gray, Key 1 people have silvery gray hair, and Key 2 people’s hair will be a white tone. Key 1 redheads have an auburn look to their tresses, while Key 2 people sport carrot tops.

There are those times when color combinations are chosen to achieve dramatic affects in fabrics, and design in commercial establishments. This should only be done by a professional who is adept at combining colors from each key group. Using colors from both groups is called “cross keying.”

For your reference, Key 1 pink is rosy, while Key 2 pink is salmon or peach colored. Leatrice Eiseman is Director of the Pantone Color Institute, and is one of the most noted color consultants to manufacturers in the United States. Additionally, she does consulting internationally. You can purchase a color deck from Pantone, or contact Devoe Reynolds Paint Corp. in Louisville, Kentucky. Devoe Reynolds originally formulated, in paint chips, the Key1, Key 2, color matching system from Robert Dorr. The company was called Ameritone Paint, which was folded into Devoe Reynolds Paint Corporation.

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Barbara Diane Colby is author of the new book, Journey of Hope: Gateway to Light and Holistic Wellness. It documents her research over 10 years to heal herself of chronic pain through the therapeutic power of light. Barbara has led successful careers in design, sales and as an educator, color consultant and futurist forecasting design trends. She lives in Indio, Calif., near Palm Springs where she creates award-winning glass art sculpture and gemstone jewelry and advocates bridging alternative and traditional healthcare. Learn more by visiting . Contact Barbara at bcolby@dc..

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