Last post we took a look at the basics of color theory and
discussed the beginnings of seasonal color analysis. By the end of the post you
should have determined which of the four seasons you belong to. If you missed
the previous post please follow the link below to get up to speed and then jump
back here when you’re done.
We talked about the 6 distinct characteristics of seasonal
color theory: Warm, Cool, Deep, Light, Clear, and Soft. Each season has three
of this characteristics possible within it. The graphic below illustrates how
all the characteristics and seasons fit together.
You will notice that seasons share characteristics, for
example:
-
Winter and Spring share the Clear characteristic
-
Summer and Autumn share the Soft characteristic
-
Winter and Autumn share the Deep characteristic
-
Spring and Summer share the Light characteristic
And so on… you get the idea. By sharing defining
characteristics, one season may “flow” into another (cue the African chanting
from Circle of Life) and subsequently some of the colors in each palette are
shared.
I have made the four flowcharts below for each season to
help you find your dominant characteristic within that season. You’ll also see
your “best” color palette at the bottom of each chart. Sometimes this process
can be tricky. As we’ve seen, seasons can blend into each other so be ready to
try it a few times or even consult other sources to see if you can find a better
approach.
My approach to making these flowcharts was to take the huge
list of personal coloring descriptors and sort through them to try to weed out
the unique traits. It’s not perfect, but it’ll help you narrow your choices
down to at least two most likely.
Go ahead, give it a shot! Click the images to enlarge...
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Now that you have your season and defining characteristic
feel free to check out which colors are best for you. There is a ton of helpful
information as to what colors are best for each group online, so rather than
try to repeat it all, I’ve included links to the best sources I’ve found. These
sites will give you extra help in determining your season and defining
characteristic as well. Enjoy!
Descriptions of each season and defining characteristics:
(if you’re feeling adventurous)
(many links to the best makeup
colors, clothing colors, other methods of finding your season)
If you find any other links that are useful please send them my way and I'll add to the list.
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I had a question for my daughter. I had sworn up and down she will be a dark autumn. Shes only 7 but there's colors like soft pink& gray that make her look like she has the flu! Is it too early to analyze her? She has my husband's medium brown eyes & golden beige skin. She will either have my dark ash brown hair or his black(native american bloodlines). So I figured on the 12 color system she would be deep autumn but now I see a "soft autumn deep" & wonder the differences? Would she have to have lighter hair for that one? Thanks ahead of time!
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole, thanks for the question... its never really an exact science with color seasons, but it sounds to me like your daughter is either a warm spring or warm autumn (think more earthy tones). Though it may very well be that she hasn't totally grown into her coloring yet so to speak. The soft pinks and grays you describe are likely cool colors and it sounds like your daughter has more of a warm coloring, so they aren't flattering. Hope this helps!
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