The Art of Color, Demystified

Like most of you, my computer is chock-a-block with files of favorite images that I've culled from various websites. I turn to them whenever I need to be creatively galvanized, when I want to be reminded of the design elements I love or when I'm just craving a jolt of style. When it comes to colors, though, it can be a bit tricky to pull a specific shade or hue off the screen and onto a curtain, couch, wall or pillow. 

Until now.

That's because yesterday I stumbled upon www.colorhunter.com. Just upload an image onto their website and they instantly analyze it and break it down into its five most recognizable color components.  

Warning: Extreme caution must be used with this application if you are a design junkie. Addiction may rapidly occur and result in severe sleep loss, hunger, dehydration and cranky spouses.

Here are some color palettes I created when I should have been eating/sleeping/lavishing attention on my family.

1.

("Farm at Watendlath", Dora Carrington, 1921)

2.

(Illustration of Jackie Kennedy in Jaipur by Jacqueline Duheme)

3.

(A tartan-clad, red-tressed Linda Evangelista )

4.

(Ruthie Sommers home, courtesy of the late Domino)

5.

(Morrissey and Edith Sitwell, from here)

Cool, huh? Colorhunter also offers a million color palettes you can search through by hue, category or even by typing in a hex color code (if you're thinking, "A what code?", click here). 

Try it. But clear your schedule first.