Do You Know the Color of the Year?

By Janet Dodrill

Having been educated in the graphic arts and printing industry in my career as a graphic designer, when color giant Pantone® speaks, I listen!

Artists and designers, you may be interested to know that Pantone® has named the color of the year – Marsala. According to their web site it is described as “a naturally robust and earthy wine red.”

Additionally, the Pantone® Fashion Color Reports for Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 have been announced. These reports are released months in advance, the Spring report was released last September, and the Fall report was released this month (February). These reports are generated in conjunction with scheduled New York fashion shows that forecast clothing trends. I think it is very valuable as a designer to have this information to incorporate in creative visuals over the course of the year.

Color winners of the last five years are on the site, as well as other favorites.

Need inspiration? Browse around the Pantone® Canvas portfolio site. You can also sign-up and showcase your own work!

Image Source: Pantone.com

Resource Links:

Pantone Color of the Year 2015

Pantone® FASHION COLOR REPORT SPRING 2015

Pantone® FASHION COLOR REPORT FALL 2015

Pantone® Colors of the Year (2011-2015) and Other Favorites

Pantone® Canvas portfolio site

Dream, Believe, if in the Arts (or not)

By Janet Dodrill

I found this quote on a ribbon-typed scroll in with some family things recently, which was written by Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-1983) who was an English stage and film actor:

“If you’re a writer or a painter, you write or paint whenever you want to. But we have to do this task at a precise moment. At three minutes past eight, the curtain goes up, and you’ve got to pretend to believe because no one else will believe you unless you believe it yourself. A great deal of our work is simply making ourselves dream. That is the task at three minutes past eight–you must dream.”

Are you keeping your dreams and passions alive? Do you believe in yourself? I find that sometimes my dreams get put aside while I deal with life’s responsibilities. I like the idea of setting a time each day to allow myself to dream. It may be three minutes past eight as an actor would do during a scheduled performance, it may be noon each day, or late in the evening when reflecting on one’s day. As an artist, I need to keep dreaming and creating. I need to tap into my ‘source’ for vision and inspiration.