I like when Pantone (and other paint companies for that matter) announce a new Color of the Year. Not because I follow fashion trends or anything like that, but because I treat it like a colour challenge. Especially these last couple of years when it has been at least partially about colours I don't use very often, such as Honeysuckle (I actually do like it a lot!), whatever turquoise/sky blue it was the year before and the egg yolk yellow Mimosa before that.
This year it's Tangerine Tango, a vivid and warm red orange, that got the honor. Described by Pantone as "Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it /.../ Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy."
But most interesting is perhaps that it's used as a spring colour. I use orange sometimes, but almost always mixed with browns, yellows, reds and other autumn tones. Often using beads that mix two or more of those colours in one piece. I have even done a piece using topaz yellow, carnelian orange and dark pink. It's not my favourite colour and a really bright orange can have me stumped, but what's going to be my personal challenge is using this colour either on its own (or as a main colour) or mixing it with colours from Pantone's spring colour trend report, as seen below.
So I've tried orange-yellow-pink before. And orange with purple. (And orange-white-copper, but that's a whole other story.) Have seen orange and dark blue done by someone else and not sure if I'll do that (but maybe I should -- and add some of that dark pink to it just for fun). The big challenge would be to use at least one colour from the second row. Not the nougat Starfish, a neutral is trying to take the easy way out.
Oh, I must admit to really liking the look of that dramatic pink (Cabaret) next to the dark blue (Sodalite Blue). Remember when Swarovski launched their innovations with those two colours? Never thought I'd like that combo as much as I do!
PS! You can read more about Tangerine Tango here. Inspiration for beaders can be found at e.g. Beverly Ash Gilbert's blog or in Rena Klingenberg's report on the news. For colour trends from bead manufacturers like Swarovski and Preciosa, please see my other blog for on trend colours for 2012. I've also pinned some of them on my Inspirational colour palettes pinboard, I think.
That is an awesome color. My daughter, Tiny Dancer, is ahead of the times. Orange is her favorite color and she will love this! I see that tangerine color with the gray in the second line and just a little pop of that sage green thrown in. I did a piece in my recent Challenge of Color blog hop that was a russet orange paired with blue. Very cool! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the day.
Erin
Yes, this orange is really something. Have seen many shades of orange, but not all are as interesting as this one. And it grows on you. I like the pinch of dark apricot that keeps it from being too orange-orange and more tamarillo fruit (which is what I keep thinking of seeing Tangerine Tango for some reason). It's the same reason I like padparadscha, which is more pink-orange where this is red-orange.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention sage and grey. I was just thinking about some (red) orange beads I have. Thay have a picasso finish and I thought about working with the green and grey tones in that finish together with the orange. Perhaps even add a smidge of dulled down turquoise, which you can also see in it.