The Advanced Color Analysis System Simplified
Traditionally, when one is trying to figure out her 'season' (or her best palette of colors), she will look to see if she has warm or cool undertones. While this is an important aspect to a color analysis, it is only a part of the equation. And it is not necessarily the first thing you look for. In the advanced 12 season color analysis system, the first thing you look for is the MOST dominant characteristic of the person.
19th Century artist Albert Munsell talked about color having 3 characteristics: Hue, Value and Chroma.
1. Hue means simply what color an object is, like red, orange, or green. Every hue will be either warm or cool, or some combination of the two. Example: Yellow is warm; Blue is cool; Green is balanced.
2. Value just means the lightness or darkness of a color. Typically, light colors have tints of white added to it. Dark colors have some shade of black added to it.
3. Chroma means a color's clarity or saturation. A sunny Yellow would be considered fully saturated or clear. "Mustard" would be considered a muted Yellow. There is usually a heaviness or grayness added to a muted color. So Chroma refers to how clear a color is or how muted it is, or as it's referred to in the system, its 'Softness'.
HUE= Warm or Cool
VALUE=Light or Dark
CHROMA=Clear or Soft
From these 3 aspects of color we get 6 dominant characteristics that a person can exhibit.
1.Warm
2. Cool
3. Light
4. Dark
5.Clear
6.Soft
It is these 6 characteristics that are most important in determining your season. Look for those traits FIRST. If you can determine your dominant characteristic, you are 75% there in determining your season. The secondary characteristic will finalize which season you are.
Here is a the 12 Season Color Theory in a nutshell:
Each person will have 1 of 6 dominant "characteristics" in their coloring which is the primary determining factor in analyzing them. They are:
Deep:Dark and rich. Think Cher or Kim Kardashian
Light: Light and delicate. Think Gwyneth Paltrow or Heather Locklear
Soft: Soft & muted. Think Sarah Jessica Parker or Jennifer Aniston
Clear: Clear & bright. Think Courtney Cox or a young Liz Taylor
Warm: No cool undertones. Think Reba McIntyre or Sarah Ferguson
Cool: No warm undertones. Think Christy Brinkley or Liz Hurley
To illustrate:
If you have deep coloring, then the second determining factor is whether you look better in warm colors or cool colors. If cool colors flatter you best, then you are determined to be a "Deep Winter." So while you favor cool colors over warm, the fact that you are DEEP is the most important aspect to your coloring. Your best colors will include the deepest darkest colors; you will want to avoid light colors. If your dominant characteristic is either "Warm" or "Cool", then decide whether you favor clear or muted colors next. Once you've figured out these two components, you've got your season figured out!
Deep, cool colors = Deep Winter
Deep, warm colors = Deep Autumn.
Light, warm colors = Light Spring
Light, cool colors = Light Summer
Clear, cool colors = Clear Winter
Clear, warm colors = Clear Spring
Soft, warm colors = Soft Autumn
Soft, cool colors = Soft Summer
Warm, clear colors = Warm Spring
Warm, soft colors = Warm Autumn
Cool, soft colors = Cool Summer
Cool, clear colors = Cool Winter
This is the essence of the 12 season system. Remember to look for the most dominant of the 6 characteristics first and you are on your way.
