Introducing the Behavior of Colors

Amaryllis, 18" x 16", #4-cut wool on monk’s cloth. Designed and hooked by Pat Moyer, Somerset, Kentucky, 2009.

Amaryllis uses orange in medium and medium-light values. The vase is light, medium, and dark values of green, and the background is a mix of very dark values of purple and violet. The table is spice brown.

After spending too much time being frustrated with color planning, I decided to try Pearl McGown’s concept of color theory. I found my “holy grail” in her book, Color in Hooked Rugs. She stressed the importance of understanding not only how to use color in harmonious combinations, but also how colors behave, which helps us avoid certain pitfalls and achieve proportion and balance. When we study colors, we talk about “hues,” “values,” and “chromas.” Let’s take a look at some definitions first.

This article is from the January/February 2013 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.