Visual exploration 2: Colour story - initial research

 Initial research 

After looking at the Windsor & Newton colours archives the colours that sparked my interest the most are black and red. I will research them further to generate ideas for the colour story.

Black: Darkness, elegance, and the devil.

Black is the most common pigment for drawing and writing. Used for elegant, formal clothes, as well as the contrasting punk and goth styles. In the beginning, cave paintings were drawn with charcoal created by burning various materials such as wood, plants, and animal products. Over time black pigments were created in various other ways such as using soot from oil lamps. burnt ivory and powdered bone char. Coal was also used to dye fabrics black.

Black is symbolic of death and the afterlife. In the Roman empire, those in mourning would wear black, and this tradition has carried over into modern life with widowism and the tradition of wearing black to funerals. Black was also significant in ancient Egypt, with the god of death Anubis being depicted as a humanoid with a black jackal's head. Lamp black was commonly used in ancient Egyptian tombs and murals as an alternative to charcoal which was less dense and pure.

It also has ties to Halloween, as it comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain which marks the end of summer for darker, blacker nights to come. The colour is also representative of evil and the black arts, including things such as witchcraft, black magic, and demonology as well as other dark topics such as spirits, the supernatural, and the devil himself. 

Black pigments have been around since the first humans discovered they could take a burnt stick and make a mark. It is said to be one of the earliest pigments to ever be discovered as is evident by early cave paintings.

It is hard to pinpoint where the first black pigment was made as it was before records were kept. However, black ink dates back to the 23rd century BC, in China, where it was originally made by mixing charcoal powder with water. were kept.

Red: Love, war, and drama.

Red pigment has been used to symbolise all things dramatic and romantic, such as blood, fire, war, romance, warmth and compassion. 

In the Christian faith, red is commonly worn by members of the clergy to represent the blood of Christ. In sharp contrast, it is also used to represent the devil and hell in the same religon. Red is the colour of love both in ancient and modern times due to its connotations with the human heart. St. Valentine and cupid are often depicted in red, as well as the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. In modern culture romance is suggested with red roses, red hearts and flashy red advertising for valentines day.

Asian cultures, mainly China and India, have adopted red to be a symbol of luck, fortune, and happiness, commonly used in weddings. Brides will traditionally wear red from their clothing to the red bindi dots married Indian women will wear. 

Most commonly in our modern age, red is a symbol of warning and violence. It is used to alert for potential danger, such as in traffic lights, stop signs. It is also used to draw attention as it is the brightest colour our eyes can see. It is used in red carpets for celebrities and curtains for theatres for example.

It was first discovered in the form of red ochre which was used in cave art in prehistoric times. Notably, this pigment was used in the ancient markings of a thylacoleo, a long-extinct species of lion, in the Djulirri rock art site in northern Australia. 

Red ochre, nicknamed "earth red" is still used in oil and acrylic paints today. It was given the nickname because it's made from clay containing iron oxide known as hematite. Vermilion is another traditional red pigment, it's characterised by its bright, vibrant, red-orange hue. It was used in ancient China and Rome. In China, vermillion was reserved for Chinese Emperors and used for paint, clothing, and lacquers. ceramic glazes and calligraphy ink. It has been replaced by cadmium red in modern times as it was deemed too expensive and unsafe to produce. The first colour used for dying fabrics was red. The Aztecs and Mayans discovered it from the cochineal beetle and was used for dying everything from tapestries to clothing.