The Color Thesaurus: Re-blogged

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The Color Thesaurus. Having read this post, it reminded me of my mother-in-law, Margaret, who thought she knew everything about colour. In fact she was a very talented lady, but her knowledge was natural instinct. She liked to experiment and in the 1950s, she thought she’d like a feature wall of dark grey. Her patient husband, Eric, tried to advise her that it would be rather dark, but she insisted he paint the wall.

In the morning they came down stairs to what Eric, a sea Captain, said, ‘We’ve got the bloody HMAS Melbourne drawn up alongside!’ From then on it was called Battle Ship Grey. Margaret relented and the wall was repainted a more moderate colour.

Eric, who was a tease, sent Margaret to get the colour for the front door, and told her it was  Wagon Wheel Blue. She had the men in the paint shop diving for cover, as they knew what a pedantic woman she was. She asked for Wagon Wheel Blue, and they said there was no such colour. ‘Oh yes there is, my husband told me!’ Eventually it was discovered that the colour she wanted was Wagon Blue, with a few alterations. She came home furious with Eric, but happy to have the deep blue that she so admired. It did look magnificent on their stable door.

Nicholas C. Rossis:154a3005593869205e9ed5fff2f11849

An awesome resource for all authors!
Originally posted on Ingrid’s Notes:e62157e3a75409d6a20b06633d9042cb

I love to collect words. Making word lists can help to find the voice of my story, dig into the emotion of a scene, or create variety.

One of my on-going word collections is of colors. I love to stop in the paint section of a hardware store and find new names for red or white or yellow. Having a variety of color names at my fingertips helps me to create specificity in my writing. I can paint a more evocative image in my reader’s mind if I describe a character’s hair as the color of rust or carrot-squash, rather than red.

So for fun, I created this color thesaurus for your reference. Of course, there are plenty more color names in the world, so, this is just to get you started.

Fill your stories with a rainbow of images!

 

whitetan_revisedyelloworange_revisedredpink_revisedpurple_revisedbluegreen-1brown-1greyblack

18 thoughts on “The Color Thesaurus: Re-blogged”

  5. Outlier Babe

    Barbara, I think this post is so interesting and helpful! I wish I’d had it in my classroom–I had done a mini (very mini) version of it to encourage my English learners to expand their vocabulary, as well as to incorporate Art lessons, but this is so much more compact and accessible : )

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    1. bkpyett Post author

      O.Babe, you are right, these charts are so colourful and would make wonderful teaching aids. I am a retired art teacher, so no longer have the need. I just admire their intensity. Was interested in your advice o Martha. I agree with choosing a lighter shade, especially in a small room. Love the sound of your Aqua towels! 😃

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  6. Martha Kennedy

    My little house has a really ugly — and tiny! — bathroom and I know paint would help — like the rest of the house, the walls are a shade of beige (a tint of “tortilla”). The trim around the doors is true white. The doors are tiger oak. It’s pretty and very livable in its cheerful neutrality. But the bathroom is just ugly. The color “sky” looks pretty but like Mrs. Raven, I’m scared.

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    1. bkpyett Post author

      Martha, at least in a very small room, you can trial a colour and not waste too much paint!
      Of course it depends on tiles and other colours already there. Great fun too, if you have the energy! 🙂

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      2. bkpyett Post author

        Shall enjoy hearing what you finally decide Martha. When we moved into this house, I was determined to change things. We did change the paint, and had the wild colours neutralised to an off white, and the living room to a warm light ochre colour. But the tiles remain… and I’d really love to change them, but will probably learn to live with them. At least they are clean and in good order, but if ever I had the opportunity, I’d change them. Sometimes one has to ask, what is important?

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    2. Outlier Babe

      Hi, Martha,

      Unasked-for buttinski here:

      Past and current owner of two teensy-weensy bathrooms.

      Whatever color you choose, think even lighter or paler, for it will overwhelm otherwise. I have now a mint blue–almost a “toothpaste” color–that is so pale you wouldn’t see it on a large wall in a brightly-lit room–but in your face, on all four walls of a tiny bath, the color, and room, is lovely. It opens out that otherwise tight feeling–esp. with very pale appliances and linens. I have aqua towels, pale beige–almost ivory–vanity and toilet lid, white sink.

      With tiger oak, the same scheme would work, or very–very–pale creme tangerine on the lower half and complementary creme-white on the top (this half-half trick is great for teensy rooms. You just add a bit of trim to divide ’em.)

      Good luck!

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    1. bkpyett Post author

      Colour is such an emotive thing. I guess fossil is a greyed colour? Sometimes it is worth buying a small container to trial the colour! Good luck, we shall look forward to hearing on the outcome Susan! 🙂

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