How to do an accurate colour analysis
Step by step Colour analysis
Colour analysis has gone through many changes over the last decades.
Some changes are not so good because the colour drapes some consultants are using are a bit dubious and you would have to say open to interpretation. Many colours are added to certain seasons that do not belong.
So let's just go back to basics and highlight a few simple but good and accurate steps to follow a logical path to do a colour analysis and come up with an accurate and good result.
What is a good way to compile a set of drapes, to determine skin tone and value?
We start with a warm shade usually peach and then a cool shade usually pink to denote a cool shade, as the first part of the analysis.
Then there is one of each shade in each season. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter yellows, and blues, greens whites and reds. There are 22 drapes in all.
The analysis begins by determining the underskin tone.
Is your underkin tone warm or cool?
This is done by the very first part of the colour analysis.
A warm cloth is draped over the client wearing no make up and covered hair.
The hair is covered so as not to confuse warm or cool as the hair may throw warm or cool tones.
This cloth is usually a very predictable warm colour like peach.
A cool cloth is a very definite cool pink. These two drapes are a real decider when it comes to determining underskin tone
What you're looking for at this stage is the cloth that enhances the skin tone and face.
For example which cloth makes the skin appear more even without changing the natural skin colour.
Other things to look for are eye brightness, clarity in eye whiteness. Note if the face turns more red, or dark or pigmented.
Skin imperfections become more obvious with the wrong shade. Teeth will look more yellow with the wrong shade. Shadow will appear under the chin with the wrong shade.
Dark shadows around eyes and under the eyes are more noticeable with the wrong colour.
Once you have made a clear decision about warm or cool, you can then eliminate all warm or all cool shades respectively.
Warm colours are in the Autumn and Spring palettes. Cool colours are in the Winter and Summer Palettes.
The next step is determining the value. By value I mean depth of shades.
The stronger shades are in the (cool) Winter palette and the (warm) Autumn palette.
Winter blue Autumn blue
If you've eliminated all warm colours then obviously you're left with Winter and Summer colours only.
Summer blue
If you eliminate the Deep value of Winter colours then you're left with the softer more muted shades of the Summer palette.
Just a note here. You can see that doing your own colour analysis is not that simple.
In fact over the years I've seen lots of clients that are just plain confused and have no idea what season they are, no matter how hard they try to work their own colours out.
The most important reason for this is because there are over 16million colours and in fact there are an infinite number of colours. Also because it's only experience that helps you to slot those colours into their categories.
Without some pretty in depth experience you're going to find it difficult to determine what is a warm or cool colour and then what is a Winter, Summer, Autumn and Spring colour.
You can have a guess but it's only a true experienced colour consultant who can really identify all the colours correctly.
As much as it's a lot of fun trying to guess or work out your colours, I strongly suggest investing in a one time colour analysis and get your colours right to start with.
For more expert information please contact us.
You may try the online colour analysis for an accurate colour analysis or of course attend my workshops or one on one colour and style analysis.