Plotting color by Ring: get it right every time.

Every day a few of you send me a color snapshot and inquire “what Tibi Color Ring does this fall in to?” And I answer, often: “this ring, but it may depend….” You see, as in life, not everything is black and white (no pun intended). But rather, there’s nuance. That’s why I’ve never been a fan of rote learning, it doesn’t allow for nuance and the ability to think for yourself and interpret information through your own lens or the lens of a moment in time. Rote learning doesn’t grow with you, it’s very finite. When you understand the “why” behind anything, it allows you to evolve with it, change or update your opinions, think deeply. Thinking is good.

View the Tibi Color Wheel not as a guide or endeavor to assort every possible color into varied rings. The rights and wrongs of that will trip you up. Rather, see this first as rings that signify conjured emotions, and we interpret them differently, depending. One persons sad is another’s not so much, my version of happy may be different than yours. When you approach color through the lens of emotions, you can easily determine what a color is doing for you and ergo, where it lands on the ring.

So here below, I offer up the synonyms to each ring on the Tibi Colorwheel:

 

RING 1: TRUE BLACK

SYNONYMS: Strength, boldness, sharp ness, harshness, defiance.

USED IN A SENTENCE: My lavender sheer dress feels very feminine, but when I throw on this black blazer, it feels much sharper and strong.

RING 2: THE NEUTRALS/CLASSICS

SYNONYMS: Refinement, polish, luxury, impeccable, crisp

USED IN A SENTENCE: My lavender sheer dress feels a little out there, this navy blazer will rein it in a bit, add some polish and crispness to balance the softness.

RING 3: THE CALMING INFLUENCE

SYNONYMS: Relaxation, ease, calmness, serenity, softness

USED IN A SENTENCE: My lavender sheer dress feels a little pretty, this strange ochrey-brownish-reddish color lends dimension by adding a layer of chill and utter ease that belies the transparent modern pushed nature of the dress.

RING 4: TURNING IT UP

SYNONYMS: Energy, Excitement, Good Chaos, Punch, Vigor

USED IN A SENTENCE: My lavender sheer dress feels a little colorful, I’m going to add even more punch here with this bright green sweater and long red socks for a full on go big or go home creative moment.

The Creative Pragmatist Book Edition 2 has a very robust explanation with drawings that you will find helpful HERE.

Now, a lot of you have asked about where denim fall, and I have some answers for you. Even some drawings that will help. But before I feed you the fish, I wanted to take the first step to help you learn how to bait the line. Okay?

 

NOTE: sorry, the Tibi Color Wheel is currently sold out, but the Italians are furiously working on a batch of another 100. Remember, independent companies are good, they are by definition small, small is good. It is worth the wait.