From natural to artificial, from bulb to fluorescent, how do different kinds of light affect the way we perceive colour? Have you ever wondered why your stunning new chocolate brown jumper suddenly adopts an off-putting muddy hue when you try it on in front of your bedroom mirror? Or why the red wall in your lounge looks burnt orange at night? And why your Resene ColorShop staff will advise you to paint your testpot of colour onto a piece of card or firm paper and move it about the room you intend to paint so that you can see it under different lights? Also, to view your sample at night under artificial light as well as during the day? To understand the intricacies of colour, the first thing to remember is that we can only see different shades if they are illuminated. In order for them to be anything other than degrees of black and white, light has to hit the surface and be reflected back. The brightness of that light is measured in units called lumens – the more lumens, the brighter the light. One lumen is equivalent to one lux, which is the brightness of four full moons. Humans need a quarter of a lux to be able to see at all. In the daytime, under the bright light of the sun, we see the world around us reflected in combinations of the three primary colours of light: red, green and blue.All shades are created from these three hues.When equal amounts of red, blue and green are reflected, the brain perceives the result as white; when they are absent, we get black. While red, yellow and blue are the primary colours for items like paint, the primary colours of light include red and blue but replace yellow with green. Natural versus artificial In an ideal scenario, ‘true colour’ is the shade closest to that reflected directly by the sun, which contains the full spectrum of the rainbow. We can achieve this by using as much natural light as possible in our living, working and commercial spaces. There are numerous artificial light sources available to us today,with many more in the process of being developed.These are used to compensate for lack of natural light or to achieve deliberate colour effects. As a general rule of thumb, warm light (pink, red, yellow…) accentuates warm colours, while cold light (blues, greens, white, grey…) enhances colder tones. The FACE rules It’s easy to identify what you need the light to achieve, by following the FACE rules.They are: F stands for function. What do you want to achieve with the light? Do you want to bring out the best in the colours of your interiors and sofa cushions? Do you want to light up an entire sports field? Does the light have to be practical, for example, in a study? A for ambience. This is particularly important in hotels or restaurants, where you want to create a certain atmosphere to draw in customers; or in retail, to make merchandise look appealing and expensive. Or, perhaps you want to create a relaxed mood in a casual living area. Cool, blue light will enhance an indoor pool, while warm pinks will set the scene in your meditation room. | 35