Drum Roll ~~The Pantone Color of the Year is…

Every year I look forward to the Pantone Color Institute’s color of the year announcement. This declaration has taken place since 2000, and results from secret meetings with various nations’ color standard groups. After two days in a European capital and many presentations and discussions, they choose a color for the following year.

Here is a swatch of the pantone color of the year with its corresponding number.

I was thrilled to discover ultra violet, my favorite purple, is the color for 2018. As you may or may not know, purple is a color I wear frequently as well as paint with. It has also been my brand color for 25+ years. In my 18’x24″painting entitled, “An Interior Quest,” I celebrate various purples. I completed it in 2017, was I before my time? LOL! About this color, Pantone describes it as, “Inventive and imaginative, ultra violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”

Why might you be interested in the Pantone color of the year? First of all, it’s just plain interesting, in my humble opinion, that color experts from around the world spend time identifying a “color of the year.” (Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall during their meetings?) Over the years, these choices have impacted product designs, packaging, company branding, fashion trends and interior design strategies …essentially designers of all kinds. Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of Pantone states, “The process of color selection [for products, brands, websites, etc.] should never be an after-thought. At Pantone Color Institute we understand just how critical color is.”

When the pantone color of the year is announces many products are developed with this color. Here is an example of the variety of items you can buy in this ultra violet, and some are rather creative. For example, you can buy an ultra violet muffin pan. LOL!

In addition to its role mentioned above, the Pantone Institute is best known for its Color Matching System, which is largely a standardized color reproduction system. By standardizing the colors, different manufacturers in different locations can all refer to the Pantone system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another.

Will you incorporate the pantone color of the year into your paintings? If not, why? If so, how? If purple is not a color you typically use, perhaps this would be a good year to take it on as a challenge. As you can see, I have applied it in “Quenched,” a 18″x24″ oil painting. To learn more about mixing purple, visit my post: How to Mix Bright and Dull Secondaries.

Here it is in a simulated living space. Consider talking with an interior designer to see if they are wanting paintings that feature ultra-violet.

Take a moment to explore the Pantone Institute’s website to learn more about the color of the year as well as its potential applications. FYI, they have a section entitled, “Color Intelligence,” which may be of interest.

If you liked this information, please share it with your fellow color enthusiasts.

Gratefully and colorfully yours,

Carol