TIPS & TRICKS

Even experienced painters can be surprised by how a freshly applied color appears on a wall. A color that looked a certain way on a sample can suddenly look “off” once you begin applying it to the wall. This isn’t a mistake—it’s a color illusion, and it’s one of the main reasons clients call mid-project thinking something has gone wrong.

If you’ve ever had a client panic halfway through a job because the color “doesn’t look right,” understanding this illusion—and knowing how to prevent it—will save you time, frustration, and unnecessary coats.

What is the Color Illusion?

The color illusion happens when fresh new paint is placed next to sections of the wall that are still the old color—not because the new paint isn’t covering the old fully, but because your eye compares the two colors side by side and that tricks the brain into seeing something completely different.

• Even a neutral gray or beige can appear dramatically different when it’s only partially rolled or cut in next to ...

A few years ago, I was doing this Color Consultation for a client and one of  the first thing she said was:

"I just want LIGHTER colors"

Following this statement, I asked her a few questions and the more she spoke, the more I started to feel like lighter colors really wasn't what she wanted... but that perhaps, her mind had seen this as her only option.

So to be sure, I started to talk to her about MUSIC and how it's very similar to COLOR when it comes to the songs we enjoy and the ones we don't.

I go into more details to explain this analogy in the video below, but the idea is this:

"If you really enjoy a song, you can listen to it a bit louder than other songs. And if you don't like a song, well... you can listen to something else."

Of course, changing a song is much easier than changing the colors in a house which is why I think her mind had thought of the next best thing... bringing down the volume (going with a lighter color).

If you're a professional painter, odds are you heard this one before... It's the wrong color!

In this weeks Tips & Tricks Video, I'll share with you a great example of how this Color Illusion had a homeowner, and even their Interior Decorator convinced that we had put the wrong color.

Once you understand the theory behind this, you'll be able to help your clients  (and yourself) solve... or even better, prevent this type of color illusion. 

RECOMMENDED COURSE: COLOR 101

What Color Experts Want Painting Experts To Know About Color Theory

By Megan Headley
Originally published by APC (American Painting Contractor). Click here to view the original article.

How many times a week do you have a customer ask for your opinion on a color? Lots?

How many times a week do you offer your opinion on a customer’s color? Zero?

For many painting contractors, their job is strictly about applying the color—not selecting it.

“There was a painting contractor who I’ve worked with for years and when the homeowner asked him about color he would always say ‘I don’t choose the colors, I just apply the paint’,” shares Mary McMurray, owner of color consultancy Art First Colors for Architecture in Portland, Ore., and a licensed painting contractor herself for more than 30 years.

Painting contractors who take this hard line on color have every reason in the world to be defensive.

“I find that painters hesitate to voice their opinion regarding color because they don’t want to ...

Are you planning on buying a house soon? 🏡

Did you already buy a house and your closing date is fast approaching? 📆

Are you a Painter and want a few tricks to help your clients experience the Power of Color? 😊

If so, be sure to watch this weeks Tips & Tricks video!

Why is GREY sooooo popular these days?

Why do we get tired of certain colors after a while?

What's the secret to combining colors that work well together?

These questions, and many more, are answered in this week's video...

Click on the links below to watch the first two videos in this 3 Part Series

PART 1: What Exactly Is Color?

Part 2: Here's How We Perceive & Interpret Color Frequencies

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Check out the COLOR 101 Course

Remember this famous illusion?

Some people were seeing the dress WHITE & GOLD... while others were seeing it BLUE & BROWN.

That's a pretty BIG difference, wouldn't you agree?

Well turns out, the same thing that made this illusion possible is also creating illusions in your life... every... single... day.

Whether you're looking at colors on a wall or in your surroundings... OR... interpreting situations & events in your life.

To watch the first video in this series, CLICK HERE.

What happens to COLOR when you turn off the lights?

Is that RED apple still red if it's in a pitch black room?

Was it even RED to begin with?

To answer those questions, we'll need to first go to the source and answer this question: what exactly is color?

And the short answer is - FREQUENCY!

Recommended Course: COLOR 101

Those 2 paint swatches are the SAME... but somehow they appear DIFFERENT.

So which one is CORRECT?

If you've ever picked a color only to have it turn out different than you expected, this little trick would probably have made a world of differentce... 

Is it possible to "Change the Colors" in your home simply by changing light bulbs?

The answer is, ABSOLUTELY!

For color to appear, it requires LIGHT. 

NO LIGHT = NO COLOR

But light can have different COLOR TEMPERATURES based on the time of day (light coming from the sun)... or the type of light bulbs we choose (light generated from inside our home).

Be sure to watch this weeks video for a clear example on how different color can appear in different lighting environments.