THE DESIGN PALETTE

A STUDY OF COLOURS AND THEIR RELATIONS IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

A Seminar
submitted to
the Landscape department,
faculty of the Architecture,
CEPT University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
Master of Landscape Architecture

by
Shivansh Singh
PA200914
Master of Landscape Architecture, CEPT University,
Ahmedabad, india.
|email - [email protected]|

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

PREFACE

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iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE INTENT

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01

design palette

INTRODUCTION TO COLOUR
We are gifted with the sense of vision, which
allows us to visualize everything around us. This
sense helps us to understand the form, size,
shape, and texture of the objects. But it would
have been very difficult to differentiate between
these objects, if there was an absence of the
property of colour. Colour, in simple terms, is
just the way a body is percieved in the presence
of light.

the branches, all we are able to focus are those

white flowers, leaving the green broad leaves
and the sculpturous form of the tree. This is how
most of the plants attract the agents of pollination
too.

Colour can set you in the positive moods, soothe

you, give you the required tranquility. It plays
an important role in inculcating excitement,
enthusiasm, peace of mind, etc. There is an array
When we walk out in the busy streets, and look of psychological effects with colours, which we
into this dynamic environment around us, we use or fall prey to, every single day. Sipping tea
tend to go for every single detail which seems from a mug which is yellow or orange in colour
interesting, or maybe different, be it the colour always feel hotter than the one from a mug with
of flowers in the blossoming trees or some tangy shades of blue. We are trained with time to
coloured vehicle which goes by our side. It can repsond to the red signals and that makes us
be some advertisement billboard, or an artwork stop everytime our eyes see a red traffic light
done on the walls running parallel to the street. or the same coloured tail lights of the vehicles
Everywhere, it is colour and it is this property of ahead.
an object, or any sign board, which becomes
the part of our memory. Take an example of Colour is also priceless. It can be percieved
the Vodafone; whenever you will hear about without paying anything by all sections of the
the companys name, it is the red colour which society. Though there have been baseless trials
will always come to your mind, or maybe, take to relate a religion with colours, but there is not
Honest or Havmor, where your memory seems such such element as secular as colour. It does
to remember the yellow and blue colours not belong to any profession or income level.
respectively.
Quoting David Hicks, a very famous designer
and colour expert, Colour can achieve more in
The examples can also be taken of the natural peoples lives than any other element and at the
world around us. Whenever we think about a least expense.
Gulmohar (Delonix regia) tree, we already find
ourselves trapped in the beautiful shades of
red, without remembering any other detail of
the plant. Similar things happen when you might
see a tree laden with flowers; even the white
frangipani (Plumeria obtusa) which has those
showy white flowers dangling in bunches from

THE HISTORY OF COLOUR

It has been centuries since the time when
humans started understanding the colours and
used them in their day to day lives.
The ancient Egyptians have been recorded to
have been using colour for cures and ailments.
They worshipped the sun, knowing that without
light there can be no life. They looked at nature
and copied it in many aspects of their lives. The
floors of their temples were often green - as the
grass which then grew alongside their river, the
Nile. Blue was a very important colour to the
Egyptians too; the colour of the sky. They built
temples for healing and used gems (crystals)
through which the sunlight shone. They would
have different rooms for different colours. We
could perhaps relate our present methods of
colour/light therapy to this ancient practice.
There are lists on papyrus dating back to 1550
BC of colour cures.[1]

people held a very cyclical worldview, Aristotle

placed a selection of 7 primary colours into a
linear sequence. He ordered them according
to when he observed each colour appearing
naturally throughout the day, beginning with the
light of day and ending with the black of night.[2]

But the research work on colour actually started

with Pythagoras, somewhere around 6th
century BC. Among his many accomplishments,
Pythagorus was the first person to discover
that musical notes could be translated into a
mathematical seven-note scale. Bizarrely, he
also believed that the orbits of the planets and
colour spectrum both corresponded to the same
mathematical proportions as music, resulting in
a grand cosmic symmetry (an idea known as the
music of the spheres).

Several color order systems had placed colors

into a three-dimensional color solid of one form
or another, but Munsell was the first to separate
hue, value, and chroma into perceptually uniform
and independent dimensions, and was the first
to systematically illustrate the colors in threedimensional space. It was created by Professor
Albert H. Munsell in the first decade of the 20th
century and adopted by the USDA as the official
color system for soil research in the 1930s.

Furthermore, Sir Isaac Newton made a study

of color starting at the age of 23 in 1666 and
developed the useful Newton color circle based
on the wavelengths, which gives insight about
complementary colors and additive color mixing.
One of his contributions was the idea that white
light is light containing all wavelengths of the
visible spectrum and demonstrated this fact
with experiments on the dispersion of light in
glass prisms. While Newtons wheel accurately
explained the relationship between pure colours,
thats only part of the picture. In the 1700s,
Moses Harris expanded upon Newtons ideas
Their deep knowledge and understanding of by creating a shaded colour wheel. If Newtons
the healing powers of the colour rays was so wheel was a one-dimensional representation
nearly lost when, later on in history, the Greeks of colour, Harriss shaded wheel introduced a
considered colour only as a science. Hippocrates, second dimension. Johann Goethe, a German
amongst others, abandoned the metaphysical writer and artist published Farbenlehre (Theory
side of colour, concentrating only on the scientific of Colors) in 1810. He was the first to thoroughly
aspect. Fortunately, despite this, the knowledge study the physical effects of color, and this led
and philosophy of colour was handed down him to arrange colors symmetrically on a color
through the ages by a few. The Chinese also wheel, with opposing colors placed diametrically
apparently practiced Colour Healing. The Nei/ opposite each other. This anticipated further
ching, 2000 years old, records colour diagnoses. developments in color harmony.

Even today, we are further experimenting and

But Aristotle in the fourth century B.C. took a more understanding the impact of colours in our daily
straightforward approach. Living at a time when lives.
1. Tate,Tyler, Presentation, History of Colour (March 2010), Global Ignite Week.
2. https://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/colour_history
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THE HISTORY OF COLOUR

FIG. 1: Moses Harris

1766 Models for Colour
Theories.
FIG. 2: The Munsell
color system, showing:
a circle of hues at value
5 chroma 6; the neutral
values from 0 to 10; and
the chromas of purpleblue (5PB) at value 5.

THE PHYSICS OF COLOUR

Electromagnetic radiation is characterized by its
wavelength (or frequency) and its intensity. When
the wavelength is within the visible spectrum (the
range of wavelengths humans can perceive,
approximately from 390 nm to 700 nm), it is
known as visible light.

Infrared has a longer wavelength than red light,

and humans can not see this light but can feel
the heat infrared generates.[1]

The color of an object depends on both the

physics of the object in its environment and the
characteristics of the perceiving eye and brain.
Most light sources emit light at many different Physically, objects can be said to have the color
wavelengths; a sources spectrum is a distribution of the light leaving their surfaces, which normally
giving its intensity at each wavelength. Although depends on the spectrum of the incident
the spectrum of light arriving at the eye from a illumination and the reflectance properties of the
given direction determines the color sensation surface, as well as potentially on the angles of
in that direction, there are many more possible illumination and viewing. Some objects not only
spectral combinations than color sensations. In reflect light, but also transmit light or emit light
fact, one may formally define a color as a class of themselves, which also contribute to the color.
spectra that give rise to the same color sensation,
although such classes would vary widely among A viewers perception of the objects color depends
different species, and to a lesser extent among not only on the spectrum of the light leaving its
individuals within the same species. In each surface, but also on a host of contextual cues,
such class the members are called metamers of so that color differences between objects can
the color in question.
be discerned mostly independent of the lighting
spectrum, viewing angle, etc.[2]
Different colors have different wavelengths,
which is the distance between corresponding
parts of two of the waves. The longest
wavelength of light that humans can see is red.
The shortest is violet. Ultraviolet has an even
shorter wavelength, but humans cannot see it.
Some birds and bees can see ultraviolet light.

FIG. 3: The Visible Spectrum

1. http://www.crayola.com/for-educators/resources-landing/articles/color-what-is-color.aspx
2. This effect is called colour constancy.
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THE COLOUR WHEEL

A color wheel or color circle is an abstract
illustrative organization of color hues around a
circle that shows relationships between primary
colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.

absorbed; in a color circle, on the other hand,

the center is white or gray, indicating a mixture of
different wavelengths of light (all wavelengths, or
two complementary colors, for example).

Some sources use the terms color wheel and

color circle interchangeably;[1] however, one
term or the other may be more prevalent in
certain fields or certain versions as mentioned
above. For instance, some reserve the term color
wheel for mechanical rotating devices, such as
color tops or filter wheels. Others classify various
color wheels as color disc, color chart, and color
scale varieties.

Surfaces absorb certain light waves and reflect

back others onto the color receptors (cones)
in our eyes. The light reflected back is the light
we see. The true primaries of visible light are
red, green, and blue. The light system is called
additive because the three primaries together
create all the hues in the spectrum. In theory,
combining red and green paint should produce
yellow. In practice, however, these pigments
combine into a blackish brown. This is because
As an illustrative model, artists typically use red, pigments absorb more light than they reflect,
yellow, and blue primaries (RYB color model) making any mix of pigments darker than its source
arranged at three equally spaced points around colors. As more colors are mixed, less light is
their color wheel.[2] Printers and others who reflected. Thus pigment based color systemsare
use modern subtractive color methods and called substractive. Offset and desktop printing
terminology use magenta, yellow, and cyan as methods use CMYK, a subtractive system.
subtractive primaries. Intermediate and interior Screen displays use RGB, which is addictive.
points of color wheels and circles represent color CMYK color uses non-standard colors because
mixtures. In a paint or subtractive color wheel, the light reflected off cyan and magenta pigments
the center of gravity is usually (but not always) mixes more purely into new hues than the light
black, representing all colors of light being reflected off of blue and red pigments.

FIG. 4: The Color Wheel

1. Jennings, Simon. Artists Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Working
With Color. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2003.
2. Lochen Staiger, Kathleen. The Oil Painting Course Youve Always Wanted:
Guided Lessons for Beginners. New York: WatsonGuptill, 2006.

THE COLOUR SYNTHESIS

Additive color synthesis is the creation of color
by mixing colors of light. Human vision relies on
light sensitive cells in the retina of the eye. There
are two basic kinds of sensors. These are rods
and cones. Rods are cells which can work at very
low intensity, but cannot resolve sharp images
or color. Cones are cells that can resolve sharp
images and color, but require much higher light
levels to work. The combined information from
these sensors is sent to the brain and enables
us to see.[1]

Subtractive color synthesis is the creation of color

by mixing colors of pigment, such as paint or ink
in your computers printer. This type of color is
what is used in the art and design world. When
learning basic color theory, art students typically
use familiar colors like red, yellow, and blue.

Subtractive color processes work by blocking out

parts of the spectrum. The idea of subtractive
color is to reduce the amount of undesired color
reaching the eye. If, for example, you had a
yellow image, you would want to have a dye that
There are three types of cone. Red cones are would let red and green reach the eye, and block
sensitive to red light, green cones are sensitive out blue. The additive secondaries become the
to green light, and blue cones are sensitive to printers subtractive primaries, because each
blue light. The perception of color depends on of the additive secondaries will reflect two of
an imbalance between the stimulation level of the additive primaries, and absorb one of the
the different cell types. The three primaries in additive primaries. The three primaries on the
light are red, blue, and green, because they artists color wheel are red, blue, and yellow. [1]
correspond to the red, green, and blue cones in
the eye.
Yellow + Blue = Green
Yellow + Red = Orange
Red + Green = Yellow
Blue + Red = Violet
Red + Blue = Magenta
When all of the colors are combined, they create
Green + Blue = Cyan
black pigment.
Printers primariesyellow, cyan, and magenta
are typically used by professional designers and With this information, if we wanted red, we would
printing presses .
mix magenta and yellow. Magenta would absorb
green, and yellow would absorb blue, leaving
When all of the colors of the spectrum are only red to be reflected back to the eye. For
combined, they add up to white light.
black, a combination of all three would be used,
2 parts Red + 1 part Green = Orange
which should block out all light in theory.
2 parts Green + 1 part Red = Lime
4 parts Red + 1 part Blue + 1 part Green = Brown

FIG. 5: The Colour Synthesis Types

1. https://cs.nyu.edu/courses/fall02/V22.0380-001/color_theory.htm

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COLOUR INFOGRAPHIC

FIG. 6: The Basics of Colour

COLOUR TERMINOLOGIES
HUE

is the traditional color name, such as

red, which represents a specific wavelength of
visible light. In most instances color and hue are
used interchangably even though they do not
exactly mean the same thing or refer to the same
phenomenon. The hues in the spectrum are
traditionally listed as red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo and violet. ROYGBIV is a common
mnemonic for remembering the order of colored
light in the spectrum. Black, white and the grays
produced from them are not usually considered
to be hues. The average eye can differentiate
approximately 150 different hues.[1]

TINT

VALUE,

hue (such as the highest chroma for a given

color), and not black and not white. This mixture
is an intermediate (can also be blend of hues). In
other words, if you were to take a pure color and
add grey, you would have Tone.

i.e. a relative degree of lightness or

darkness. Most colors are recognizable in a full
range of values; e.g. we identify as a form of red
everything from the palest pink to the darkest
maroon. Even though we assign different names
to the different values of red we still know that
they are derived from red. All hues have a normal
value; the lightness or darkness of that hue as it
appears in the spectrum. Yellow, for example, is
a light-valued color while violet is a dark-valued
color. As a result, there will be an uneven range
of light or dark values for each hue.[1]

is the term used to describe a hue that

has been lighted in value from its normal value.
Pink is tint of red. Tints are achieved by mixing
white with a pigment or by using a pigment in a
dilute form to allow for the white of the ground to
show through.[1]

SHADE is the term used to describe a hue that

has be darkened in value from its normal value.

Maroon is a shade of red. Shades are achieved
by mixing black with a pigment. [1]

TONE is a a color mixture that is not pure color

INTENSITY is the brightness or dullness

of a colour. A colour is made duller by adding

black or white, as well as by neutralising it towards grey i.e, lowering its saturation.[2]

CHROMA tells us how pure a hue is. That

means there is no white, black, or grey present

in a colour that has high chroma. These colours
will appear very vivid and pure. This concept is
related to and often confused with saturation.[3]

SATURATION tells us how a colour looks

under certain lighting conditions. For instance, a

room painted a solid colour will appear different
in night than in daylight. As the day goes on,
the colour remains the same but the saturation
changes.[3]

FIG. 7: Figure showing Hue, Chroma

and Neutral Axis.

1. http://www.uwgb.edu/heuerc/2d/colorterms.html
2. http://www.gdbasics.com/html/color/color.html#
3. http://www.colorcube.com/articles/theory/glossary.htm
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THE COLOUR WHEEL AND VISION

A color circle based on spectral wavelengths
appears with red at one end of the spectrum
and violet at the other. A wedge-shaped gap
represents colors that have no unique spectral
frequency. These extra-spectral colors, the
purples, form from additive mixture of colors
from the ends of the spectrum.
In normal human vision, wavelengths of
between about 400 nm and 700 nm are
represented by this incomplete circle, with the
longer wavelengths equating to the red end of
the spectrum. Complement colors are located
directly opposite each other on this wheel. These
complement colors are not identical to colors in
pigment mixing (such as are used in paint), but
when lights are additively mixed in the correct
proportions appear as a neutral grey or white.[1]

color lies between the two original colors on the

color circle, but they are usually represented as
being joined by a straight line on the circle, the
location of the new color closer to the (white)
centre of the circle indicating that the resulting
hue is less saturated (i.e., paler) than either of
the two source colors. The combination of any
two colors in this way are always less saturated
than the two pure spectral colors individually.
Objects may be viewed under a variety of
different lighting conditions. The human visual
system is able to adapt to these differences by
chromatic adaptation. This aspect of the visual
system is relatively easy to mislead, and optical
illusions relating to color are therefore a common
phenomenon. The color circle is a useful tool for
examining these illusions.

For example: the reason that the Wimbledon

tennis tournament uses purple on the Wimbledon
official logo is that purple is located almost
opposite of green on the color wheel. Purple
against green provides good contrast.
The color circle is used for, among other
purposes, illustrating additive color mixture.
Combining two colored lights from different parts
of the spectrum may produce a third color that
appears like a light from another part of the
spectrum, even though dissimilar wavelengths
are involved. This type of color matching is known
as metameric matching.[2]Thus a combination of
green and red light might produce a color close
to yellow in apparent hue. The newly formed

1. Krech, D., Crutchfield, R.S., Livson, N., Wilson, W.A. jr., Parducci, A. Elements of psychology (4th ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. pp. 108-109.
2. Schiffman, H.R. Sensation and perception: An integrated approach (3rd ed.). New York:
John Wiley & Sons, 1990. pp. 252-253.

THE COLOUR COMPOSITION

To compose in colour means to juxtapose two
or more colours in such a way that they jointly
produce a distinct and distinctive expression. The
selection of hues, their relative situation, their
locations and orientations within the composition,
their configurations or simultaneous patterns,
their extensions and their contrast relationships,
are decisive factors of expression.

buoyancy at the bottom. To bring about a balance

of colour distribution is one of the most important
aims of composition.[1] The danger inherent in
color is that unless you are careful in composing,
bright patches of colour may divert the eye to
minor parts of a scene.

The key concept for composing with colour is

what is called the most, some and a bit rule,
The subject of colour composition is so many- which states that in a dynamically balanced color
faceted that only few basic ideas have been scheme most of the colors should be of the same
discussed as a part of this report. Some of temperature, value and intensity. In other words,
the resources for harmonious composition most of the colors should be warm or cool, light
were already discussed in Colour schemes or dark, and either bright or dull. Some of the
or Harmonies. In interpreting the expressive colors, in contrast, should be the opposite of
properties of colours, we have tried to state the first group. Finally, there should be a small
concrete conditions and requirements for the bit of color that contrasts with all the others in
genesis of one characteristic expression or as many characteristics as possible. Most of
another. The purpose to be served by means of the color in the composition (the oranges and
colours must govern their selection.
yellows) is warm in temperature, light in value,
and pure in saturation or intensity. Some of the
It is an essential point that the effect of a colors (the greens and blues) are cool, dark and
colour is determined by its situation relative to less intense, which make a nice contrast to the
accompanying colours. A colour is always to be dominant warm colors. Theres a bit of dark,
seen in relation to its surroundings. The farther warm purples to set off the others. If the colors
a hue is removed from a given hue in the colour were all warm or all cool, all dark or light, or all
circle, the greater its power of contrast. However, bright or dull, or in equal amounts of each, the
the value and importance of a colour in the scene would be boring.[2]
picture are not determined by the accompanying
colours alone. Quality and quantity of extension There are few basic colour harmonies or schemes
are contributing factors. Thus the placement which have been used as standards in the fields
and direction of colours is important in pictorial which relate to colours and their effects. The next
composition. Blue behaves differently at the topic gives a brief about them.
top, bottom, left, or right of the field Low blue is
heavy, high blue is light. Dark red at the top acts
as a heavy, impending weight; at the bottom,
as a stable matter of fact Yellow gives an effect
of weightlessness at the top, and of captive

1. Itten, Johannes. The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System of

Johannes Itten. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1970.
2. http://www.artistsnetwork.com/medium/watercolor/great-color-composition
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COLOUR SCHEMES OR HARMONIES[1]

No Colour stands alone. In fact, the effect of a
colour is determined by many factors: the light
reflected from it, the colours that surround it,
or the perspective of the person looking at the
colour.
There are 10 basic colour schemes. They
are called achromatic, analogous, clash,
complement, monochromatic, neutral, split

complement, as well as, primary, secondary, and

tertiary schemes. But there are endless colour
schemes possible when mixing different shades,
tones, tints of the same hue. Creative colour
schemes are useful for practical and emotional
variations, providing a wide range of colour
uses in areas like art, paintings, architecture,
landscape architecture, etc.

ACHROMATIC An achromatic color

scheme is one that is colorless using
blacks, whites and grays

ANALOGOUS An analogous color

scheme is any three adjacent primary,
secondary, or tertiary colors on the color
wheel. These schemes can be warm or
cool. Each can be neutralized by use of its
complement, and black and white can be
used. Analogous colors harmonize well
and produce a definite mood to a composition. This can create a very harmonious
color scheme.
CLASH A clash colour scheme is the one
in which combines a colour with the hueto
the right or left of its complement on the
colour wheel.

1. Sutton, Tina and Whelan, Bride M. The Complete Color Harmony: Expert
Color Information for Professional Color Results. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2004.

COMPLEMENTARY A complementary
color scheme is one that uses colors directly across from each other on the color
wheel. This can be accomplished by using
two colors or hues that are opposites such
as red and green or violet and yellow. In
this color scheme any two complements,
all the semi-neutrals and the neutral they
produce can be used. Black and white can
also be used.
MONOCHROMATIC A monochromatic
color scheme is a one-color color scheme.
However, the color can be neutralized by
adding its complement to lower the intensity of the color. Black and white can also
be used to darken and lighten the value of
the color. It is achieved by using one color
or hue, utilizing that colors various tints,
tones and shades. Using a monochromatic scheme with multiple textures creates
character and maintains unity.
NEUTRAL A neutral color scheme is the
one which uses the hues which has been
diminished or neutralised by the addition of
its complement or black.

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY The

split-complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary color scheme.
In addition to the base color, it uses the two
colors adjacent to its complement.
This color scheme has the same strong
visual contrast as the complementary color
scheme, but has less tension.
The split-complimentary color scheme is
often a good choice for beginners, because
it is difficult to mess up.
1. Sutton, Tina and Whelan, Bride M. The Complete Color Harmony: Expert
Color Information for Professional Color Results. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2004.
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PRIMARY SCHEME An primary color
scheme is one which has the combination
of pure hues of the primary colours, namely, red, yellow and blue.

SECONDARY SCHEME An secondary

color scheme is one which has the combination of pure hues of the secondary
colours, namely, green, orange and voilet.

COLOUR TRIAD A triadic color scheme

are colors that are an equal distant from
each other on the color wheel. Any three
colors equidistant around the color wheel
form a triad and can be used in this color scheme (eg., red, yellow and blue).
Semi-neutrals are mixed using two of the
colors in the triad and the third can be added to further neutralize the pair. Black and
white can also be used. This can create a
very balanced scheme.

1. Sutton, Tina and Whelan, Bride M. The Complete Color Harmony: Expert
Color Information for Professional Color Results. Gloucester, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2004.

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SPATIAL EFFECT OF COLOURS[1]

The spatial effect of a colour may be a resultant
of several components. Forces acting in the
direction of depth are present in the colour itself.
They may manifest themselves in light-dark,
cold-warm, saturation or extension. In addition,
a spatial effect may be produced by diagonals
and overlappings.

only slightly from the white. The depth relations

of yellow/red-orange and red-orange/blue are
as major to minor. Any light tones on a black
ground will advance according to their degree of
brilliance.

On a white ground, the effect is reversed; light

tones are held to the plane of the background,
When six hues, yellow, orange, red, voilet, blue, and shades approaching black are thrust forward
and green, are juxtaposed, without intervals, on in corresponding degree. Among cold and warm
a black ground, the light yellow plainly appears tones of equal brilliance, the warm will advance
to advance, while violet lurks in the depth of and the cold retreat. If light-dark contrast is also
the black background. All the other hues are present, the forces in the direction of depth will
intermediate between yellow and violet. A be added or subtracted or will cancel out. When
white background will alter the depth effect. equally brilliant blue-green and red-orange are
Violet seems to advance from the white ground seen against black, the blue-green retreats and
which holds back the yellow with its kindred the red-orange advances. If the red-orange is
brilliance. This also exemplifies the importance lightened somewhat, it advances still further.
of background colour with respect to the colours If the blue-green is lightened, it advances to
applied.
the same level as the red-orange; if lightened
sufficiently, it advances further and the redWhen orange is interposed in the depth interval orange recedes. The depth effects of saturation
from yellow to red, the depth intervals from yellow contrast are as follows: a pure colour advances
to orange and from orange to red are as minor to relative to a duller one of equal brilliance, but if
major. Similarly, the intervals from yellow to red- light-dark or cold-warm contrast is also present,
orange and from red-orange to blue are as minor the depth relationship shifts accordingly.
to major. Yellow-to-red and red-to-violet are in
the same proportion. Yellow to-green and green- Extension is another factor of depth effect.
to-blue are as major to minor. When yellow, When a large red area bears a small yellow
red-orange and blue are placed on a black patch, the red acts as a background and the
background, the following movements in depth yellow advances. As the yellow is extended and
occur: yellow advances sharply, red less so, and encroaches on the red, a point is reached where
blue retreats almost as far as the black. When the yellow becomes dominant; it expands into a
the same colours are on white, the depth effect background and thrusts the red forward.
is reversed, blue is driven forward by the white
ground, red-orange also, and yellow stands out

FIG. 8: The Visual Experiment with 6 hues as suggested by Itten shows how their behaviour
changes with change in background fill.
1. Itten, Johannes. The Elements of Color: A Treatise on the Color System of
Johannes Itten. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1970.

COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY AND ERGONOMICS

Using colours for any purpose, be it painting,
designing, giving directions, etc, isnt an easy task
without understanding the ergiinomics of colour.
As dicussed in the report, Colour schemes help us
to form good and standard colour compositions,
but, sometimes, when the projects are very
specific or there is need of working out things
in a different way, you have to think about the
way we respond to colours. In the topic of colour
composition, the concept of most, some or a bit
gave a meaningful explanation of how can we
prevent from getting confused when there are
so many options for colouring something. But
there has to be a genral understanding of colour
balance before thinking about using coloursnin
your design or maybe gardens.
Even if we consider, all the factors like, saturation,
chroma, intensity, etc, being equal, there is an
important character called expansive nature
of a colour or the proportion of this colour to be
used with other colours to maintain the balance.
This happens due to 2 factors; a) there is a direct
cognitive and psychological influence of colour to
our visual sensors, and b) therefore, the amount
of colour used is never equal. Now lets take an
understand with an example.
Yellow is the most expansive color. That means
a little bit of yellow goes a long way. Compared
to violet, yellow is three times more potent. So 1
square of yellow is visually equal to 3 squares of
violet. In a practical application this means that
painting a small room in yellow might make it
feel bigger while painting a large room in violet
can make it feel smaller and more intimate.
However, at the same time painting a large room
yellow, or worse a long hallway, may imbue a
since of anxiety in people and cause you to go
a bit stir crazy and get aggressive. Thats one
of the reasons most office building have taupe
walls and gray/blue carpets. These colors are
grounded and illicit very minimal reactions from
people.[1]

This brings in the colour psychology, which is

the way we have been trained to understand
different colours. This also has a cultural and
religious link as well. Talking about colour Red,
the symbol of warning, agression, sometimes
anger, and so many other expressions. It is to
be noted that most of the times, red is used to
denote the things which are dangerous, like the
traffic signs and objects requiring attention. This
can be related to the fact that red is naturally
to heat or fire, which are also dangerous. Also,
most of the poisonous berries are red in colour,
and even many flowers. Red is also the colour of
our blood which we see only when there is a cut,
or we are wounded.
The science behind why the color red is used for
danger signals is that red light is scattered the
least by air molecules. The effect of scattering
is inversely related to the fourth power of the
wavelength of a color. Therefore blue which has
the least wavelength of all the visible radiations
is scattered the most and red which has the
highest wavelength of all the colors we can see
is scattered the least. So red light is able to travel
the longest distance through fog, rain, and the
alike.[2]
Green and blue often are safe colors. A green
light means go and blue is used for information
and calming affects in warning signs. This
most likely has some connection to water and
vegetable food stuff. Both of which early humans
found good so it became part of our collective
understanding.
But at the same time these colors have a relative
expansiveness. Practically, that means one color
will catch your eye more than another. And the
amount of immediate attention needed by the
thing of that color has a psychological element
to it as well.

1. http://ergonomics.about.com/od/ergonomicbasics/a/The_Use_
Of_Color_In_Ergonomics.htm
2. http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-red-colour-useddanger-signals-there-any-191865

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design palette

COLOUR PHENOMENA
TEMPERATURE
In a research presented by Kuller and Mikellides
in 2009, it was stated, through a series of
experimental investigations, that the general
relationship between the colours and climatic well
being cannot be confirmed.[1] After Mikellides
matched the temperature estimates, both in a
red painted and blue painted room, there was no
significant difference to relate it with change in
room temperature. Generally shades between
red and yellow on a colour wheel are associated
with heat and those between green and blue,
with cold. It is often concluded that the colour of
a space influences our perception of warmth.

form of variety can a new spatial planning by the

colour combination of the forms. Form overlay,
a separation (camouflage) designed will lead to
irritation.

WEIGHT
Color influences the weight impression of an
object. According to investigations by Warren and
Flynn (1929), appreciate subjects the weight of a
cube of different colors, of 1.6 kg with yellow up
to 2.6 kg in black. The color choice for furniture
can therefore to reach a specific room effect is
crucial. In this context it is also the importance
of the color for the equilibrium to call. Light,
Although warm and cold colours may influence pastel tones look for example for supporting
our reception to interiors but do not affect our constructions, beams or load-bearing walls less
physical well being. The mental well being, stable than dark saturated to severe shades.
however, is very much associated with colour of
a space. Thus warm colours feel pleasant in the
cold spaces or climates and vice versa for cool FEEL
colours.
Synaesthetics[2] colour phenomena consist of
added anecdotes of our colour memory. It can
also overlays or parallelism inductions of sense
ORIENTATION
of touch and experience with colour.
Colour can be enhanced by support or by A bright light grey area suggests a hard, cool,
superimposing the form orientation and order. almost metallic handle, whereby a beige mat
This phenomenon can be used in the event surface to a sandy, softer and warm surface
of a specific tracking (orientation) by different reminds us. This phenomenon is both for table
spatial qualities and dimensions. Orientation and surfaces as well as for wall and floor coverings.
Safety are an important concern. If necessary,
the aesthetic function of the colour for the
benefit of the indicative be neglected. In the

1. Kuller, R., Mikellides, B., Janssens, Jan. Color, arousal, and performance: A comparison of
three experiments. Color Research and Applications: Vol 34. p 141-152, April 2009.
2. Synaesthetics means, relating to or experiencing synesthesia; involving more than one sense.

04

design palette

LANDSCAPE AND COLOUR

Refering to the meaning of the word Landscape,
which means all the visible features of an
area of land, often considered in terms of their
aesthetic appeal. This actually suggests such a
wide scope to analyse that almost every object
in the environment we see is included. But, if
we just look into the natural elements, there is
still a lot to comprehend. Currently, its the end
of monsoon, and the autumn awaits its turn. The
rich dark greens and warm coloured canopies
and groundcovers will be replaced by the dull
green and brownish landscapes of tomorrow.
The sky which is mostly light blue with shades
of warm and cool greys in monsoon days and
reddish brown in the nights, which turns to clear
sky tones in the autumn days.

natural elements, we can manipulate and control

these colours, sometimes to their detriment as
we hybridise and engineer, distort and pollute
the purity of what is. but we can also come up
with happy accidents, beneficial interactions
with nature that enhance and amaze almost as
effectively as nature itself.[1]

If we talk about agriculture, as one of the interaction

with landscape. The yellow mustard fields in the
spring season form a vibrant foreground for the
dark blue sky. There is no other colour which can
replace this powerful character of yellow. The
way yellow colour comes out of the picture when
seen against the darker backgrounds, dilutes
the other colours from the scene. Similarly,
the red amaranthus fields, generally known as
The seasonal cycle through which our landscapes rajagira in Gujarat and Maharashtra, has such
pass regularly, or sometimes accidently, portrays brilliant scarlet hue, which distracts every person
the tranformation of different elements of nature travelling through the fields at that time. Other
and thus our moods. The colour is such an examples, include the lush green paddy fields,
important part of this cycle, the fact, which is changing colours to wheatish yellow during the
far from our realisation. And it is actually our harvesting time or sugarcane which, along with
personal interaction and experiences with the its bold texture, dominates the landscape with the
landscape, that fosters the understanding of tones of green in its young stage and maturing to
these pastels around us. The palette of landscape yellowish white when ripe.
in seamless. The combinations we see and
images we memorize every single day, are very The phenological changes in the plants, together
distinct and they alter with the changes in time with the natural elements like water, sky, earth,
and our location. There are maximum chances stones, etc, have limitless combinations in
of discovering new patterns and compositions as which we can make our design palette. All
what is required is the understanding the way it
we explore more into this canvas.
influences the psychology of our emotions.
In natural landscape, colour simply exists,
without artifice - blue sky, brown earth, green
leaves, white clouds. In our interaction with the

1. Wilson, Andrew. Contemporary Color in the Landscape: Top designers, inspiring ideas, new
combinations. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 2011.

COLOURS AND MOOD IN THE LANDSCAPE[1]

Using COLOR to Set the Mood in the Landscape

By: Renee Brown

PINK

Innocent, Soothing

Coordinating colors:

RED

Excitement, Romantic
Coordinating colors:

red

pink ladies

grey timber wolf

black iron

These pink cushions bring a playful, feel-good

vibe under a somewhat overwhelming patio
cover. The bright fabric and black furniture draw
the eye into the soothing seating area.

The color of this wall makes a bold statement

creating excitement and intrigue. At the same
time, the privacy and seclusion it affords are
perfect for a secluded, romantic space.

GRAY

ORANGE

Energetic, Enthusiastic

Practical, Reliable

Coordinating colors:

Coordinating colors:

racing orange
smoke

azores

burnt carmel

The practicality of simple gray tones need not

stay muted. When accented by a warm color
such as the carmel walls of this house, gray
offers the reliable basis for nearly any design
scheme.

The entry way to this residence is bright and

inviting. Its welcoming feel gives visitors a
sudden sense of energy and excitement for
what lies ahead.

BLACK

Authority, Sophisticated

YELLOW

Happy, Optimistic
Coordinating colors:

Coordinating colors:

amarillo

black iron

ravishing red
satchel

The black iron speaks volumes about what this

patio is all about. It conjures up a powerful
impression in a sophisticated yet fun
entertaining area.

BROWN

Elegant, Stability

GREEN

A bright and positive entry such as this cant

help but brighten your day. The long, narrow
corridor to the courtyard gets visitors excited
and optimistic that they wont be let down once
they get to the end.

Refreshing, Relaxing

Coordinating colors:

Coordinating colors:

saddle brown

woodland green

myan gold

adagio

The solid, earthy appeal of brown in a landscape

helps bring connection to the garden. The size
and warmth in the varying tones of brown, gold,
and blue in this fountain add a simple elegance
to the soothing sound of water.

Natural and rejuvenating, the color green

freshens a space. It adds just the right amount
of color for this relaxing, mid-century retreat.

PURPLE

Dramatic, Motivating
Coordinating colors:

mystical grape

veranda view

The dramatic impact of an entry filled with

purple salvia adds a lot of curb appeal.
Contrasting with the bright green tones of the
landscape, the effect is inspiring.

BLUE

Calming, Serene

Coordinating colors:

franklin lakes

antique rose

The calm, at-peace feeling of a stroll through

this garden is achieved by planting design. The
blue agave and grasses create a serene
environment suitable for reflection and
relaxation.

PINK: www.modelandscape.com; RED: www.ojb.com; ORANGE: www.zfreedmandesign.com; YELLOW: www.landscapingnetwork.com; GREEN: www.landscapingnetwork.com; BLUE: www.artlunagarden.com; PURPLE: www.tslg.org; BROWN: www.azulverde.com;
BLACK: www.nadra.org/Georgia/PDP.html; GRAY: www.bernardtrainor.com BY: Renee Brown @ LandscapingNetwork.com

1. The document, Using Color to Set Mood in Landscape by Renee Brown, taken from www.
landscapingnetwork.com website.
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COLOURS IN LANDSCAPE STYLES[1]

Before getting into the details of relationship in landscape design worldwide. This will also
between natural landscape and colour, lets see allow us to compare the colours of contemporary
see the various styles used in the contemporary style with the colours of nature.
landscape and the colour palette for them. This
will give us an idea of the shades generally used

SPANISH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The only thing missing on the sunsetcolored pavers of a Spanish-styled abode
is the clip-clop of a famous black horse
and its enduringly handsome masked
rider. Hail to the cavaliers that harbor
amongst the bougainvillea and tiered
fountains of the hacienda

FRENCH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

It is saidIf you are lucky enough to
have lived in Paris as a young man,
then wherever you go for the rest of
your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a
moveable feast. Much like the gardens of
Versailles, French-inspired gardens are a
feast for the eyes with topiaries, lavender,
and cypress as the table settings.

TUSCAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Nothing could be sweeter than a wall

fountain that trickled wine, splashing
droplets of fermented grapes into
glass goblets. Imagine yourself under
the Tuscan sun, among the vines and
columns of another era, enjoying the
sweet rewards of your villa.

1. This topic was taken from the design guide of www.landscapingnetwork.com and the colour
palettes and images are the part of the same document.

SOUTHWEST MEDITERRANEAN DESIGN

There are certain historical feuds well
never forget, such as the Hatfields and
McCoys, or Al Capone and Bugs Moran.
The Southwest style is no different. With
beehive fireplaces, animal skin rugs,
branding irons and spurs, its hard to tell if
you like the cowboys or the Indians.

COLONIAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN

From the balcony of the Colonial estate,
dont be surprised if you hear the call
of Paul Revere in the night. Its also not
uncommon for white-haired, pony-tailed
men to arrive at your door by horse and
buggy. The stately columns and stone
walls may revolutionize your way of
thinking.

SALTBOX LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Steep Gables, double hung windows of
the dwelling foreseeing the landscapes
of pergolas, planters and patios. It is
mesmerizing and brings the memories of
a landscape with greys and whites.

TOWNHOUSE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The house in town was the home of

aristocrats during the social season
of the year when they relocated from
their country houses. The often wealthy
Londoners enjoyed the terraced vistas of
the townhouse.

1. This topic was taken from the design guide of www.landscapingnetwork.com and the colour
palettes and images are the part of the same document.
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design palette
ENGLISH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Heavy chimneys, half-timbering and

dark wood paneling make every English
style home seem like its gardens are
automatically labeled secret. Theres
always something intriguing, albeit epic to
discover, such as wardrobes that open to
wintry fantasy worlds.

CRAFTSMAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

The Woodworkers Association concurs,
it takes a craftsman to build a craftsman.
While youre hand-hammering your
copper sink, remember to stop and smell
the Magnolia tree and reflect on a time
when the hand-made was preferred over
the mass- produced.

SOUTH PACIFIC LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Its 1958...love blooms between a young
nurse and a secretive Frenchman. The
island is iconic. The combination of
bamboo, teak, thatch, tiki and wicker are
an instant revival. While your e enjoying
your umbrella drink, try not to break out
into song.

CHINESE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Harmonious. Inner peace. Silence.

Understanding. Relationship.
Environment. Spirit. Breathe. Think. If
the Chinese style is known to conjure up
good health and good vibes...why doesnt
everyone do this?

1. This topic was taken from the design guide of www.landscapingnetwork.com and the colour
palettes and images are the part of the same document.

JAPANESE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

They are traditional gardens that create

miniature idealized landscapes, often in
a highly abstract and stylized way.[1] The
gardens of the Emperors and nobles were
designed for recreation and aesthetic
pleasure, while the gardens of Buddhist
temples were designed for contemplation
and meditation.

BALINESE LANDSCAPE DESIGN[2]

A line of volcanoes dominate the
landscape of Bali and have provided
it with fertile soil which, combined with
a wet tropical climate, make it an ideal
place for crop cultivation. Water from the
rivers allowing the cultivation of rice on
both flat land and mountain terraces.

INDIAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Beatiful vistas, geometrical designs,
waterbodies and cascades, char bagh,
paradise gardens, etc defines the Indian
landscape. There is an optimum blend
of nature with brilliant examples of
architecture.

COASTAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN[3]

If you live by the beach, youre one of

the few and the proud to display teak
and rattan. If you just like the look of sea
shells and coral in your Nebraska home,
then well, thats just awkward. Keep the
marine artifacts and the hairdos that do
well in the marine layer by the marina.

1. Gunter Nitschke, Le jardin japonais, pg. 9-10.

2. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1194
3. This topic was taken from the design guide of www.landscapingnetwork.com and the colour
palettes and images are the part of the same document.

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design palette
FARMHOUSE LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Warm and lovely days, lemonade, and

picket fences are reminiscent of the
country farmhouse. In the evenings, while
you sip spirits on the lightly lit porch, you
might hear the soft neigh of a horse.

VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Elaborate ornamentation with a touch
of whimsy describes the detailed bay
windows, turrets, dormers, lattice,
gazebos, and fancy wicker of the
Victorian house. All are sure signs of a
bygone era when horses and petticoats
were more common than cars and
telephones.

RANCH LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Nearly every sprawling, ranch-style home
is one story. So who said those cowboys
werent thinkin when they designed their
homes on one level. Its hard to walk up
stairs after a long day fixin fences. Plus,
why waste time when theres a perfectly
good wagon wheel bench to sit on and a
rusting tractor to look at.

RUSTIC LANDSCAPE DESIGN

If you have a rustic-style house, forego

the fake deer in the front yard. You
probably live in the boonies anyways
where deer and sasquatch sightings are
a regular occurrence.

ART DECO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Bollywood isnt the only place associated

with elegance and glamour. Art deco
homes are a lot like celebs...influenced by
a lot of people and photographed often.
Luckily when an art deco home needs to
be remodeled, it might get a makeover
but it doesnt have to go to rehab.

MODERN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Theyre the makeup for a modern design.
Okay, maybe it would be better described
as geometrical, smooth, and streamlined,
characterized by expansive, unadorned
windows that marry the interior with the
exterior.

MID-CENTURY LANDSCAPE DESIGN

A mid-century modern home is George
Jetson with a dash of Frank Lloyd
Wrighta little bit retro mixed with spaceage funky. Nonetheless this mid-20th
century marvel is recognized by scholars
and museums as a significant design
movement.

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design palette

ELEMENTS OF LANDSCAPE
There are two main meanings for the word
landscape: it can refer to the visible features of
an area of land, or to an example of the genre
of painting that depicts such an area of land.[1]
Landscape, in both senses, includes the physical
elements of landforms such as (ice-capped)
mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers,
lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land
cover including indigenous vegetation, human
elements including different forms of land use,
buildings and structures, and transitory elements
such as lighting and weather conditions.
Combining both their physical origins and the
cultural overlay of human presence, often
created over millennia, landscapes reflect a
living synthesis of people and place that is vital
to local and national identity. The character of
a landscape helps define the self-image of the
people who inhabit it and a sense of place that
differentiates one region from other regions.
It is the dynamic backdrop to peoples lives.
Landscape can be as varied as farmland, a
landscape park, or wilderness.
Landscape is never percieved a single entity or
object but, as a composition of various elements,
the natural elements, and sometimes, the man
made ones. While going across any landscape,
one cannot comprehend it without understanding
these elements and their role play. The properties
which affect our visual perception are texture
form, size and colours. But in this seminar, we
might narrow it down to just colour. As discussed

1. New Oxford American Dictionary

in earlier topics, colour is a very important

property inherited by almost every element and
most of the times, it is the first thing, our eyes
percieve. And the dynamics of landscape are
best understood when we relate it with colours.
For example, a landscape in different climate
zones will be very have more vivd colours to
see than the ones in the hotter climates. The
colour of sky, which is the most dynamic feature,
changing from morning to day, every single day,
with changng seasons.
Even the colour of soil changes, from site to
site, in different climatic zones or the type of
vegetation which is supported by that soil.
Similar is the case with other elements like
mulch, stones, vegetation, water, artifacts,
metal, plastics, etc.
As per the scope of the seminar, only the
natural elements of landscape, have been
covered, which are;

Sky,
Soils,
Stones,
Flora,
and Water.

COLOUR AND SKY

Sky is a very important element when it comes to
reading the landscapes in terms of colour. Though
most of the time, we visualise our landscape under
a clear sky with tints of blue and few whites covering
up the patches. But when it comes to sunrise or
sunset, the prominent shades of red and oranges
actuate a phenomenon where sky plays a formidable
role, defying the effects of any other colour present
in the environment.
How is this colour there? and why do they change?
Actually, sky has no colour, it is transparent. What
we see from the ground up during a sunny day
is caused by what is called light scattering. The
atmosphere is the mixture of gas molecules and
other materials surrounding the earth. It is made
mostly of the gases nitrogen (78%), and oxygen
(21%). Argon gas and water (in the form of vapor,
droplets and ice crystals) are the next most common
things. There are also small amounts of other gases,
plus many small solid particles, like dust, soot and
ashes, pollen, and salt from the oceans.
The composition of the atmosphere varies,
depending on your location, the weather, and many
other things. There may be more water in the air
after a rainstorm, or near the ocean. Volcanoes
can put large amounts of dust particles high into
the atmosphere. Pollution can add different gases
or dust and soot. The blue color of the sky is due
to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the
atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass
straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow
light is affected by the air. (like what we see at sun
set and sun rise).However, much of the shorter
wavelength light is absorbed by the gas molecules.
The absorbed blue light is then radiated in different
directions. It gets scattered all around the sky.
Whichever direction you look, some of this scattered
blue light reaches you. Since you see the blue light
from everywhere overhead, the sky looks blue. But
its not blue.

FIG. 9: The composition of sky colours

from Dawn to Midnight

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FIG. 10: The pattern formed by putting 251 days of New York Sky.

COLOUR AND SOILS

Soil color does not affect the behavior and use
of soil; however, it can indicate the composition
of the soil and give clues to the conditions
that the soil is subjected to. Soil can exhibit a
wide range of colour; gray, black, white, reds,
browns, yellows and under the right conditions
green.[1] Varying horizontal bands of colour
in the soil often identify a specific soil horizon.
The development and distribution of color
in soil results from chemical and biological
weathering, especially redox reactions. As
the primary minerals in soil parent material
weather, the elements combine into new and
colorful compounds. Aerobic conditions produce
uniform or gradual color changes, while
reducing environments result in disrupted color
flow with complex, mottled patterns and points
of color concentration.

into components of hue (relation to red, yellow

and blue), value (lightness or darkness) and
chroma (paleness or strength).

Soil color is influenced by the amount of

proteins present in the soil. Yellow or red soil
indicates the presence of iron oxides.[1] Dark
brown or black color in soil indicates that the
soil has a high organic matter content. Wet soil
will appear darker than dry soil. [1] However,
the presence of water also affects soil color
by affecting the oxidation rate. Soil that has a
high water content will have less air in the soil,
specifically less oxygen. In well drained (and
therefore oxygen rich soils) red and brown
colours caused by oxidation are more common,
as opposed to in wet (low oxygen) soils where
the soil usually appears grey.[1]

But, as per the soil orders followed across the

world, defined by American Soil Taxonomy, the
soils found in India can be defined as:

The presence of specific minerals can also

affect soil color. Manganese oxide causes a
black color, glauconite makes the soil green,
and calcite can make soil in arid regions appear
white.[1]
Often described by using general terms, such
as dark brown, yellowish brown, etc., soil colors
are also described more technically by using
Munsell soil color charts, which separate color

In India, various types of soils are found and

their formations are influenced by certain factors
such as altitude, climate disproportionate
rainfall and many others. The type of soil differs
in different areas of the country. The major
types of soils found in India are:

Red soils
Laterites and lateritic soil
Black soil
Alluvial soils
Forest & hill soils
Desert Soils
Saline and Alkaline soils
Peaty and marshy soils

Alfisols
Aridsols
Entisols
Histosols
Inceptisols
Mollisols
Utisols
Vertisols

These soils can also be differentiated by the

different colours of top soil and horizons in the
soil profiles respectively. Most of the natural
landscape like the agricultural fields, especially
the fallow, are good examples when considering
soil in visualising landscapes.

1. Brady, Nyle C. & Ray R. Weil Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils,
page 95. Prentice Hall, 2006.
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design palette

FIG. 11: The Munsell

Soil Color Charts
are very useful in
reading the soils in
terms of colours.
ALLUVIAL SOILS (FIG 12)
These soils occur along rivers and
represent the soil materials that have
been deposited by the rivers duing
flood. Usually they are very productive
soils but many are deficient in
nitrogen, humus and phosphorus.[1]

BLACK SOILS (FIG 13)

They are popularly known as Black
cotton soils because of their dark
brown colour and suitability for
growing cotton. These are also known
as Indian regurs and are rich in
calcium, potash and magnesium.[1]

1. The soil data and composition has been taken from http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/
index.php/Types_of_Soils

DESERT SOILS (FIG 14)

These are mostly sandy soils that
occur in the low rainfall track. They are
well supplied with soluble salts but are
low in nitrogen and organic matter and
have a high pH value. These are quite
productive. These are often subjected
to wind erosion.[1]

LATERITE SOILS (FIG 15)

These soils are red to reddish yellow
in colour and low in N, P, K, lime and
magnesia. These soils are formed
in-situ under conditions of high rainfall
with alternation dry and wet periods.[1]

RED SOILS (FIG 16)

Generally these soils are light textured
with porous and friable structure and
there is absence of lime Kankar and
free carbonates. They have neutral
to acidic reaction and are deficient in
nitrogen humus, phosphoric acid and
lime.[1]

SALINE & ALKALINE SOILS (FIG 17)

These soils occur in areas having
a little more rainfall than the areas
of desert soils. They show white
incrustation of salts of calcium &
Magnesium and sodium on the
surface. These are poor in drainage
and are infertile.[1]

1. The soil data and composition has been taken from http://oer.nios.ac.in/wiki/
index.php/Types_of_Soils
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COLOUR AND STONES

Stonehenge: a pre- historic circle of megaliths;
Egyptian pyramids and temples, rising stark
and colossal from the desert; the Athenian
acropolis towering above the Agora; Japanese
and Chinese gardens; grottos; squares and
plazas. All of these landscapes are man-made,
some melded with nature, others quarried,
carved, and constructed in their entirety. Their
chief defining characteristic is durability, for rock
outlives flesh to the point that landscapes and
structures made of stone are sometimes all that
is left as material evidence of past cultures.[1]
It is a realm of plants, stone, water, and sky,
often enhanced by flowers, herbs, and birds.
But, along with the grading of the earth, it
is stone that establishes the structure, the
armature for the rest. Stone provides the
frame, the bones of the landscapes.[2] But the
purpose to talk about stone here is not about
its texture or size or style in which its used in
the landscape designs. But the way, in which
different colours of stones form a background or
canvas for the play of dynamics which we see
in the designs. This is because this element,
unlike sky or soil, doesnt change its colour and
is least effected by natural forces too. You might
see a rich scarlet sky and wet and dark alluvial
soil, but the red sandstone still remains reddish
pink. And it is this stability and appeal that
backs stone as the most promising element in
this set.

physical features. The major types, in which,

we can group them, are marbles, granite,
sandstone, slate and limestones. And then
there are different types of marbles like
Makrana, Bidasar, Morwad, Rajnagar, etc. This
is the fact for all the other types too.
But the area which is to be explored is the use
of these stones, depending on their colour, in
different typologies of spaces. There is the tone
which is followed when using stones, because
most of the times, the use of a very beautiful
stone type, overpowers the other elements
of design. The famous landscape architects
actually explored in this direction and were
awarded with immortal results. To exemplify, we
can take any french garden by Andre Le Notre,
where so much stone work is done but still our
sense of perception is only directed towards
blues and greens in the French gardens.

There are hundreds of stone types available

in the country like India, known for its diverse

1. Rogers, Elizabeth B. SiteLines: A Journal of Place, Foundation of Landscape

Studies: Vol IX, Number 1, Fall 2013, p2.
2. Olin, Laurie. SiteLines: A Journal of Place. From Suzhou to Malibu: The Power
of Stone, Foundation of Landscape Studies: Vol IX, Number 1, Fall 2013, p3.

FIG. 18: Composition of different stones with distinct colours

1. From Top left - 1. Makrana Marble, 2. Andhi Marble 3. Katni Marble, 4. Bidasar 5. Abu Black
6. Morwad 7. Jaisalmer Stone 8. Kudappah Stone 9. Lalitpur Yellow 10. Red Sandstone 11.
Cheema Pink Granite 12. Kanakpura Red Granite
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COLOUR AND WATER

Water is not just a vital element in our lives, it
can also be experienced in a whole variety of
ways. It creates different kinds of atmosphere
and moods that appeal to our feelings.
Water is a universal landscape element. It
is the vital element which can bring life to
any landscape; immediate life, constant life.
Waters wonderful contribution to this world has
been to shape the hard landscape through its
immense forces of erosion and to create the
soft landscape through its gentle nurture of
vegetation. In itself it is the fundamental soft
element. It is a sculptural medium unsurpassed
in its potential to make the most of its form,
transparency, reflectivity, refractivity, colour,
movement and sound. It is a most desirable
medium for a landscape designer.[1]
Water in nature is rarely a colourless liquid as
the dictionary says. Often water is tinged with
vegetative stains or coloured with suspended
clay. This clay being opaque particles, affects
turbidity so much that a shadow cast on the
surface can be as sharp as if it was cast on
mud.
Most colour we see in water is either from
surroundings reflected on the surface or
underwater objects seen through its transparent
body. The degree to which we see reflected
colours depends on the angle of viewing due
to the refraction angles between air and water
(hence a fishermans efforts to keep low and
so remain unseen by his quarry) and light
differential. A sunlit red and white building is

easily reflected on the surface of a pool which

has a dark bottom.
The deep blue The deeper the water the
deeper its colour. A view of a coral atoll from the
air is remarkable for the wonderful variation of
tones in blues and greens in the surrounding
seas. Light is absorbed as it passes through the
transparent medium. Any colour from the light
source, which is often the clear blue sky, gets
deeper and deeper as the light intensity reduces
with depth. The joy of effectively working with
water, by knowing and understanding the
medium, is the reward for study and diligence[1]
Generally, pure water and ice have a pale
blue color, which is most noticeable at tropical
white-sand beaches or in ice caves in glaciers.
(Green colors are usually derived from algae.)
The blueness of the water is neither due to light
scattering (which gives the sky its blue color)
nor dissolved impurities (such as copper).

1. Dreiseitl, Herbert. New Waterscapes: Planning, Building and Designing with

Water. Boston, Massachusetts: Birkhauser Verlag AG, 2005.

THE AQUAMARINE LAKE

FIG 19

THE GLACIER FED RIVER

FIG 20

A RECREATION ELEMENT
FIG 21

A HERITAGE WATERBODY
FIG 22

1. From Top - 1. A Lake in South Island, New Zealand, 2. Indus River through the Himalayan Foothills 3.
Green Water Park, 4. Dal Lake, Kashmir
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design palette
THE DEEP BLUE OCEAN
FIG 23

THE NEGLECTED PONDS

FIG 24

THE INDUSTRIAL REDS

FIG 25

A BIODIVERSITY HUB
FIG 26

1. From Top - 1. South Pacific Sea 2. A Tannery, Bangladesh 3. Colours of Water, Bangladesh 4. Nal
Sarovar Lake, Gujarat.

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design palette

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6.01

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design palette

IMAGE REFERENCES
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munsell_color_system#/media/File:Munsell-system.svg
2. http://www.gutenberg-e.org/cgi-bin/dkv/gutenberg/slideshow_low.cgi?pn=29
3. http://nextgenlite.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/VisibleLightSpectrumGradientForWeb.
jpg
4. https://cs.nyu.edu/courses/fall02/V22.0380-001/color_theory.htm
5. http://dab1nmslvvntp.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/color-rgb-cmyk.png
6. http://www.gdbasics.com/html/color/color.html#
7. http://www.uwgb.edu/heuerc/2d/colorterms.html
8. The Colour band is created taking the idea from J. Ittens Elements of Colour.
9. The composition has been made by the author by taking first 6 pictures from http://todayilearned.
co.uk/2013/02/04/six-colours-of-the-sky and the last one from http://imgs.abduzeedo.com/files/
articles/breathtaking-sky-color-palette-photography/Pacific-Heights-San-Francisco-CA-Sunrise6-35am-Plate-1
10. Image courtesy, http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/2887525704_23d6982fc5_b.jpg
11. Image picked up from http://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/wgharris/SEED/75yr_pg.jpg
12. http://im.hunt.in/cg/barddhaman/City-Guide/soilinbardhaman.jpg
13. http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/41589516.jpg
14. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/178-6.jpg
15. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kqcd6wfVnFE/TxxUsKVTPvI/AAAAAAAAByk/ZIoP1uLxj6E/
s1600/4762529824689f0fc35d73.jpg
16. https://traveloops.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/red-soil.jpg
17. https://www.turf2max.com/soil-restoration_files/alkaline_soil_deposit.jpg