colours
One of my long cherished desires has been to get a job naming the colours on paint charts.
Paint colour names are hilarious. And definitely a trap for the unwary venturer into the land of the colour chart. Mostly because they seek to obscure any attempt you might make to visualise the colour for yourself.
In fact, the less clues the name actually gives to the colour, the better – or so it would appear.
While attempting to amuse myself during a training session on Monday, I came up with a series of ‘new’ colours inspired by Footscray Park.
Here is but a tasty sample:
‘old bones’
‘schmelli’
‘grime’
‘muzzle’
‘swampi’
‘poo bag green’ (there’s a clue in there somewhere!)
and my personal favourite
‘sausage’.
See what comes to mind when you try to visualise them!
I had contact with a salesperson from Dulux some time ago, and they actually DO have a lot of fun naming the colours. Everyone even remotely connected to the company gets a look in. Since this was years ago I will name the individual involved (first name only) since she happily pointed out her personal choice, a pinkish red named “Elizabeth Rose”. Hey its no sausage or even swampi I agree; but it did get me thinking at the time. So here goes…
Old Bones: A creamy beige, with a hint of yellow
Schmelli: A Smokey Grey, with a hint of brown
Grime: Has to be a dark green, almost black to the naked eye.
Muzzle: Strong Red with an old leather influence.
Swampi: Greyish green, almost more grey than green.
Poo Bag Green: Not actually green at all, sort of a red that thinks it is a green. See http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/1999/jun99/0699gg.html for further inspiration.
And Sausage: Actually a range of colors…
February 25th, 2004 at 9:03 pman anaemic beige otherwise know as Chic Can Sausage
or a deep ruby called Poor Kay Sausage or even a deeper red commonly known as Pri M-be Ef Sausage; then there’s everyone’s favourite a light tan with a beige leaning called Mys teri Bag Sausage and finally for the truly colour blind a nondescript brown only talked of in hushed tones called Vege Ter Ean Sausage (This one never really took off, but was kept on the colour palette to avoid a blank space at the bottom of the card).
I was going to suggest that perhaps ‘Poo Bag Green’ was in fact a shade of blue, but it seems that the colour expert above has beaten me to it (and in doing so has done a far better job of commenting on Marita’s colour musings).
February 26th, 2004 at 9:40 amPersonally, I have always found delight in discovering a paint colour called ‘Patricia’. Often, however, they are rather washed out purple hues … My ‘Patricia’ would be a vibrant purple – the kind of purple that cannot be described, but is one that you have to see in order to appreciate the richness and depth of colour.
Ooooh, I do like the sub-categories of ‘sausage’.
February 26th, 2004 at 11:47 amVery impressive.
I think I had in my own mind a BBQ-blackened item, something along the lines of Char-Coal!
I guess your list of colour samples would explain why it’s a long cherished desire and not a current job you’re doing?
February 26th, 2004 at 12:39 pmThe Sausage one kills me. *L* “Burnt to hell” sausage comes to mind… a lovely black-brown colour…
Is there a Tofu?
February 27th, 2004 at 7:15 am