The Process of Color Forecasting
by Margie Deeb
Twice a year I create the Color Report for Bead & Jewelry Designers. Within it's digital pages, by way of instructions, examples, proportion-specific palettes, and beadwork, I demonstrate how to work with the 10 specific colors that Pantone has forecasted for the current season.
How do the color forecasters at Pantone choose the seasonal colors? There's a lot more to it than you might think.
One of my readers in Canada directed me to "Q," a national arts and culture interview program on CBC Radio in Canada. I listened to a fascinating interview with color forecaster Keith Recker, who forecasts for Pantone and WGSN (an online trend forecasting firm).
Recker says "In forecasting we try to sniff out what people are thinking about, what they will be needing, what they are lacking in terms of psychology, spirituality, sociology, their economy, then we start to find our way into color."
The 5mm smokey quartz faceted discs and 12mm septarium coins in this necklace were great finds in the Soft Flex booth at the Santa Fe show a few weeks back. By simply adding a moss green size 15 seed bead between after each bead strung, the gradation of the smokey quartz discs really stands out. This is a great necklace for getting the popular layered look - I can picture it stacked up with my diamond pendant and my long dog-tag/charm necklace.
Several strands of gemstones called out to me from our booth at the Santa Fe show, so I brought some home to create with. Included in my findings were a strand of 14mm African Turquoise coins and a trio of Lemon Chrysoprase rounds. By adding findings and just a few other types of beads, I was able to make these three bracelets and still have two turquoise coins leftover for earrings.
