How I Used ColorReader EZ in My Photo Project

By John Walrath

As creatives, color inspires our everyday life. We see the world through a unique lens and design our lives around being able to create and be inspired by what we see and experience. A portable way to capture those inspirational colors we find opens up so many creative opportunities. With its many hobby and professional uses, ColorReader EZ is a valuable tool to get color right.

Like many parents, my wife and I are facing the reality of what the 2020-21 school year will look like. After much discussion, we have made the decision to homeschool our young children. Fortunately for them, my wife has taken the lead in organizing this year’s curriculum. One aspect of our children’s education we both feel deeply about is a strong presence of the arts.

One approach we have taken is to introduce them to a famous artists’ work by creating art that mimics a particular aspect or distinctive trait of that artist. Recently, I created a portrait of each of my daughters that drew inspiration from Andy Warhol. I created these portraits with the intention of hanging a print of each in their rooms.

As photographers, when creating an image, we don’t always know where it will be presented, but when we do, it’s important to craft it so it will complement its surroundings. This is the perfect opportunity to use a tool like ColorReader EZ to create color palettes that enhance images.

I used a simple portrait of each of our daughters captured for this purpose. Warhol is known for his use of color and repeated motifs. I mimicked a classic Warhol composition for this artwork. To create the color palette for these portraits, I first used ColorReader EZ to measure the color of each bedroom wall where the portrait will hang.

A difficult decision for any creative work is color selection. Color has meaning and emotion; it can breathe life into a project. It is critical to get color choice right to communicate with color effectively.

The ColorReader EZ app enables a user to confidently make critical color decisions. After measuring a color with the device, along with a precise paint color match, the ColorReader EZ app also provides colors that complement your matched color as well as offers coordinating color schemes such as Complementary, Triad, Analogous and Monochromatic color relationships.

To create these images, I thought the Analogous and Triad color relationship provided the boldest, Andy Warhol-inspired color relationship. The ColorReader EZ app allows you to identify the exact RGB values of each of these coordinating colors. In Photoshop, I was able to enter these color values to paint them into the artwork.

In conclusion, no matter what the artistic application, color identification and color choice are critical for effective color communication. In this application, my color choice for this artwork impacted the presentation. Whether it is artwork creation, interior design or homeowner DIY projects, ColorReader EZ takes the guesswork out of color selection. When you are confident in color selection, you can use color to create the artistic impact you desire.