Color Methodologies vs. Color Schools
When we talk about House of Colour, 12 Blueprints, or Color Me Beautiful, we’re referring to schools, not methodologies. What does this mean? All of these schools utilize the seasonal methodology, but they are different institutions. While they may have minor variations in their approaches, these differences are not significant enough to constitute a separate methodology.
In color analysis, there are two primary methodologies: seasonal and tonal. The seasonal methodology originated in the 1940s with just four color palettes. However, this limited range led to its expansion in the 1980s and 1990s, culminating in the development of 12 seasonal color palettes.
During the same period, the tonal methodology gained popularity. It introduced six primary color palettes with a more technical approach, categorizing palettes not by seasonal labels but by specific characteristics, such as Bright, Light, Muted, and so on.
Both methodologies have evolved significantly over time. For instance, some schools, like By Ferial, now use 16 seasonal palettes, while experts like Ana Vaz work with up to 78 tonal palettes. It’s important to note, however, that while they have contributed immensely to the field of color analysis, neither created a new methodology. Instead, they expanded upon and refined existing frameworks.
Many institutions around the world teach these two main methodologies. To clarify: House of Colour in the USA and Studio Immagine in Brazil are examples of schools that both use the seasonal methodology—one working with 4 color palettes and the other with 12. Similarly, Kim Bolsover in the UK and Ana Vaz in Brazil are examples of schools that use the tonal methodology—the first working with 6 color palettes and the second with 78. Karen Brunger in Canada works with a mix of both, combining 4 seasons and 6 tonal palettes. Personally, I work with a combination of 12 and 78 palettes (the more, the merrier!).
The key takeaway is this: rather than focusing solely on the school—essentially the brand like House of Colors or Color me Beautiful—it’s more important to understand the color analyst you choose and the methodology or methodologies they work with. One thing I can guarantee is that all of them will provide you with the best options within their respective methodology.
