An Overview of Different Color Analysis Systems/Seasons
With so much information out there about color analysis, it's easy to get confused. I've personally trained in two very different systems and my conclusion is that they are both right. Here's a quick explanation of color analysis and why you see such varying information. It is certainly possible for a particular system to not be right but most systems use the same 3 criteria for typing clients. My next post will go into detail about those 3 criteria! Until then, here’s a brief breakdown of typical seasons in various systems.
4 Seasons
The original color analysis system consisted of 4 seasons. Undertone & value were the key attributes assessed. Those with a cool undertone would be either summer (light value) or winter (deep value). Those with a warm undertone would be either a spring (light value) or Autumn (deep value). As more was discovered about personal color, this simple take evolved as shown below.
6 Seasons
I use the term seasons loosely here. Some systems (including one I trained in) use the 6 dominant color characteristics to determine a color code. These include light, deep, soft, clear, warm & cool. This type of system evolved from the 4 seasons and operates under the theory that you need to identify the dominant trait of an individual first and then you can customize their palette in regards to the other factors. For example, if I am dominantly Soft, my color palette would consist of the soft colors of summer and the soft colors of autumn. The analyst would then determine undertone to customize the palette. I actually love this system and do believe that it is a great way for someone to self type if they are unable to be draped. I'll do a future post on how you would do that!
12 Seasons
I've not trained in a 12 season system personally but these typically look at undertone, value & intensity (just like 16 & 23 season systems). Once a season is determined, there are 3 subtypes. For example, the characteristics of the summer seasons are cool (undertone), light (value), & soft (intensity). The subgroups (or subseasons) of Summer are Cool Summer, Light Summer, & Soft Summer. Palettes are often determined here by what is dominant in the coloring.
16 Seasons
The 16 Season Systems extend the 12 seasons to include 4 different flows for each season. Continuing the example above, the Summer season can be True Summer, Light Summer, Soft Summer or Cool Summer. Sixteen seasons allow for more individualized nuances and really honing in on your best colors. Sixteen and 23 season systems often do not necessarily look for what is dominant in their analysis. Instead, it's a 3 step draping process to narrow down undertone, season, then flow. My training was in 16 and 23 seasons by the International Image Institute.
23 Seasons
The 23 Season System consists of the 16 seasons listed above and also adds a completely neutral undertone option between each season. Check out the graphic below. You can see that between muted summer and muted autumn is a true muted season. Muted summer would lean cool and Muted Autumn would lean warm. True muted is neutral in undertone.
The many systems of color analysis, both new and old, can make it quite confusing for a beginner analyst or for someone who just enjoys learning about color as a hobby. My suggestion is to start with learning a little about color theory. If you are trying to self type, the dominant color characteristics can be a helpful and easy place to start. Which system is best? That's certainly a matter of opinion. Mine is that it depends. I am personally thankful that I've trained with two and have a deep understanding of both. I do believe that in theory, 23 seasons sounds good but in practice, it's not necessary. Sixteen is just effective from my perspective.
Want to know about the three key factors in color analysis, dominant color characteristics, and how they relate? That's coming up next!
