Yes, absolutely!
Correct Lighting
Have you ever been to a concert where the people on stage had just a blue light shining on them? What color were they? Blue… and only blue! Why?
There are two ways to see an object. One is if the object itself is a light source. The other is if an object has light shining upon it. Without light, we cannot see color. The colors we see are a reflection of the colors contained within the light source reflecting on an object.
So, if the only color in a light source is blue, that is the only color that can be reflected back.
Lighting #1
You are in a store that uses bright fluorescent lights, which usually are quite blue. You see yourself in the mirror and look pale, gray, and blotchy.
Lighting #2
You are in a dimly lit restaurant with soft lights that contain a lot of yellow. You see yourself in the mirror and it seems like you have a warm glow from candlelight which makes you appear younger and almost flawless.
Neither of these scenarios are what you really look like. You only look that way because of the light source.
To see a person’s coloring (or the color of any object) for what it really is, the light source must contain all the colors of the rainbow. The sun, our natural light source, fits the criteria. Indoor lighting doesn’t.
This is why full-spectrum lighting is so important for conducting a PCA. When you get your colors done, make sure full-spectrum light is being used in the color studio – not just daylight bulbs – they aren’t the same.
Neutral Gray
Using neutral gray enables us to see colors very close to what they really are. This is why neutral gray must be used in the consultation environment. What items need to be gray?
Walls should be painted neutral gray, if possible, especially any walls that can be seen in the mirror while doing an analysis.
The client must wear a gray cap or scarf and cape to cover their hair and clothing. Hair has color and can interfere with the analysis, even if the hair color is natural. If a client’s hair is naturally gray, or if their head is shaved, sometimes analysts don’t use a cap. That is okay. The analyst must wear a gray coat because they are standing behind the client, and any colors they wear would be in the field of vision which could alter the client’s coloring.
Backdrops are used if the environment can’t be painted, such as conducting business in a hotel or salon, and should have a neutral gray backdrop curtain.
What can happen if color analysis is performed in an improper environment?
Here is a true story about a client:
A woman, I’ll call Jane, contacted me two days after she and her daughters went to a local salon for their PCAs. She was uneasy about the service they received and the quality of the analysis. She was told she was a True Spring and her two daughters were Dark Autumns. She said the analysis took only about 20 minutes (an upcoming article titled, “How Long Should a PCA Take?” will discuss this). They were in a salon without full-spectrum lighting or neutral gray surroundings or neutral gray clothing. They were in the middle of the room with people wandering about. As they were being draped, the analyst asked a co-worker who was passing by, which blue looked better. Without breaking stride, the co-worker gave her opinion and went about other business. WHAT???
Jane started feeling uneasy about this experience. She asked about the credentials of the analyst. She was told the owner was trained and then showed some of her employees how to do it – not formal training. As she was paying for the service, she could see on a piece of paper, the name Sci\ART. She had never heard of it, so she went home and started to research everything she could about Sci\ART and ended up with my name.
Needless to say, I was in disbelief that someone trained in Sci\ART could conduct a PCA under all the wrong conditions, as all of us were taught the importance of full-spectrum lighting and neutral gray, among other things.
Jane and her daughters came to see me to find out or confirm their seasons. Jane was a Dark Winter, as was one of her daughters. The other daughter was a True Winter. I found all three were not the season they were given.
As we went through the draping process, I explained the effects we were seeing in the mirror and why I chose each drape. Jane stated that “none” of that information was given at the salon…nothing was explained at all.
Unfortunately, this type of thing is happening more than I ever realized. Make sure your PCA will be done with full-spectrum lighting and neutral gray surroundings. It’s also best to be in a quiet area, not out in the open, so the analyst won’t be distracted and is able to give you her full attention.
Again, the reason I am writing these articles is to help you, the client, know what your PCA should be and to give you information to help you enjoy your experience and be confident in the result.
