Introduction to colour specification
The aim of this course is to increase your understanding of colour and the NCS System - so that you have more control over the process of colour selection and communication and can specify colour more accurately, efficiently and creatively.NCS is an International Colour Standard that can be used to specify all types of surfaces.
This unit explains:
- Why we need a colour system
- How the NCS System works
- Which NCS products suit particular types of work
- Cross references, colour matching, combining colours and colour contrast
Natural colour
For many of us our reference point for colour will be in nature: the blue of the sky and the sea, the green of foliage, the varied reds, browns, ochres and greys of earth and rock. Simple colour names are used as shorthand for a multitude of different colour experiences that change with the time of day and the seasons.

Tara Hanrahan MA RCA: Sky colour chart & seasonal swatches
Aim: To challenge our perception of the colour of the sky. It is not (despite dictionary description) by definition, blue.
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Which blue?
To describe these colours individually, we need more precise words than blue, grey and green.

We could use more adjectives: Light blue, pale greeny blue, bright turquoise blue... but none of these accurately describes the colours we see, or helps us specify the colours for a facade, street furniture, a sign or a bridge.
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