Observation report

Primary research

Observation process - Image board

The secondary research introduced me to the instability and fluid nature of colour. This

ephemeral attribute refers to how colours seem to appear differently under different lighting,

when placed in a context, surrounding elements, colour, size, shape and texture of the object

and surrounding elements and lastly the perception quality of the observer. This appearance is

subjective to the observer’s extent of observation as well as eye for detail. Preparing an image

board and observing the images of a composition of simple furniture I use daily, at different

hours of the day will give a better picture to analyze and draw inferences and conclusions.

A room of 12’x12’ with a window on the east will help gather a primary information

about how colours of different elements in a built space shift or vary under contexts it is

subjected to. This method also helps gather some insights about the interaction of different

colours in different daylight conditions of eastern light and artificial lighting conditions.

I used an ochre yellow floor seat, a dark brown square coffee table, a red saree placed on

a stool, a peace lily plant in a water hyacinth planter. All these were placed against a blue

background or a mattress placed against the wall with bed cover. I took the shots on 16th

December 2020, in Sunnyvale, California. The timings of the shots are mentioned on the images.

It was shot on an iPhone with no additional equipment. The climate was sunny with a few hours

of overcast sky.

Observation: The light in the first two images is warm, the next few are whitish and the last one

is warm again. The first two and the last one is dull. The first one is the dullest. The length of

shadows changes in every image. The fifth image has least shadows. There are sun rays in the

seventh image on the table top. The blue background colour change is prominent. The blue

backdrop tends to a redder colour in the first two images and the last one. The texture on the

blue background is prominent in every light condition. The visibility of the planter changes with

the brightness of the light. The plant leaves colours change distinctively in every image. The

planter is not standing out against blue background. It is seen because of the red fabric. The

seater is greyer in colour in dull light in the first two images. The red fabric has a shine and is

reflected onto the table top. The fabric pleats have varying colours. It looks darkest in image one

and brightest in the seventh. It is seen clearly in fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. The table has the

most reflections. In the seventh, the light ray’s region looks white on the table top. In the sixth

image there is a reflection on the front leg surface. The carpet changes from grey in the first

image to white in the fifth and seventh and to brown in the last image. There is a fluctuation of

the colour from light to dark to light again.

Inference: in the image 7, there seems to an overcast sky making the interior feel dull in between

two bright images 6 and 8. Every material seems to show changes in their apparent colours.

Lower lights seem to lower the visibility quality of objects. The image 9 has a reddish effect on

the blue background, it could be the reflection from the red fabric.

Conclusions: the light quality is dull in the east direction up until around 10:00 am on this winter

day. The dull quality light makes everything look dark, not interesting and drab. Up until around

3 pm on this day the light quality is good and pleasing. The changed colours changes the way

look of the interior. Before sunrise everything looks extremely dull in image1. The sunset image 9

is comparatively duller than all images except 1 which means sunset light quality is more pleasing

than sunrise. All colours show changes. Blue background has the most textures and shows

additional shadows due to it. The yellow seater has grooves inset with added shadows especially

in image1 making it look dirty. Red fabric has smooth surface and reflects all its light. the red

fabric reflected colour does not show prominently on any object other than the table.