The Ostwald star or chromatic circle is a mode of representation of color based on a theory promulgated by the German scientist and philosopher Wilhem Ostwald.
Today, although there are new models such as RGB or a new color wheel made up of twelve colors, the Ostwald star is still used in some sectors, such as hair dye.
William Ostwald was a chemist born in 1853 in Riga, Latvia. He also stands out for his work in the field of philosophy.
It was his work in the field of chemistry that allowed him to win the Nobel Prize in 1909. He also developed a novel theory of color and even founded a laboratory to study it in 1920.
The color
First of all, it is convenient to define the subject of study on which the star is based: color.
In its physical aspect, color is basically the way in which the human eye perceives light as it reflects off objects.
From a chemistry point of view, these are formulas to make objects reflect the different color tones.
Despite the fact that some color wheels had been used previously, Isaac Newton was the first to develop a scientific theory of color.
He divided the visible spectrum into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple. Years later, Goethe wrote another theory of color by which he created a symmetrical circle that included Newton's colors plus some others, such as magenta.
Ostwald theory
Ostwald began by studying color as a physico-chemical phenomenon. Later he developed a complete theory on the subject, with variations on the previous models.
His star includes the four colors he considers primary: yellow, red, blue, and green. It also introduces others that it considers secondary, such as orange, or purple, created from the following combinations:
Yellow + red = orange
Blue + red = purple
Finally, he pays singular attention to two achromatic sensations with variations that he calls semi-chrome.
When these semichromes are mixed they create new ranges with a higher wavelength. On the other hand, the colors placed opposite each other in the star are neutralized if they mix.
Ostwald divides the colors between those considered warm (like red) and cold (like blue). By this he was not only referring to the wavelength of the light that causes them, but also to the psychological implications they have on the observer.
Use of the Ostwald star
The Ostwald star is still in use today. It is given great importance in the dyeing industry and in hairdressing.
In this field it is considered one of the most important tools to achieve the desired color.
Through the Ostwald star, special care is taken to mix the different shades, both to create new ones or to neutralize them if necessary.
References
- Koenderin, Jan. Ostwald and the theory of colors. Recovered from ostwald.bbaw.de
- 2D Design. Color Wheels • Color Systems. Retrieved from uwgb.edu
- Zulma, Herrera. Ostwald. Obtained from portalhuarpe.com
- Martí, Esther. What do you know about Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald? (September 1, 2016), Obtained from librodepeluqueria.blogspot.com.es
- DePaul University. Ostwald System. Recovered from facweb.cs.depaul.edu