Faber Birren

Birren explains his colour-circle in accordance with the practicalities of art and artists. He differentiates between «warm» and «cold» colours, and recommends a «Rational Color Circle» which groups 13 colours around a grey which is displaced from the centre. He thus presents a system which assigns more space to the «warm» colours between red and yellow than the «cold» colours occurring between green and violet. As a result, Birren takes account of the eye’s ability to distinguish more warm colours, which are therefore granted greater importance in art. (Detailed text)


Date: The American art historian Faber Birren designed his «rational colour-circle» in 1934.

Country of origin: USA

Basic colours: Red, green, yellow and blue

Form: Circle

Application: Painting

Related systems: HarrisHering

Bibliography: F. Birren, «Color Dimensions», New York 1934; F. Birren, «The Printer’s Art of Color», New York 1934; F. Birren, «Principles of Color», New York 1969.