Colour Research and Colour Palette of the Major Project

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 As this project focuses around the idea of Buddhism on top of the theme ‘Earthly Delights’, I wanted to integrate different colour palettes used in it. It is especially important to note on which colours have which meaning in Buddhism because I would have to manipulate the colours to give it a different meaning due to this project revolving around the negatives of the Earthly pleasures and not the good.


International Buddhist Flag

 Above is the Buddhist flag that can be seen generally, and because of this the meanings of the colours are most defined. According to Wat KhemaraRatanaram (n.d.) this specific colour palette originated from the light of which came from Buddha when he reached enlightenment, and is arranged in this way (vertical on the left, horizontal and united on the right) to represent harmony and universality of Buddha’s teachings.

 The specific meanings of these colours are:

‘The Blue light that radiated from the Buddha's hair symbolises the spirit of Universal Compassion for all beings. (Nila)

The Yellow light that radiated from the Buddha's epidermis symbolises the Middle Way which avoids all extremes and brings balance and liberation. (Pita)

The Red light that radiated from the Buddha's flesh symbolises the Blessings that the practice of the Buddha's Teaching brings. (Lohita)

The White light that radiated from the Buddha's bones and teeth symbolises the Purity of the Buddha's Teaching and the Liberation it brings. (Odata)

The Orange light that radiated from the Buddha's palms, heels and lips symbolises the unshakable Wisdom of the Buddha's Teaching. (Manjesta)

The Combination Colour symbolises the universality of the Truth of the Buddha's Teaching. (Prabaswara)’
(Wat KhemaraRatanaram, n.d.)


Other types of Buddhist flags from different countries: Nepal [1], Myanmar and Vietnam [2], Japan [3], Cambodia [4], Ladakh (prayer flag) [5], Dharma Wheel Flag [6] and Vertical Flag [7]

 Although there are some minor differences in the colours of the flag between countries, and very rarely the formation of the flag, the primary colours and the white colour always remain as a core. Some may also utilise logos or symbols in their flag but they usually have a specific purpose, often for royal families or organisation.


Process and Created Palettes Screenshots

 I went on to extract the colour palette of the Buddhist flag using the website Adobe Colors, which automatically creates a base palette allocated to the colour wheel. As it has tools on identifying and applying different colour theories, I have utilised this tool to manipulate the base palette to a more original one. I made note of which colours would be the focus points and lowered the value or the tone of other colours to make the focus pop out more.

 From here, I will apply the colour palette to my works and manipulate the shades as needed to create a visually pleasing result.


References:
Harden, Z. and Woonchoom, P. (2016) Dharma Wheel Flag (Thong Dhammacak) [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/th_buddh.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Martins-Tuválkin, A. (2001) Use of the international Buddhist flag [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/th_buddh.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Nishiura, K. (2010) Buddhist Flags in Nepal [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/np_buddh.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Nishiura, K. (2010) The Flag [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/np_buddh.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Pukljak, D. (2007) Buddhist Flag in Cambodia [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-bud3.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Raeside, R. (2013) Buddhist prayer flags. Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-budp.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Sache, I. (2000) Buddhist flag in with green in Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-bud3.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Sache, I. (n.d.) Prayer flags seen in Ladakh [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-budp.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Todorovic, T. (2010) Buddhist Flag in Japan [Online Image] Available at: https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/rel-bud2.html (Accessed: 25 February 2023).

Khmer Buddhist Temple at 47th Street in San Diego - Wat KhemaraRatanaram (no date) Wat Khemararatanaram. Available at: https://watkhemararatanaram.org/buddhist_flag.php (Accessed: 25 February 2023). 

Comments

  1. Sam Dargan25 February 2023 at 14:32

    Good research, great to see you dig deeper into the meaning behind the colours you are using for this project.

    *Remember to include references for your sources!

    ReplyDelete

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