The star of Ostwald or chromatic circle is a mode of representation of the 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 circle composed 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 important to define the subject of study on which the star is based: color.
In its physical aspect, color is basically the way the human eye perceives light as it reflects on objects. From a chemistry point of view, these are formulas to get objects to reflect different chromatic tonalities.
Although some colored wheels had previously been used, it was Isaac Newton who first developed a scientific theory about color.
He divided the visible spectrum into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Years later, Goethe wrote another theory of color by which he created a symmetrical circle that included Newton's colors plus some other, such as magenta.
Theory of Ostwald
Ostwald began by studying color as a physical-chemical phenomenon. Later developed a complete theory on the subject, with variations on the previous models.
Your star includes the four colors you consider primary: yellow, red, blue and green. It also introduces others that it considers secondary, like the orange, or the purple, created from the following combinations:
Yellow + red = orange
Blue + red = purple
Finally, he pays particular attention to two achromatic sensations with variants he calls semi-chromos. When these semi-chromoses 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 become mixed.
Ostwald divides the colors between those considered warm (like red) and cold (like blue). This not only referred to the length of the wave of 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 used today. It is given great importance in the dye industry and hairdressing.
In this field is considered as one of the most important tools to achieve the desired color. Through the star of Ostwald special care is taken to mixtures between different tones, either to create new ones or to neutralize them if necessary.
References
- Koenderin, Jan. Ostwald and the theory of colors. Retrieved from ostwald.bbaw.de
- 2D Design. Color Wheels • Color Systems. Obtained 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. Retrieved from facweb.cs.depaul.edu