To really learning how to use color, you must first learn how to DESCRIBE it.
Imagine that you are talking to a friend on the phone, and you are trying to describe the color of a set of curtains that you purchased. How would you go about describing the color? Don’t be embarrassed if you find it impossible to do.
To help you be able to better describe color, I am going to start by teaching youthe basics. Lets start by discussing hue, value, and intensity.
1. Hue
Hue is a quality which sets a color apart from other colors, such as: red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple, magenta. You will see that it is easy to set the different colors in neat order, on the basis of hue.
2. Value
Value refers to the lightness or darkÂness of a color. When red is very light (mixed with white) we call it pink. The same red may be very dark (mixed with black) and the shade would be called maroon.  Every hue therefore includes a variety of values ranging from light to dark. Light values are also called high valuesâ€to impress this fact on your memory, simply imagine the lightness of a balloon which carries it high in the air. Dark values are low values.
The intensity refers to the purityâ€or lack of graynessâ€in a color. An emerald green has great intensityâ€it has no grayÂness in it. An olive, on the other hand, is grayish-green. Some hues are most brilliant in light valuesâ€others in dark values. For exÂample, a certain light yellow is the most brilliant (possesses the greatest intensity) of the yellows. Maximum intensity of blue or green is obtained in certain dark values of these hues.
Now, look at your carpet. Can you identify its hue fairly closely? Is it a light versionâ€or dark? Is it pureâ€or grayed? When you can tell someone these things about a color, you can put a pretty clear picture in their mind.
Now you can talk about color, with some understanding of what it’s all about. You can apply these simple rules to help you use color successfully in your home. All you need is a good imagination, a feeling for a pleasÂing appearance in the combination of colors, design motifs, and layout. The fullest enjoyment of color depends upon your ability to see colors accuÂrately and to combine them agreeably.
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You may also want to pick this book up – The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors
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What are some good questions to ask if you are building a website for someone and you are trying to get a feel for the colors they want? Sometimes people can be very indecisive and need a lot of guidance. When you aren’t a color expert it can be difficult.
Well, websites are different from walls. I’d recommend you read this article: http://www.thatpainterlady.com/how-to-choose-colors-for-your-home/ about how colors make you feel. You’ll want to find out what image they are trying to project. Is it serious or lighthearted? Do they like warm colors or cool colors? Last, have them show you websites they like. If you see a pattern emerge in the colors of those sites (they’re all brown & turquoise or pink & black) take those as a starting point, then add in the information they give you, read the article about how colors make you feel and go from there.