FOUR OR TWELVE?

A criticism of systems like DYT, Color Psych and IE that you will hear is that they are two simplistic and limited with only 4 types or tones.  This criticism of the original four seasons of Color Me Beautiful, etc., led to the 12 Seasonal categories we have today (and sometimes even 16 categories).

There are arguments on both sides of the simplicity question. I definitely think that it's hard for people to focus on just one aspect of their personality to the exclusion of others. But (even though I'm a DYT critic) I can see why forcing the expression of your "dominant" in one of the four categories expresses an archetype that they each represent.  These 4 category systems emphasize color, design lines, fabrication, texture and pattern, but the way they use color is not correlated to your personal coloring as much as an expression of your energy movement.

Type 1= yang, then yin, Type 2=all yin, Type 3=all yang, Type 4=yin, then yang

 When you dilute the archetype with your secondary energies, you do just that dilute the message. DYT (and IlluminEssensce and Color Psychology) are based on the idea that you are expressing something primal.  I've come down on both sides of the argument at different points in my journey.

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If Spring correlates to Type 1/Tone I, it is mostly yang, with some yin, and light upward movement.

DYT associates air with T1, while Wright associates water with it, but they both have the same shape, circle.

"These colours are delicate, warm and clear, containing very little 

black – ideally, none. They are often tints."*

So comparing these guidelines for the 1/I category to the three Spring season breakouts, what happens is you are bringing in your secondary but in terms of colors, such as a clear spring wearing the black of a winter.  That is where the systems would diverge, because then you are losing the light upward movement of lighter colors.

If Summer correlates to Type 2/Tone II, it is all yin with a downward movement, yet fairly still.

DYT associates water with T2, while Wright uses air for this season, but they both have the same shapes 

(s curve and tear drop).

"These tones are also delicate, but they are subtle and cool, most of 

them containing grey.  The hues have a percentage of blue added and 

chromatic values are relatively low. They can be dark, but are never heavy."*


So comparing these guidelines for the 2/II category to the three Summer season breakouts, what happens again is you are bringing in your secondary but in terms of colors, but in the case of this season, it's not too far reaching from the guidelines.

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If Autumn correlates to Type 3/Tone III, it is all yang with an active, creative movement, like fire.

"These colours are again warm, but more intense and more subtle 

than Group 1, sometimes with very high chromatic values and usually the 

addition of some black. The hues have yellow or red  added  to  them."

Wright uses a square for the masculine energy of Autumn Type 3, while DYT uses triangles 

and geometric shapes.

Riter also uses square for the masculinity of this season.

Kitchener uses rectangle, square and triangle.

So comparing these guidelines for the 3/III category to the three Autumn season breakouts, what happens is you are bringing in your secondary but in terms of colors, such as a deep autumn wearing the black of a winter.  That is where the systems would diverge, because then you are losing the energetic movement of warmer colors.

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If Winter correlates to Type 4/Tone IV, it is yin, with some yang, and very still (no movement), like earth.

Wright uses a triangle shape for Type 3, while DYT uses elongated rectangles and ovals.

"The essence of this colour group is contrast and strength. The hues 

have blue added and either white or black, although they can be pure hues... 

Pure black and white themselves belong in this colour group."

So comparing these guidelines for the 4/IV category to the three Winter season breakouts, what happens is you are bringing in your secondary but in terms of colors, such as a deep winter wearing the sepia of an autumn.  (Also, gray which is a neutral in the 3 Winter seasons, would not be included in the DYT, IE or Color Psych winter/4).  That is where the systems would diverge, because then you are losing the still movement of clear hues.

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*A Theory of Colour Psychology and Colour Harmony, Angela Wright, FRSA

Colour Affects 908 Keyes House, Dolphin Square, London SW1V 3NB 

"With regard to colour preference, this theory puts  forward the idea that 

humanity too can be divided into four psychological groups that correspond 

to the four colour groups. People in these groups share certain psychological 

and physical characteristics. Possibly because of these shared psychological 

characteristics, they also share aesthetic responses to colour."

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Send me an email: janerekas@hotmail.com Jane Rekas, LCSW