Ice Is Not Blue

A discussion on conceptual design

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

[Originally published Jun 2005]

It may be an obvious concept, but upon witnessing various ice-renderings colored in blue tones by other artists, it became very clear that as designers, we ought to study an object thoroughly in order to simulate a realistic appearance.

Why would ice be blue? Is it the color's association with a cold sensation or the blue appearance of water in an ocean that overpowers our common sense? Whatever the reason, the association can be so powerful that our renderings of ice simply lose their appeal when painted in only grayscale tones mixed in the colors of any objects that are represented behind the ice (i.e. the true color of ice).

To work around a somewhat irrational perspective, we might choose to display the ice on a blue background, allowing the color to blend through the translucent object, while maintaining a realistic appearance (as in the image above).

"What color is chrome?"

I often remember this question once asked of me when I was attempting to render a paper clip. Our natural instinct seems to think of chrome as consisting of sharp gradients of silver and/or gold, which is not necessarily accurate. A thorough examination of the actual object reveals the color to be very silvery and shiny, yet also mixed with a reflection of objects in front of the chrome. That is, whatever is between you and the chrome object, the face of that item (which you cannot see) is being reflected in the chrome object (albeit distorted).

If there is a complimentary color to ice, then it must be chrome.