Welcome to the Colour Literacy Project!
The colours we see depend on light, everything around us, and our own experience of the world.
21st-century colour literacy is the ability to see colour as a dynamic, ever-changing sensation.
It means understanding that colour shapes the way we perceive our surroundings, describe our experiences, communicate our ideas, and work with colours every day — at home, at work, and out in the world.
Our mission is to provide foundational resources for learning about colour as a true meta-discipline — not just for artists and designers.
Fluency with the language of colour sharpens our visual intelligence, expands our perceptions, and enhances our ability to communicate.
THE FOUNDATION
The project is built on understanding
the difference between colour
Fundamentals and common colour Misconceptions.
THE CORNERSTONES
The four Cornerstones provide the framework for organizing everything on the site.
THE EXERCISES
The exercises provide opportunities for hands on exploration of the essential role colour plays in our lives and of the fundamental concepts about colour across disciplines.
Many exercises include introductory, intermediate and advanced levels that are based not on age but on how much colour knowledge you bring to the table.
THE PATHWAYS
The Jumpstart Pathway provides a quick introduction to the CLP curriculum using "Eye-opener" exercises.
The Cornerstones Pathway is a scaffolded curriculum structured in three levels that are organized by the CLP Cornerstones.
Call for Entries
AIC2027
COLOUR EDUCATION EXPOSITION
Valencia, Spain - 4-8 October, 2027
The AIC Study Group on Colour Education (AIC-SGCE) and the Colour Literacy Project (CLP) invite university level educators to submit proposals for sharing innovative exercises for teaching 21st Century Colour.
Abstract Deadline: December 7, 2026.
CLICK HERE FOR THE PDF CALL FOR PROPOSALS
COLOUR LITERACY FORUMS
Recent forum:
MATERIAL LIVES OF COLOUR: FROM HERITAGE TO INNOVATION
FORUM 16: Friday July 17, 2026
With: Anahí Re (University of Buenos Aires), Lara Martínez (University of Buenos Aires), & Francisco Guichón (National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Argentina); Silvia Vignolini (Director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces); and Riikka Räisänen (University of Helsinki).
COLOUR LITERACY PUBLICATION
Advances in Colour Literacy, Volume 1
Edited by Ingrid Calvo Ivanovic
This volume is the first of a series. Advances in Colour Literacy is conceived as an ongoing publication dedicated to documenting and advancing the collective project of understanding colour more fully and teaching it more responsibly.
Watch the Book Launch with authors
From Friday September 25
Thank you to the authors of the volume for a stimulating roundtable discussion!. Presented by the Colour Literacy Project and the AIC Study Group for Colour Education.
