Tips to bring color to the game table
I am an expert in many things, but not design. That said, I love a game table most when it is dressed to impress.
I asked one of the Missy Mahjong NEWSletter readers for her expertise on game table design. She is a witty writer and has so much knowledge to share. I'm not editing her article, I want y'all to enjoy it just as she wrote it.
Let's invite Diane to the game table to discuss color tips!
Diane Ziemski: Ok, you might wonder who is writing this? This is Missy’s MJ newsletter. I am Diane Ziemski, and being a talker, I responded to one of her comments in another MJ newsletter, and yes… this is the result. (Oh, and a sidebar, I write like I talk… )
I am a relatively new Mah Jongg player of 5 years. The game was not common in the small southern town in Arkansas where I grew up. When we start out on our adult journey, we just kinda do one day at a time, and then, WOW, one of those days if we are lucky, it all seems to become relevant. So, I felt you needed my background to understand why I am writing.
1. My college degree is Home Economics which includes a lot of art classes and design classes
2. I taught 8th grade Career Orientation, Science, and Social Studies.
3. When I retired, I taught myself to paint watercolors on paper.
4. I began selling in galleries, was juried into exhibitions, and began teaching watercolor privately and as a cruise ship staff instructor.
5. I watched a game being played on a cruise, yep - Mah Jongg.
6. I learned how to play MJ and within a year, I was teaching it.
7. I quickly became bored with the plain, basic, classic tiles, so I began collecting sets…. Of course, each set is different color and design. I love the contemporary sets.
8. Then 2 years ago I decided the mats were boring, so I began designing my own MJ mats incorporating my own watercolor images in each one.
I love putting together artistic tablescapes and to me that means using the elements and principles of design (EPD) using combinations of my 12 sets of tiles, 8 racks, and 15 mats. I learned the EPD in my college courses, have a reference poster in my studio, but no need to repeat it here. Design elements are the foundation of any visual design, whether it be a table scape or a MJ room. The internet has wonderful resources. Here are 2 links for the elements and principles of design (EPD) for those who want to research.
NOW the MJ world is allowing me to blend ALL my experience.
I am now reminded of the Wizard of Oz movie where it switches from black and white to COLOR. When I am designing anything, I try to pay attention to every single one of the EPD’s, but y’all, COLOR is MY starting point.
So - do you know how to use the color wheel? Those simple primary colors of red, blue, and yellow…. combine any 2, to get the secondary colors of green, orange, and purple. Combine a secondary and a primary and those are called tertiary. But combine too many colors and it goes brown…. In watercolor terms, you get mud… ugly Mississippi River mud, yes, I grew up on that muddy river. Yes, I talk like that.
But color is so much more…. Color theory is by itself an entire class.
Color schemes:
• Complimentary - using any 2 opposite colors on the wheel, also if you mix equal amounts of opposite colors, it makes gray
• Monochrome - using one color but in lighter tints or darker shades
• Analogous - use side by side colors, best to not use more than 3.
• Triad - is 3 equal distance colors like the primary colors
• Split complimentary- choose a color, go to the opposite BUT use the 2 on either side of the opposite.
Color characteristics:
Hue, value (lightness and darkness), intensity (saturation of color)
Color temperature
Warm or cool. Ex. There are warm reds and cool reds
Whether you are designing a MJ mat, a MJ table, or a MJ room, don’t rely on just color. Go through every EPD, and analyze your design using each of them; all elements (COLOR, line, shape, form, value, space) and all principles (balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, variety, unity, pattern and repetition)
Then ask yourself these questions:
Is it too busy?
Will it enhance your game?
Are there too many distractions?
Is it pleasing to the eye?
Satisfied? THEN, enjoy. Some of my mats are on my website (I do not sell, I am retired) but please use these as inspiration to set your MJ mood.
A final note from Missy: Thank you to Diane! I am so honored that she shared her incredible knowledge about tips to bring color to the game table for this blog. This explains so much about what I love with my NEWSletter and this tips and trends section of the website. I can't wait to see what other readers can bring to this community!
