History of purple:

 Greek and egypt: Tyrian  was what the Greeks called purple at the time (4th century) In the book (Kemp, Barry J. “The Colors of Ancient Egypt.” New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.), Kemp discusses the importance of purple in ancient Egypt and beyond and how  its association with royalty. According to Kemp, purple was one of the most valuable and hard to make colors in the ancient world, and was often reserved for the clothing and accessories of the ruling class.

And now entering the how to department. Epic how to: make purple. You made purple by collecting snails and leaving them to soak in a vat of salt water don’t tell PETA. The dye was then extracted from the snail glands by crushing them ow! Then  mix them with alum and heat the mixture. This process resulted in a small amount of purple dye, which could be used to dye fabrics and materials like wool, silk, and cotton. To dye a set of clothing you would have to go on a small massacre just for a boot so you can see why it was so expensive it took a lot of work and more work or workers mean more money spent and that the end of macroeconomics. Information provided by Dehn, Georgia. Purple Reign: How the Color’s Rich History Has Influenced Fashion, Art and Culture. London: Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2013.Richman-Abdou, and  an expansion to his previous work “The History of Purple as a Royal Color.” My Modern Met, 5 Mar. 2018” 

I had one idea throughout this entire sketching  process: hands and fabrics. Since that was the main focus in the processing of making purple in the first place. It helped a lot when I was looking for references. Because most of the images used were either color splotches, people holding snails or people holding fabrice dyed purple.

my initial sketches

these are all final concepts of my designs although these were further along i still change some stuff later on.

I tried to draw a bundled up piece of cloth to represent the clothing this pricey purple dye was used on i added a water bleed effect to reiterate the idea. It’s not my best work but at the time i had little time. It gets better

I kept going with cloth idea i really had no other choice every time i looked it up either the snail or clothing showed up. I made dyed  hands  stretch out the fabric  in a presentation manor for the viewer.

I chose the snail this time to be different it was more enjoyable to design then the others. Added  detail was the streak of purple 

The project designing with the color purple was a fascinating experience that opened my eyes to the many layers of symbolism and cultural significance surrounding this simple in our time color. Prior to this project, I had never delved deeply into the meaning of purple, but as I did my research, I discovered that purple has been historically associated with royalty and nobility due to its rarity and difficulty to produce. It was once so highly prized that only the wealthiest individuals could afford to wear it. However, today, it has become ubiquitous, with purple costumes being commonly worn on Halloween. This shift in the significance of the color speaks to both the advancements and greed of humanity. What was once a color achieved through arduous efforts, such as banging on rocks to extract dyes, can now be produced for all members of society, regardless of their economic status. Overall, this project taught me that even something as seemingly simple as a color can hold layers of meaning and cultural significance, and that understanding these nuances can enhance the richness and depth of a design.