111 - Outside

 


111. Write a description of what you can see through a window.

Your blue is not my blue, subtle changes in the cells of our eyes mean that we all see colours differently. Over the centuries we have developed a complex colour language, comparing colours to other things or even giving particular names to very specific shades. Colour vocabulary is useful for building interest and detail in descriptive work so this is an opportunity to explore these specialist adjectives.

Starter - Name a Colour [5 Minutes]

Pick one or two of the basic colours - Blue, Red, Yellow, Orange, Green or Purple - and list as many variations of that colour as you can. (Don't Google!)

For a Challenge, try White or Black...

DON'T SCROLL DOWN YET!



My Lists

Blue - Navy, Royal Blue, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Baby Blue, Ultramarine, Indigo, Cornflower Blue, Electric Blue, Denim, Aqua, Cyan, Ocean Blue, Teal, Cobalt Blue, Peacock, Azure, Cerulean, Berry, Sapphire and Arctic Blue.

Yellow - Buttercup, Buttermilk, Butter, Daffodil, Sunflower, Lemon, Marigold, Parchment, Cream, Magnolia, Beige, Fawn, Latte, Sepia, Biscuit, Canary, Mustard, Dandelion, Banana and Gold.

Green - Forest, Olive, Lime, Avocado, Fern, Jungle, Emerald, Army, Kelly, Hunter, Mint, Shamrock, Sea, Pine, Moss, Viridian, Jade, Matcha, Sage and Teal.

Colours come in such a wide spectrum, often crossing over the lines between shades - Aqua, teal and turquoise in particular can be either blue or green depending on opinion, also creamy colours like buttermilk, parchment and beige often end up being described as brownish-white. How many could you think of? Try googling colours now, there are hundreds!

Writing Task - Growing Flowers [10-15 Minutes]

  1. The sky was blue with white clouds.
  2. The grass was green.
  3. The forest was dark and black.
  4. The street was white as snow.

These sentences are all correct, but... they're rather boring. Take some time to improve 2 or 3 by including more colour.

My Re-Writes

1. The sky was navy, almost black, fading to a bleached denim near the horizon, where a faded gold glow touched the chimneys of distant houses. A few bulbous lilac clouds were massing in strange shapes and colours; bright silver bottoms contrasting indigo tops.
The sky is never only one solid colour, it varies throughout the day and is particularly vibrant as the sun rises or sets. This description could be either sun rise or set, but the interesting use of colour creates a bold image for the reader.

2. The grass was a crisp olive green, crackling underfoot, with patches of burned sickly yellow where the sun had been most vengeful.
This rewrite helps to create an atmosphere of overheated fields in the height of summer, only using two colours I have drawn an image that is useful for scene-setting.

Do you see what I mean about colour details improving description? Also, can you see where less is more? The second sentence only uses two colour adjectives, whereas the first uses eight. Which do you prefer?

Write a description of what you can see through a window.

- Pick one of these improved sentences to start with if you want.
- Choose any window you like, real or imagined. Any time you like, any season.
- Describe what you can see, focussing on colour and light.
- Think about the order of your descriptions, how do you want the reader to see things? Perhaps start with the sky and work down, or one end of the road towards the other. This is a description not a narrative, but ideas should flow in a way that makes sense.
- Take 15-20 Minutes to write 3-4 Paragraphs.

Challenge

1. Try to use only one colour of the spectrum. Remember colours can vary widely - teal is on the edge of green and indigo is almost purple but both are considered to be blue.
2. On the opposite side of the coin, be colour blind. Don't use any colour adjectives at all, describe what you see by shape and light.

My Work - Winter Sunrise

The sky was navy, almost black, fading to a bleached denim near the horizon, where a faded gold glow touched the chimneys of distant houses. A few bulbous lilac clouds were massing in strange shapes and colours; bright silver bottoms contrasting indigo tops. Tiny crystal speckles swirled by, pausing lightly on rooftops then away on the next gust.
    Bare branches of the tree-lined street reached into the frigid air as if crying out for spring, and fuchsia blossom and canopies of forest green. Waving, spindly hands pleading for mercy from the winter sky. The implacable sunrise answered with more white flakes and a new wind that found every crack or crevice and made the branches groan.
    Beneath the complaining branches the muddy grass was already frosted with spikes of minty ice, growing paler by the minute as the snow began to gather and settle in fluffy billows that caught the growing light and seemed to smoulder burnt orange and lemon as the sun burst into the sky in cold canary yellow.

REFLECTION

To be honest, I know this isn't my best work... this is my reflection for this week.

I think that the best part is, "fuchsia blossom and canopies of forest green," because it uses the assonance of f-sounds which brings the bold colours together and creates a contrast with the cold and icy blues of winter.
I was not as successful with the last paragraph because it lacks flow and is difficult to read. Next time I will think more about using appropriate punctuation and take the time to read my work aloud to make sure it flows.

Extension Task - Who Dares to Improve?

Look out for an extra video this week on revising and editing.
In the meantime, can you improve my work?

Terminology Check

Do you know all of these words?
Subtle
Adjective
Spectrum
Bulbous
Vengeful
Atmosphere
Frigid
Implacable
Smoulder
Assonance

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