Cochineal
The final installment of my color by name series is cochineal, also known as E120 or Red 4. Cochineal bugs are native to the tropic/subtropic of North and South America. The Aztecs and Mayans used the pigment as early as the second century BC. However, when the Spanish Conquest made its way to South America, they consumed the little bugs like crazy, almost to the point of extinction. The pigment is still heavily used today, in anything from cosmetics to food and drink. A number of years ago, people panicked to find out that so much of their consumables were made with bugs, which caused great backlash to the companies. In response, many companies moved to synthetic dye, particularly Red 40. But this change didn't come without drawbacks. There were numerous studies conducted on the safety of Red 40, varying from "there's nothing wrong with it!" to "it'll melt my child's brain!" Though there is no concrete answer yet, many consumers have to make the decision whether to consumer synthetic red dye or dye made from bugs.
I created this character primarily off of the cochineal bug: it's rather round, rigid, and colored like a fire truck. The bug has been highly sought after for generations, so I gave her a rather snooty expression. Finally, I gave her a cup of Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino...why so specific? In 2012, a lot of people freaked out over the fact that Starbucks "uses bugs" to make this drink, and pushed the company to find alternatives. Though much of this push was from vegetarians and vegans, there was also a large outcry from general consumers who were grossed out. Starbucks has since moved to a tomato-based dye. Nonetheless, Red 4 has changed how consumers see their products in more ways than 1!
Thank you for tagging along through this project, it was a lot of fun to create! I intend on taking part in Huevember, so get ready to see a similar project come rolling through again!Aug 24, 2021
#colortheory
#red40
#colorstudy
#characterdesign
#colordesign
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