How to create harmonious colour palettes for illustration & design
Colour is used everyday in the visual arts from illustration, graphic design, to architecture, and technology. Choice and arrangement can have the power to create iconic imagery, for instance artworks by painters such as Mondrian and Matisse are recognisable for their distinct visual language which is identifiable by the clear and precise use of colour. The thoughtful order and positioning of different hues can have drastic effects on how an artwork is perceived, which can make for pleasant viewing experiences that evoke moods or emotion. In contrast to some colour combinations that may produce a headache. Here is a brief introduction to colour, a few difficulties to look out for when considering design, as well as tips on how to create a harmonious colour palette.
“I found I could say things with colours that I couldn’t say any other way – things that I had no words for.”
HOW TO DEFINE COLOUR
The full colour spectrum is made up of hue, saturation, and brightness (value). It is referred to as a tint, when a colour is mixed with white to increase brightness. It is called shade when a colour is mixed with black to increase darkness. There are three primary colours; blue, red and yellow. Secondary colours arise by mixing combinations of these primary colours. While you can create black by mixing three primary colours together, as highlighted by the diagram.
(Image: Prismatic Colour Wheel, Moses Harris, Moses Harris, The natural system of colours, London [c.1785], pl.[2])
“Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by colour.”
COMMON DIFFICULTIES WITH COLOUR
OVERWHELMING COLOUR
If your design is coming across as hectic or difficult to look at then it may be the symptom of using every colour available and overwhelming the palette. If you're struggling, try to stick to a limited palette. Or even just start with one colour to begin with, to help you get an idea of how many different tones can be achieved from the same colour. Introduce more as you grow in confidence.WASHED OUT COLOUR
If your image is coming across a little washed out, then the artwork may have too many saturated tones. You might want to add intensity to areas of importance, or consider where to place more hue and shade to enhance atmosphere.FLAT TONE
If your artwork appears a little flat, or if the the eye doesn’t travel to the areas of most importance then you may want to introduce contrasting tones into the image. A good way to see which areas need attention, is by using a filter to temporarily change the artwork to greyscale (or by photocopying in black and white). Viewing the design in monochrome can help you locate where you might need to heighten or lower the tone to create interesting variation to draw the eye in.
HOW TO CREATE A HARMONIOUS COLOUR PALETTE
1. An easy method to create a balanced colour scheme is to first select three colours that you would like to work with. Use these as a base to then mix and gradually blend the pigment together in a gradation. If you’re working digitally you can create a gradient to reveal the colour spectrum.
2. Because the colours are made from the same root, they relate to each other, and are easier on the eye. Your palette will have pigment built from the same source material so it will feel balanced.
3. You can now play with the opacity of each hue. By decreasing the opacity you will get a paler colour, and by increasing the opacity you will get a darker colour. If using paint, you can achieve this effect by using more or less water in the pigment. Alternatively you may want to add white or black.
Learning about how to create a harmonious palette is just one step forward in understanding colour. The way we perceive colour continually changes depending on light, and colour placement in relation to other hues. To understand the deceiving nature of colour I’ve written a blog post about Josef Alber’s masterwork ‘The Interaction of Colour’ to explore this topic further. You can read it here.
You can learn more about visual language, explore composition techniques and drawing methods over on the courses I teach. Find out more here.
