In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of color studies. Here’s a little more specific info about making color studies and the thought process that I go through.
Tips:
Have a basic color education. I won’t get too much into color theory here; it is a very large and complicated subject. If any of the terms I use confuse you, then you need to do a little research. There are many books, articles, and other resources that cover the subject in-depth. At the very least, know some basic terms (hue, saturation, value, etc.) and relationships (monochromatic, analogous, complementary, etc.).
Limit your palette. Most of my paintings are really colorful and you can see tons of different colors in my images. However, each image (at least the stronger ones) will still have one major theme encompassing that keeps it unified. For example, a red-orange object on a blue-green background, a blue painting with green accents, or a painting made all with pastel colors.
Experimenting
After creating many color studies, I find myself playing with the same set of factors every time. They are all important characteristics that influence the mood of the painting, and I never know which one will create the strongest image. The result often surprises me, which is the beauty of all this experimentation.
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Warm or cool?
Most paintings will be predominantly one or the other. It is an important decision to make as it affects the entire mood of the image.
I often make the main subject of my painting a different temperature than the background, to make it stand out. So in that case, my decision becomes – do I want a warm object on a cool background, or a cool object on a warm background?
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Saturation
My first instinct is to work with bright, bold colors. However, I also experiment with using softer grays. They tend to look more serious and sophisticated, which has been beneficial for a few of my pieces.
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Light and value
In addition to color studies, I also make at least one value study for my paintings in black and white. This helps establish lighting and emphasis, which you need to get a handle on before you even consider color. When I get into creating the color study, I always have the light and dark patterns in mind.
Also consider:
- What color are the light sources? (e.g. warm daylight or cool night light?)
- How does the light/shadows affect the local color of the objects in my painting? (e.g. colors are usually brighter and warmer in light, darker and cooler in shadow)
No related posts.
Thank you for these really informative color tips. I really needed them. If only I had been given this kind of teaching in college.
Thanks for the info, they will certainly help me out with my work from now on.
Hey Dani! Thanks for the kind words about my “Creating Characters with Personality” book. Another children’s book illustrator, and Disney alum, Matt Novak told me about your blog and the feature. Very nice blog and you do wonderful work! I’m honored. Keep it up!–Tom
You are most welcome, Tom. I love looking through your book and am happy to recommend it.
These colour variations are really inspiring. I see they are obviously a single image, so I guess you do all the variations digitally. Which tool or settings do you use? Or is it some kind of plugin? Thanks for sharing all these articles!
Joan,
Yes, I get some of my color ideas simply by using a few Photoshop settings. Mostly, I play around with the hue/saturation sliders, and sometimes with Variations. Not all my experimenting is done this way – l DO repaint the thumbnail most of the time (that’s why it’s a good idea to keep it small), but Photoshop makes it very easy to play around with subtle differences,
This is so very helpful and so is the article about “The Value of Color Study”. I do fix as I paint when I usually do paintings or when I color line art. Or when I’m done w/ the finished picture, I usually go in and fix it again! This would probably save loads of time. Also, you probably do end up thinking of other moods or ideas that fit best that you wouldn’t have thought of before. Usually I always fix a color or two or another until I agree w/ it. Thanks for the tips and thanks for posting blogs like this!
Hi Dani, thanks for your posting, I just read it now haha!
I always have trouble picking my colors and the question is: how many colors should I include in my painting? When I paint according to the color theory, my painting looks boring and I am always afraid of adding another color just because I want to be neat and specific! When picking your colors, do you just pick 3-4 colors and go from there?
Rhian – Not sure what you mean. I don’t necessarily pick specific colors or palette before I start painting. I might have a mood or overall look in mind, but that is all. I choose and pick colors based on a passing knowledge of basic color theory, but a lot of it is also instinct and experience. Sometimes this can be haphazard, but that is what the color studies are for – to sort it all out before I go to the final painting.