6 Ways to STUDY Color
Color is a powerful element of design! It's in dang near every art piece you'll make! (Unless of course, you're working with a greyscale medium.)
The way you use color can completely transform the outcome of your work.
As an artist, mastering color is essential to elevate your designs and bring your vision to life. One of the best ways to enhance your understanding of color is through learning and hands-on experimentation.
Below are 6 creative ways you can explore and play with color so you can make better art!
1.Create Your Own Color Wheels
Most artists are familiar with the basics of a color wheel, but creating one with your own materials can provide valuable insights into the pigments you use. It’s a simple yet effective way to truly grasp the colors you're working with. Be sure to use clean water and equal portions of color to prevent muddy results!
2.Make Custom Color Charts
Color charts are a fantastic resource to keep at your side when working. To create a simple color chart, start by taping and sectioning off long rectangles on a sheet of paper.
Fill each section with gradients of color—
You could:
Blend from one color into another color
Start with one color and adjust the intensity by diluting with water (watercolor)
Move from one hue into white (to see the possible tints)
Move from one hue into grey (to see the possible tones)
Move from one hue into black (to see the possible shades)
Creating these charts allows you to get familiar with your unique set of colors and explore the wide range of mixtures you can achieve! Plus, having a color chart on hand can save you time, as you can quickly reference it instead of repeatedly mixing and swatching to find the exact color you need.
When designing your color charts, be sure to leave room for notes about the brand or color names, so when you revisit them later, you’ll have a clear guide on what you’re looking at!
3.Paint Still Lives
Still lives are an excellent way for artists to sharpen their understanding of color by recording real-life color onto the canvas. Nothing quite matches the experience of working from life!
To create your own still life at home, set up a well-lit space near a window or use a direct, electric light source pointed at your subject. Use backdrops or cloths to eliminate background distractions, allowing you to focus only on the colors of the objects in front of you.
You can use any items you want for this—bowls, coins, vases, or fruits all make for great subjects to paint. I find that simple objects typically work best if you're just getting started.
As you set up your still life, try rearranging the objects and adjusting the lighting until the composition feels balanced. If you want to focus on color and light, geometric solids are an excellent choice for practicing color and lighting.
4.Create Abstract Color Compositions
Creating abstract color compositions is a great way to discover which color combinations YOU uniquely like. Simply block off sections on a piece of paper and fill them with two or three colors each. Get loose and free with this! Just play and see how the colors interact.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone with bold or unexpected color choices too—combinations you might initially overlook could surprise you. If a particular color combination stands out, keep it in mind for your future pieces.
5.Create Color Palettes
Finding color inspiration from everyday life, whether it’s a magazine cover, a movie scene, or a beautiful sunset, is a fantastic way to build up color palette ideas.
If you come across photos or take pictures where you are just drawn to the color, use a color picker to extract specific colors from the image. This allows you to create a custom color palette that reflects the mood and essence of that scene. You can also use a color palette generator.
Here are some resources to try:
Procreate Color Palette Walk-through(Read the"Palette Capture from Photos" section)
Also, if you're on Pinterest, make a Color Board!
6.Recolor Your Art 4 Ways
Another way to experiment with different color palettes is to recolor the same image with 4 different color palettes. This is a fun way to discover what you like and also learn how much color can impact a piece and change the mood.
Utilizing these color exercises can help familiarize you with your materials and help you understand what color combinations you gravitate toward.
If you'd like to delve deeper into your understanding of color and study the ways color impacts your art, make sure to join my Color Workshop on Skillshare.
