Quickly choose colors without overthinking
Learn to mix colors and create a sexy, cohesive palette!
Instead of diving into a blank page, sometimes I like to dip my toes in by creating little color tests. No shame plunging head first, but starting with small, messy illustrations first can save you paper, materials and time.
Why are they useful?
See how the colors play together without overthinking.
View their impact on a small scale. (Nice to do if your work will be viewed on a mobile device)
You won’t mess up your sketch, if you’ve done that part traditionally.
In the video, I demonstrate three ways to test colors together before taking off into the final art.
iPad color testing. Easy, mess-free mixing. I recommend setting a timer to avoid falling into the rabbit hole of too many options! Disclaimer: I still can’t mix colors in Procreate, but that’s no reason to stop trying! It can be a magnificent color-testing tool for you.
Create a few tiny versions using different palettes. You can see how the colors play together and compare them. I do that in this video and was pretty happy with the result.
Choose a base color and build on it. This method works best for me when I choose a primary color as my base. Then add small amounts of one or two other colors to create cohesive color palette beauty!
Tip:
Consider where the illustration will likely be viewed. If you’re creating or editing art to post online, there’s a chance it’ll be seen on a small screen. Your tiny color test will ensure it displays beautifully on mobile devices.
Here are a couple of my sketchbook pages from Wednesday’s Animal Life Drawing Session.
has a brilliant course coming up in 2 days! Check it out!
Become a paid member to join all the sessions and access all the replays and future sessions! You’ll lock in the current price as long as you’re a member, even when it increases. You can also hop back down to a free membership anytime you need to!