Choosing the Right Colors for your Work
Elevate your project by choosing the right colors.
Choosing a color might feel like a menial task. However, being strategic about our color choices can take our work to a whole new level by further expressing mood, setting a tone, or subconsciously communicate a message.
In this blog post, I outline why and how color is so important in our work.
First, understand basic color theory
Before you jump into choosing a color for your project, you must first start with the foundations of color theory.
Why? Color theory is a set of basic principles that teach what colors are, their relationship to one another, their use or effect of combining them, when to use them, how to communicate with them, and even their emotional / psychological effects.
Let’s just say, it’s important!
Whatever level you’re at, I encourage you to continue to learn more about color and experiment with its use and meaning in your work.
Here are a few color theory resources:
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The psychology of color
Whether you know it or not, color has a psychological impact. Specific combination of colors are chosen for brands for the purpose of psychologically communicating what they stand for.
Many food chains use color combinations of yellow, red, and orange to not only grab attention but to stimulate hunger.
Airlines use heavy amounts of blue to instill trust and dependability. Lots of high end brands use black and white, with punches of gold, to communicate sophistication and luxury.
Many health food companies used combinations of greens and yellows to give you the feeling of health and well-being.
Tricky, right? Well, yes. But we’re not using color to “trick” anyone. We’re simply becoming aware of how color can affect people so that we choose the right ones for our work.
Here another great reference when researching the psychology of color and its affects / meanings:
The culture of color
Where there’s color, there’s culture too! And so many beautiful ones at that.
Be mindful that colors have stark differences in meaning and significance from culture to culture.
As designers, illustrators, and artists, we must be sensitive to how we’re being inspired by other cultures and how we’re applying those in our work.
This goes for any design that is inspired by another culture as well. It is very important to take into account that certain shapes, colors, symbols, and techniques have deep traditional roots that must be understood and respected. Thorough research and understanding prior to implementing them into your work will be required here.
Here are a couple of reads on the subject of color in culture:
Cross-Culture Color and Emotion
Understanding color psychology though culture, symbolism, and emotion
The moods of color
While color can communicate / influence without saying anything, it can also set a mood and tone. This is the “feel” or emotion that is evoked from a piece of work.
Depending on the context, blues, grays, and blacks tend to offer a feeling of sadness or depict a cool, quiet evening. Reds, yellows, and oranges tend to offer a feeling of warmth or depict a hot, summer’s day.
Mood Boards
One of my favorite things to do is create mood boards using Pinterest or Google Images. This allows me to collect multiple visuals that I can reference when it comes time to creating. You can also cut and paste from old magazines and books for a more tangible board.
The era of color
You can easily see this throughout history as certain tones and combinations of color really reflected what was happening in the world or depicted a certain feeling.
For the purposes of an example, I will use two North American references that I’m most familiar with.
The colors of the 60 & 70s
The subtle earth tones of the 70s were inspired by the environmental movement and the need for peace and calm after the Vietnam War. Using these can evoke feelings of being grounded and relaxed.
This contrasted heavily with the previous decade of vibrant, psychedelic colors of the 60s inspired by youth rebellion, drugs, and self expression. The combinations of colors in this era made more of a striking impact. Using these can evoke feelings of energy and ‘flavor’. And so it goes. Decide what feeling / emotion you want to evoke and research a color that might play into that.
The age of color
When you’re creating work for adults, your color choices may differ somewhat than if you were creating for children. Children are more psychologically sensitive to color than adults, since their brain isn’t fully developed and they are still learning about the world around them. Color choices should definitely be a big consideration if your audience is young.
Here are a couple of reads on the subject of color & children:
Color in the natural world
You can take courses and read books but there’s nothing like the natural world to teach us about color.
Looking there can give us some great ideas on color choice and color combinations. What colors can be found in your garden? A forest? A beach? A mountain range?
Look to your hero’s for guidance
Never copy anyone. Never appropriate. Instead, observe, learn, and be inspired.
Some of the work we’re drawn to, we’re drawn to for a reason. Why is that?
It’s likely the mood or tone they’re setting. Of course others factors like concept, composition, and overall message plays into it – but that’s a whole other blog post 😊
Look at how your favorite artists are using color and examine why. What are they trying to communicate?
Also examine the feelings that are brought up for you when you see their work. Is it mysterious? Playful? Nostalgic? Bright?
By pulling apart the work of your hero’s you can really gain some clarity on how these principles are put to use or even how to break the rules successfully.
Practice & implement what you’ve learned
“Doing” is the best form of learning because you can see the results, figure out what works best, and catch yourself making mistakes along the way. You can even monitor impact and responses from others through this process.
Before doing anything though, first ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve.
What emotion or message are you trying to convey; Sad? Happy? Both?
What look & feel are you going for; Moody? Bright? Neutral?
What era or culture would you like to make reference to in your work - if at all?
This may seem like an obvious next step but it is a critical step in the process. By deciding these things you can better tap into what colors to choose to help you achieve your project goals.
Take what you’ve learned and what you see and apply it to your work. What happens? What kind of feelings do you - or others get - from your application of color?
Keep in mind, your “practice” will look different from someone else’s so choose whatever medium or style you want to work in, and get playing! 😊
How have you applied color to create a specific mood or strengthen a theme in your work? Comment below.
