Seven Principles of Skilled Designers (2): Use of Color
Author：Eve Cole
Update Time：2009-06-20 16:35:47
Limit your colors
Part Two of 7 Simple Principles to Become a Top Designer
Limit your use of color. It seems like the last guideline is for you to limit the fonts you use, right? Very true! We limit our use of colors for the same reasons we limit our use of fonts. Reducing the number of colors in our design will make it harmonious. Basically, everything will look consistent, like a sports team's jersey or a company's logo. —We wanted to make the uniform (sportswear) look the same color as a whole.
As with font selection, limiting the number of colors you use is a guideline, not a rule. You can use the colors of the rainbow well in your designs and it will look great. But initially, you need a strategy for using color and stick with it. Keep it throughout your design.
For starters, let’s talk about color values. The color value of a color is its lightness or darkness. For example, yellow is a very bright color, and purple is a very dark color. Of course a color can have its color range. For example, purple is a color that most of us associate with dark colors, but there are also very bright shades of purple. Here's an example of some colors and their associated color values. Then, what you can see is the range of color values for a color.
So one rule I use when working with color schemes is: Make sure there is a range of color values in your color scheme. In any design you need some light colors and some dark colors to create contrast. For example, if the background of your design is dark, you need light-colored text and pictures. In this way, the text and pictures will be easier to read. Conversely, if you have a light background, you need a dark image, text, or whatever.
I will also typically only use 2-5 colors to complete my color scheme. Reduce the number of choices and you'll get a good result in your design. Here's an example of a color scheme I've put together. As you can see, I used a dark color, a mid-tone color and a light color. Starting from the right, I established a range of color values for each color. These color combinations are like my palette and I use them in my design projects. Once I have this palette, I try my best to only use these colors.
Okay, we just talked about some tips on color selection, such as how many colors you need to choose and what their color values should be; so what’s the next step? I'm going to tell you what's next and the hardest part; that's how to decide on those 2-5 colors! I personally think this is a difficult job at times. Here is a table of tips that help me implement my color scheme:
Determine a range of warm and cool tones.
Just use warm or cool colors. Warm colors include red, orange, yellow, brown, etc. Cool colors are blue and purple. I think green is a pretty in-between color. If you keep all the colors you choose in one tone, they will definitely harmonize.
Get inspired at www.colourlovers.com This wonderful website is all about color schemes. All you have to do is click through page after page of color schemes.
Notice the color schemes popping up all around you. Look at the packaging at the grocery store, look at the paint colors at your local Starbucks coffee shop, look at nature! If you see some pleasing colors, just make a mental note to see if you can copy it to your computer.
Pay attention to some existing company logo colors. I often use some existing company logo colors. I will look at their logo, color scheme and use that as my initial idea. Then maybe just add one or two colors.
Here is a design I have completed that shows the restricted color scheme.
As you can see, the compact color scheme and unified font really keep everything organized.
I know these lessons are very basic...but that's the cornerstone of design. So, it can never hurt a recovering person. The next 5 guidelines are coming out soon, and I promise the next 5 will be more interesting. Thanks!
