@sigross Ah, so you are using traditional paint for your originals. Yes, I agree an objective way to measure color could be helpful, especially with neutrals. I used to mix a lot of oils, always by sight, but now I am doing almost all digital.

Which book did you buy? Was it this? https://www.pantone.com/products/graphics/formula-guide.

Thanks for the tutorial! I never even noticed the color libraries button before. Cool! I had an idea what the RBG and CMYK numbers meant, but like you, I usually just use the color picker or choose the color by sight. But if I hope to print, I need to learn this stuff.

How would I know which screen colors can't be printed using the subtractive process? That's what books use, right? (Pardon my ignorance!).

And yeah, those metallics are notorious. This I know from studying medieval art, where the gold leaf photos are always terrible. For that matter, most art photos are inaccurate.

@ThisKateCreates I used the coolors app (and tried the others) yesterday and it's so fun. I may be addicted!

Yesterday I was seeing color schemes everywhere I went. You guys have opened up another level of awareness for me, not based so much on copying accurate color or even interpreting impressionistic color, but on harmony within the scheme itself and making it work with value. That was the piece that needed developing. Thank you!!

Oh my! That thing is huge!!! I'm already scared. Love the economy of the whole thing.

I have signed up for backgrounds (very excited!) and am thinking of adding a second class because I'm in the mood to work hard. I took Turbocharging last year and really liked it, but am now looking to add something new. Ideation lab looks interesting, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what it is---is it more related to drawing or to thought processes in general? And how is it related to the creativity processes that we learned in Turbocharging?

Has someone taken both? If so, could you explain the difference to me? Thanks!

Whoa, this is great info, guys!

@Chip-Valecek and @Teju-Abiola I see your point that I can deviate from the usual process. But since for now I think I am still getting used to checking values, I will stick with values first for a while to cut down on confusion. Then maybe I'll deviate!

@Teju-Abiola For whatever reason, I shy away from those techniques with one prevailing color, at least on the first pass. I think it's because I'm so used to observing from nature, and many of the children I am painting come from some real memory I saw that did give me some kind of feeling, even if I was unaware of why. But I have also noticed that I am exaggerating, for example the one I am trying to do now is a night scene in the city and I am emphasizing all the warm yellows streaming from the windows. So thanks for making me aware of it! And your advice also relates to the whole keywords idea, which I need to imbed more into my process.

@NessIllustration, @Coreyartus @ThisKateCreates, thanks for the resource suggestions! I will check them out today.

@sigross I am curious about something in the Pantone book. Do those numbers (the "color recipes") correlate in any way to the numbers in the PS color picker? In other words, is there a way to use them to achieve a certain color in PS? If so, that would be a great way to check color accuracy, which is in the back of my mind as something that I need to address as soon as I get my work flow under control. I think that up until now, I have always wanted to just use my eyes in order to train my color discrimination, but I like the idea of the book as a memory bank as well. It would make me more aware, like you said, of what colors I prefer. Is the set stable or do they add and subtract colors yearly? Do you know where one might buy one in Europe? Online, even? (Cringing while imagining the cost with VAT ).

Thanks so much! I knew I could count on you guys! I hope to be posting some color schemes soon for my WIP.

Wow! I can see you're already getting better and more efficient. You are so going to get this!! I am on the verge of trying 100 kids.

Do you know about the free app Handy? I find it a little limiting because I don't think hands really look like the models in the app, but it can be a good starting point. And since it's free, why not?

Hi guys! I'm really trying to work on speeding up my process this year so I can produce more original work. My perennial roadblock is that I have a really hard time paring down options in any aspect of illustration--it's overwhelming!

Right now I'm trying to figure out an efficient method to develop a color scheme. I do have a decent handle on color theory, how it works in composition (to focus attention, move things forward, etc.) and I have some of my own preferences. And by using David Hohn's technique of applying color mode layers on top of a value study, I'm getting a handle on keeping the values consistent and accepting the fact that they have to come first. That was hard to do!

I have watched all the SVS videos on color at least once, and if someone thinks there's something particularly helpful there in terms of developing a scheme, could you please point it out so I can rewatch those sections? I also like @smceccarelli's color scheme videos on YouTube. And I am aware of the fact that I can go search movie stills or other illustrations and grab a color scheme to try.

But something is missing. I'm currently staring at a page of 9 color schemes which I have applied to a value study, many of which are similar and none of which seems satisfying. And I have no idea why.

If you have some pointers or other resources that you have found particularly helpful in choosing a color scheme and applying it to a composition, would you mind sharing it here? Maybe we can all learn from each other in this area!

Thank you!!

I love the composition, the curves of the fish and girl's hair, their gaze, the subsequent appeal to imagination via reading, and it certainly get the idea of big across! I agree with Chip about the pants. And somehow I want the fish to be darker as well. Or maybe I want the girl's shirt and the background to be lighter? I'd just push all the contrasts a little more and use your value range to its fullest. And watch out for the tangent on the left where the edge of the image almost touches the fish's fin and tail.

Look forward to seeing your progress!

@nyrrylcadiz I can only think it's just that thing where kids want to put everything in their mouths!

Hi! I like the composition of the second one, but agree the size concept could be pushed more. A lot of size is relative, so comparison should do it!

@nyrrylcadiz Oh, I didn't say that well. I meant the purple in the whole bottom right color scheme, though it's true that most of it is at the bottom right. What comes to mind when I think of bright colors becoming creepy is how clouds get when there's about to be a tornado or other very severe storm. That's not a very technical description, but you probably get the idea. You think, "Oh, something's just not right about that color!" That said, now I'm running of the mouth and I'm sure whatever you do with it will be fine! Look forward to seeing the next step!