21-Draw-Illustrators-Guidebook-vol-2-ebook-(2021)

ANALOGOUS is created by choosing three
colors that appear next to one another on
the color wheel.
COMPLEMENTARY uses color pairs that are
opposite on the color wheel, for example,
red and green to maximize contrast.
SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY uses colors from
either side of a complementary color pair to
soften contrast.
TRIADIC are made of three colors which are
equally distant on the color wheel, such as
red, blue, and yellow (triadic primary) or
green, orange, purple (triadic secondary).
Some triadic combinations may not
be vibrant, but the scheme can be as it
maintains harmony and high contrast.
TETRADIC uses four colors from two sets
of complementary pairs, such as orange +
yellow and blue + purple, and one is chosen
as a dominant color. Be sure to pay attention
to the balance between warm and cool
colors.
SQUARE is also made up of four colors
evenly spaced on the color wheel, but
unlike tetradic,
square schemes
can work well
even if you use
all four colors
evenly.
The fewer colors you use the more simple
things will be. Some artists prefer to use
only two to three colors. Using five colors
is popular as it works well for illustrating
concepts. I suggest starting with five colors,
then you can add or subtract as you work.
COLOR THUMBNAILS
Artists and designers often use color
swatches and thumbnails to plan a color
scheme in advance of starting their artwork.
A thumbnail is a quick color sketch that
includes only rough, basic shapes. See my
character’s color thumbnail progress below.
These thumbnails allow artists to identify
how much area a specific color should take
up in a design. How much space a color
takes up in a design can drastically change
the mood of the artwork. For example,
when using the complementary contrast
pair of orange and blue: if blue takes more
space than orange, the image feels cool.
If orange takes more space than blue, it
feels very warm. I recommend you try
different color schemes in advance by using
thumbnails and color swatches.
DRAWING A FEMALE CHARACTER
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