Tips for Choosing the Best Colors for Creative Projects
Picking the right colors for your artistic project can be a bit tricky. First, you have to decide on the colors you want to use and ensure that all the pigments will work well together. Every shade is different, but some, such as yellow-green, may include tints of other colors. Make working with pigment powders simple by following these essential tips for choosing the best colors for creative projects.
Consider the Project
The first thing you’ll want to do is evaluate your project to decide what colors you want to use. Consider the design principles, such as what type of object you’re making. The colors you use will typically depend on the project you create. Resin models and keychains, for example, allow for plenty of creative choices, but you’ll need to be more strategic if you plan to use a variety of colors.
For example, if you create a basic resin heart, you’re free to color it with whichever pigment powders you’d like. On the other hand, as you add color to a more intricate resin model, you’ll have to decide which colors harmonize with or complement one another. The more colors you add to a project, the more you have to think about this, since the colors need to look visually pleasing when put together.
Likewise, many artists use mica pigment powder to create makeup palettes, since this product is safe to use on skin. You have to know what colors work in harmony with one another and place them on the palette according to this. Experts often place colors in groups of four according to what users should apply when putting on their makeup on; these quads should fall into the same color families.
Understand Color Schemes
One of the most important tips for choosing the best colors for creative projects is a thorough understanding of color schemes. The various shades of a single color are all different—some have warm tones, while others are cool toned. You don’t want to add a cool shade of red with a sunshine-yellow, since the hues contrast and can lead to a jarring look.
Knowing What Colors Pair Together
The primary colors are the bases of creative work, and you’ll always have to consider these as you decide on the right pigments for a piece. However, when it comes to selecting the best pigment powders for a project, you’ll also need to understand four key areas of color. These components are:
- Hue: A color on its own
- Tint: The amount of white in a color
- Tone: The saturation or intensity of color
- Shade: The amount of black in a color
You’ll want to think about all these items as you combine two or more colors. This is because these components can make a color appear brighter or add hints of a secondary color. Two hues may seem to pair well together, but contrasting tints could change this, and you don’t want to risk ruining your project. It’s also important to understand which colors cancel each other out.
All this information can seem a bit daunting, so let’s break it down a bit more. Let’s say you want to use a yellow mica pigment powder. The hue would be yellow, and the tint and shade indicate how dark or bright it is. So if you mix a lightly tinted yellow with a similarly tinted red, you’ll get light orange.
What Are Complementary Colors?
It’s also important to know your complementary and contrasting colors. By blending these, you’ll get shades of gray because they cancel one another out. To understand the opposite color of the pigment you plan to use, look at the color wheel—complementary colors are across from one another. So the opposite of green is red, the opposite of blue is yellow, and so forth.
Understanding Color Schemes
One of the best ways to choose the best pigments to combine is to note the various color schemes, which group each color according to hue, shade, and tint. The six color schemes include:
- Monochromatic
- Analogous
- Complementary
- Split complementary
- Triadic
- Tetradic
Understanding these different color schemes makes it easier for you to place each pigment you use into the appropriate color family. Many artists also consider the value of each color, especially when adding dimension to projects that involve painting.
As you pick your colors, aim to properly mix bright and muted colors. Some of us love the way bright pigments catch the eye, but too many colors can appear overwhelming. Instead, consider creating a draft of your project to experiment with the right colors so that you don’t have to worry about ruining your masterpiece or wasting material.
Some Colors Every Artist Needs
When it comes to using pigment powders, you’ll also want to make sure you always have the right colors readily available in your artistic toolbox. Ensure you have the essentials: white, black, and the primary colors.
Tips for Using Pigment Powder
Pigment powders are amazing, unique artistic mediums because they add blasts of color to a creative project. Unlike some other materials, they also work for a wide range of projects. Some people use these materials for woodworking, while others mix them with binding agents to use for DIY automotive projects.
Unlike mediums such as paint, the only thing holding you back from all the things you can create with pigment powder is your own imagination. Plus, mica pigment powders come in a variety of options, such as glow-in-the-dark, translucent, and color-shifting, which breathe life into an art piece. Add some flair to your next project!
Shop for high-quality, multipurpose mica pigment powders at Eye Candy Pigments. We have dazzling shades of neon, pastels, and more. If you need white mica powder to brighten the tint of your project, for example, we’ve got you covered. Interestingly, blue and its varieties of hues, tints, and shades have also become some of the most popular colors in the artistic world. Now that you’ve expanded your knowledge of color, it’s time to add the best ones to your collection.
