How to find new and interesting color palettes? Try this exercise!

Here’s a fun exercise I like to do to get inspired for new and interesting color palettes:

🎨 Cut a few smaller pieces of synthetic paper (e.g., 4 pieces of 15x10cm / 6*4 inches)

🎨 Grab a bunch of your inks* and stall them on your table (e.g., pick all your inks from one brand)
*Of course feel free to use any other medium for this exercise!

Now it’s time to make some color combinations:

🎨 If you have 4 pieces of paper, create 4 color combinations from your inks (pick 3 or 4 ink colors per combination)

🎨 Don’t play it safe! Pick a few colors from the same color family, but choose a contrasting color to make it interesting. Or if you want to go completely wild: Blindly pick 3 random colors, don’t overthink it!

Now let’s put them to the test:

🎨 Fill your paper with isopropyl alcohol and add your ink colors (e.g., divide the ink colors over your paper)

🎨 Use an ink/air blower to spread your inks and make them touch. Don’t mix them too much, especially if you’re using contrasting colors you just want them to ‘touch’ and not mix them up.

🎨 Repeat this with all your color combinations. 

Tada, here’s your result!

Of course, not every color combination is going to work out, but I always find one or two interesting color combinations I would have never thought of combining before.

On the picture you see some contrasting combinations I worked on recently using this exercise. I also added some flowers in similar colors to see whether I liked them.

If you do this exercise, I would love to see some of the color combinations you put to the test! Or, if you have a tip for a good color combo or how you find inspiration for color combinations, I would love to hear…

x Anne