Swatch This, 3000+ Color Palettes for Success: Perfect for Artists, Designers, Makers

By Haruyoshi Nagumo

Choose color combinations confidently every time!

Expand your color confidence with a comprehensive dictionary of color combinations! Color combinations are made simple with this helpful reference that includes endless numbers of color palettes for artists to perfect their color selection every time. Every color you want to experiment with, from the colors of the rainbow to pastels, neons, metallics, and more are included in inspirational mood boards and color recipes. Your “color recipes” show numerous combinations “in action” using digital swatches designed for artists in every field. Gain a unique understanding of how to swatch colors and achieve success every time.

• Expand your color confidence with this easy-to-use reference
• Color recipes that show numerous combinations of colors “in action” using digital swatches
• Includes colors usually not shown in combinations including gold, silver, and neons

• Language: English
• Publisher: C&T Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781644032282

Haruyoshi Nagumo

Haruyoshi Nagumo is Professor Emeritus at Digital Hollywood University and Director of a Leading Color Research Laboratory. He has developed a new color system – based on color image charts used by more than 100,000 people in Japan – by applying his research on design theory and studies regarding technologies of representation. @harunagumo

Book preview

About This Book

This book is organized according to the three goals of using color. It will help with many of the details in your design work.

Preface

We are all influenced by colors in our daily lives, and we can certainly say that colors enrich our lives. Those who enjoy colors are free to choose them based on their own personal sense. However, those who provide designs to a target audience really must have knowledge of colors themselves, as well as the ability to create color schemes.

I am often asked the simplest of questions, How should I use color? Or even more specifically, "I want to use blue, but how should I approach the process?

I rarely start from a color and then move into the design stage. That being said, I often find that I have to use certain colors that are prescribed by a client.

In order to solve this problem, I put together this book. I thought it would be a great help to my work, and to that of others, if we had a collection of color swatches to choose from in a sort of dictionary format.

Just to be clear, there is no right answer when it comes to color combinations. It is all about how effective they are. If there is too much ambiguity or too much reliance on the senses, the scheme will not be very reliable. That is why we need to have as much scientific evidence as possible for our chosen color combinations.

I always wanted to create a collection of samples that showed how to achieve certain effects. I also wanted to include ways to handle gold, silver, and neon colors. I really hope it will help you with your work.

Toolbox

1. Relationship Between Color and Image

For color schemes, the first thing to do is to decide on what kind of image or pattern we want to create. Our goal, of course, is to create images that make our customers happy.

In reality, however, this is a very difficult task. The trouble with color comes from the fact that we have to decide on exactly which colors to use and what type of image or pattern to create. For digital colorization, the color image actually forms the core of the scheme itself. And, if you understand the relationship between color and image, you will know which colors to use when creating very specific types of images.

Color Image Chart

2. Relationship Between Color and Physiology

One characteristic of digital color is that it is not perceived by the senses. Rather, its physiological effects are accessed through the color scheme. For example, red stimulates the secretion of adrenaline in the brain, which can make people feel excited and uplifted. It is this effect that aids us in deciding on colors.

To be honest, the relationship between color and physiology has yet to be fully explored. On the other hand, it is clear that there is a relationship between these two things, and it is better to make use of that relationship, even if only a little, to achieve desired effects.

Stimuli from all five senses are gathered in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain where hormones are secreted in response to physiological stimulation. I actually recommend that you consider color to be part of the brain’s physiology whenever possible.

Color and Physiology Chart

Toolbox

3. Color Index

In order to create a color scheme, the original colors must be available. At Digital Color, we use a color index. This is our main source for creating color image charts. The main function of the color index is that it groups colors from each hue for every image. For instance, pure color image means using pure colors, but it also refers to a group of images that is pure and selfish, but that also possesses a strong sense of self-assertion.

** Throughout this book the number listed below each color is the color index number and can be cross-referenced here. Also the CMYK and RGB color formulas are indicated here below each color number.

Toolbox

4. Color Contrast Charts

Contrast strength changes the level of impact.

Contrast with adjacent colors enhances the color’s effect.

Check these charts for contrast characteristics.

Bright with low contrast

Just woke up image (sleepy • gentle)

Impression: Weak

Dark contrast

Static image (heavy • calming)

Impression: Weak

Low contrast due to saturation

Unified image (beautiful • monotonous)

Impression: Moderate

High contrast due to color saturation

Simple feel (sophistication • depth)

Impression: Somewhat Weak

Low contrast based on luminosity

Image with three-dimensional effect (transparency • shading)

Impression: Weak

High contrast based on luminosity

Radiant image (stimulation)

Impression: Strong

Low contrast based on hue

Colorful image (cheerful • active)

Impression: Moderate

High contrast due to hue

Carnival-like image (excitement • activity)

Impression: Strong

High contrast due to achromatic colors

Stimulating images (emphasis • prominence)

Impression: Strong

High contrast between achromatic and

Reviews for Swatch This, 3000+ Color Palettes for Success

[sam-rhee-82 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it lost something in translation, but this is a collection of unrelated and unscientific thoughts about color followed by random swatches. This is not a professional-caliber design publication (and if this was just an epub, the. It should have stated that it is).