Creating a seasonal colour palette
The icy cold temperatures and low light levels have pulled all of the intensity of colour from our surrounding landscape and have left us with a beautiful washed out winter palette. These are the tones that I am always most drawn to; soft, muted shades that all blend seamlessly together. Gentle and calming to be around, they just feel effortlessly elegant in their faded demeanour.
Creating colour palettes from your photos is a fun and meditative process in itself but what else can we use these palettes for?
If we are creating a series of images then we can use the colours within the palette to create a sense of harmony between them. Colour is possibly one of the easiest ways to achieve this sense of cohesion.
The palette can also serve as inspiration for bringing seasonal tones into our everyday lives. This could be through decorative elements in our home such as easy to swap out cushion covers, beautiful stones found on a walk or when choosing the colour of a new jersey! This helps us to fully embody and celebrate the distinctive elements of each season.
Choose 1 or more of the colours to use as a starting point for an image. If you are creating a photo this might guide your styling and choice of props to help evoke the feeling of the season. For example in a winter tablescape photo I could choose linens in cool, icy blues or cosy, warm terracottas. The same photo could create a whole different feel just based on the colours that you choose to celebrate.
When creating an image, whether that be through photography or painting, we can use the colour palette to help us capture the mood of the season. It can shape the intention and atmosphere of the work, evoke whatever feeling you are wanting it to. At this time of year in winter for me this is all about bringing in that beautiful cosy, nurturing feeling; fire and candles, warm drinks and blankets and incorporating them into my images. Or you could go in the complete opposite directions to really emphasise the stark, cold nature of winter.
Over time, using a consistent set of signature colours can make your work more recognisable, becoming a defining element of your brand or personal creative story.
How to create a seasonal colour palette:
Using Canva (free account options are available), create a new document and insert your photo/s. Under the ‘elements’ tab on the left hand side of the screen select a shape that you would like to become your colour swatch. From the small toolbar that runs along the top of your document select the ‘colour’ option which is a small round circle filled with colour. Under ‘document colours’ select the first option which is a multi coloured circle with a plus sign in the middle. Then choose the colour picker tool which looks like an eye dropper. Use this tool to scan over your photo until you find the colour that you love then click to select it.
You can do the same technique on any other graphic design program such as Adobe Illustrator, although the method may vary slightly depending on the design program that you have chosen to use.
I have gone a step further and found the HEX codes for each colour, this is in no way necessary but just becomes an easy way to define and replicate the colour again if I need to. Select the colour swatch that you have created, then from the small toolbar that runs along the top of your document select the ‘colour’ option. Once here you can hover over any of the colours that you have created and you will see the code which is a hashtag followed by 6 numbers and/or letters. My daughter and I also had fun creating names for each of the colours, which I would highly recommend!
