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Adding Colors

Lesson 28 from: Adobe Illustrator: From Shapes to Complex & Beautiful Illustrations

Junichi Tsuneoka

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Lesson Info

28. Adding Colors

Lessons

Class Trailer

Course Introduction

1

Introduction

01:44
2

Basic Concept of the Course

00:58
3

Examples and Applications

00:39
4

Process Overview

01:44
5

Quiz - Introduction

Getting Started

6

Concept Development

09:12
7

Tips for Pencil Sketch

18:12
8

Shape Tool Basics

06:58
9

Shape Tool Advance

08:36
10

How to Control Shapes by Different Movements

04:49
11

How to Control Shapes By Reflect Skew and Rotate Tools to Create Complex Shapes

05:45
12

Combine Multiple Shapes with Pathfinder Tool

04:19
13

Create Complex Shapes with Pathfinder Tool

06:51
14

Quiz - Getting Started

Case Study 1: Stand Alone Graphic

15

Case Study 1 Overview (Stand Alone Design)

02:04
16

Creating an Environment for Converting the Pencil Sketch into Editable Vector Graphic

03:29
17

Create a Group of Shapes to be Used as a Base of the Illustration

13:03
18

How to Introduce Large Medium and Small Design Elements to the Overall Design to Achieve Depth and More Detailed Result

05:43
19

Adding Colors

11:12
20

How to Fine Tune the Design and Finalize It

03:27
21

Exercise

00:51
22

Quiz - Case Study 1: Stand Alone Graphic

Case Study 2: Illustrative Pattern

23

Case Study 2 Overview (Illustrative Pattern)

01:41
24

Creating an Environment for Converting the Pencil Sketch into Editable Vector Graphic

01:37
25

Create a Small Unit of Complex Shapes to Use as a Base of the Whole Illustration

14:01
26

How to Introduce Large Medium and Small Design Elements to the Overall Design to Achieve Depth and More Detailed Result

01:48
27

How to Introduce Foreground Middle and Background Elements to the Overall Design to Achieve More Depth

09:56
28

Adding Colors

07:27
29

How to Fine Tune the Design and Finalize It

06:38
30

Quiz - Case Study 2: Illustrative Pattern

Conclusion

31

Conclusion

00:59

Final Quiz

32

Final Quiz

Lesson Info

Adding Colors

in this lesson, I want to share a few tips how to work with colors for this type of very graphic looking illustration, it is probably a good idea to start from very limited color. I usually try to make it work with just one color plus white. I usually try to create an illustration that can make sense with only two colors. So up to this point I didn't add any colors yet and I was making sure even just using one color plus white, most of the design is very readable and makes sense by doing this, you can really focus on the composition of the image. Once composition is solid then you can increase the number of color you use. So that's why I waited to have most of the design elements And now and and now the composition is almost complete. So now it's a good time to think about the color. Now when you look at the illustration with one color it's still pretty effective. So which means this type of geometric shape based illustration works well with limited color palette. If you use too many c...

olors you will lose the strength of simplicity, of particular shapes in general. Keep it simple with colors. So we are talking about 23 colors. So we are thinking about a particular color combination to work with. Now when you choose particular color, there are a few things to consider. Now first I will look at color contrast, meaning that in the image there are a few areas that's important in a few areas that's not as important as other ones. For example these areas, since this is only a part of the face, probably it's a good idea not to stand out too much, meaning that you don't want to create the same contrast as other areas. So probably you want to use some lighter value color than the other areas to control the contrast, communicating what's important and what's less important. When we think about this, it is always a good idea to have color wheel handy on the side. No, I select the area that's either detailed area or less important area and apply a color just to differentiate the focal point area versus less focused area. Now, the first consideration is how much contrast you want to make when you look at the color wheel two colors that facing each other, they will make more contrast, but sometimes too much contrast so that it vibrates. If two colors are too close to each other within the color wheel, then it might not create enough contrast. So we want to decide the balance of the contrast, meaning that you want to think about the distance of the color will between two colors. So, first I select the area that seems more important in the composition and this should be somewhat darker value of the color. So in the color will if you look at it baloo would be the darkest value. So my initial response to that is to shoot some color that close to dark blue. Now this type of blue versus the orange that I'm currently using probably creates too much contrast because they are on the opposite side of the color wheel. Now, if I choose the color that's closer to the other color. In color wheel for example, I may choose this color. Then sometimes that may not be the enough contrast to create a good focal point. I'm going to go ahead and change the other color. So damn! My next consideration is to choose the color that's not too contrasted, but that's not too similar. Somewhere in between. This is really easy to figure it out. If you're looking at the color wheel which is either this color or this color and then here you make the decision how much contrast you want to create and when you're deciding which area to be darker color, in which area to be lighter color. Is also considering the sense of depth. As you can see in here, the darker value color well, look closer to you and the lighter value color will look further away from you. So choosing the right color to the right place will also help the sense of death. So based on contrast based on compositional balance based on sense of depth, we will choose the right color combination

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