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Prussia · 07-23-2006, 04:13 PM

Basic colour theory is a good place to start, especially for someone already proficient in HTML and CSS. It was a revelation to me to learn how and why colours work together. It's a lot easier and faster than tweaking and re-tweaking a design until things "look right", and it gave me a lot more confidence in my designs. It's very simple: choose a colour and then grab a colour wheel to determine its corresponding colours.
Some basic colour schemes:

Complimentary Scheme - uses direct opposites on the colour wheel.Analogous Scheme - uses any three consecutive hues or any of their tints and shades (lighter/darker) on the colour wheel.
Clash Scheme - combines a colour with the hue to the right or left of it's compliment (opposite) on the colour wheel.
Monochromatic Scheme - uses one hue in combination with any or all of it's tints and shades.
Split Complimentary Scheme - consists or a hue and two hues on either side of it's compliment.

There are more, but you get the idea. It's like a formula for choosing colours that work every time.
Some books I've found essential on the subject are:
"Color Harmony 2 - A guide to creative color combinations" by Bride M. Whelan. Helpful for choosing colours based on the mood you want to convey (trust, warmth, elegance etc.).
"The designer's Guide to Color Combinations - 500+ historic and modern color formulas in CMYK" by Leslie Cabarga. Great for choosing combinations based on historical periods (deco, '50s, '60s, trendy, modern, rave etc.).
Also very helpful is a Photoshop filter called ColorTheory by Digital Anarchy.
As far as design tools go, most computer-created graphic art is done with vector graphics (line-art) software like Illustrator and Freehand or, if you're designing purely for the web, Fireworks and Flash. These are like the pen tool from Photoshop but much more powerful. Download some trials and tutorials and see how you go without a tablet.
Then grab the books limbo mentioned and you'll be well set.

07-23-2006, 04:13 PM	#3
Prussia Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Frankfurt, Germany Posts: 45	Basic colour theory is a good place to start, especially for someone already proficient in HTML and CSS. It was a revelation to me to learn how and why colours work together. It's a lot easier and faster than tweaking and re-tweaking a design until things "look right", and it gave me a lot more confidence in my designs. It's very simple: choose a colour and then grab a colour wheel to determine its corresponding colours. Some basic colour schemes: Complimentary Scheme - uses direct opposites on the colour wheel.Analogous Scheme - uses any three consecutive hues or any of their tints and shades (lighter/darker) on the colour wheel. Clash Scheme - combines a colour with the hue to the right or left of it's compliment (opposite) on the colour wheel. Monochromatic Scheme - uses one hue in combination with any or all of it's tints and shades. Split Complimentary Scheme - consists or a hue and two hues on either side of it's compliment. There are more, but you get the idea. It's like a formula for choosing colours that work every time. Some books I've found essential on the subject are: "Color Harmony 2 - A guide to creative color combinations" by Bride M. Whelan. Helpful for choosing colours based on the mood you want to convey (trust, warmth, elegance etc.). "The designer's Guide to Color Combinations - 500+ historic and modern color formulas in CMYK" by Leslie Cabarga. Great for choosing combinations based on historical periods (deco, '50s, '60s, trendy, modern, rave etc.). Also very helpful is a Photoshop filter called ColorTheory by Digital Anarchy. As far as design tools go, most computer-created graphic art is done with vector graphics (line-art) software like Illustrator and Freehand or, if you're designing purely for the web, Fireworks and Flash. These are like the pen tool from Photoshop but much more powerful. Download some trials and tutorials and see how you go without a tablet. Then grab the books limbo mentioned and you'll be well set. __________________ "A hedge between keeps friendship green"