How To: Choose the Perfect Colour Palette

How To: Choose the Perfect Colour Palette – Colour is a powerful tool when it comes to creating resin art. Allowing you to express your creativity and share emotions through vibrant and captivating pieces. Choosing the right colour palette for your resin artwork is an exciting process that will greatly impact the final result. In this blog post, we will provide you with helpful tips and advice on how to select the perfect colour palette for your epoxy resin projects.

Consider the Mood or Theme: Before you begin mixing up your resin, start by defining the mood or theme you are trying to create through your resin artwork. Are you aiming for a serene and calming atmosphere, a scenic piece (i.e. beach or forrest) or do you want to create a bold or energetic piece?

Draw inspiration from the world around you. Observe the colours found in nature, explore artwork from different genres, and pay attention to colour combinations that catch your eye in everyday life. Once you have an idea, select the colours you feel would best align with your desired mood or theme.

Exploring Colour Theory: To create beautiful pieces of art, it is useful to familiarise yourself with the basics of colour theory.

• Primary colours (red, blue, and yellow), secondary colours (orange, green, and purple), and tertiary colours (mixtures of primary and secondary colours) can be combined to achieve various effects or tones.
• Complementary colours (opposites on the colour wheel) create dynamic contrast, while analogous colours (neighbouring on the colour wheel) offer a harmonious and soothing palette

Experiment with Colour Mixing: Have fun exploring colour mixing techniques to expand your colour options. Mix different pigments together to create unique shades and hues. Use something like our 2-split or 3-spilt cups to create blends of colours. When creating colour palettes, we generally opt for 5 colours. Our favourite “formula” to a successful palette is as follows:
– White or Black
– Light Shade
– Medium Shade
– Dark Shade
-Metallic or Pearl

So if you are trying to create a moody green toned artwork we would select the following colours:
– White or Black (Iceland White)
– Light Shade (Rainforest Fern)
– Medium Shade (Forrest Green)
– Dark Shade (Rich Emerald)
– Metallic or Pearl (Rich Gold)

You could also adjust the same palette theory with a more specific theme like a beachscape. For example:
– White or Black (Pure White)
– Light Shade (Maya)
– Medium Shade (Tropical Waters)
– Dark Shade (Stormy Night)
– Metallic or Pearl (Beach Sand) – Instead of a metallic, we would adjust the palette to incorporate a sandy feature to compliment the beachscape theme.

The phrase “More is Less”, is rather important when it comes to resin artworks. The more colours you begin to incorporate can often lead to a ‘muddy’ finish as colours will begin to over blend. Start with small amounts and record your mixing ratios to replicate successful colour combinations in future projects. Pigments are highly concentrated with only 2-5% needed. However it is always possible to add more pigment, but never to take pigment out.

Impact of Transparency and Opacity: Take into account the transparency and opacity of your chosen colours. Transparent pigments allow light to pass through, creating depth and luminosity, while opaque pigments offer solid coverage. Experiment with layering transparent and opaque colours to add dimension and visual interest to your resin artwork.

Use Colour Swatches and Samples: Consider using a colour wheel or colour mixing guide to help you understand the potential outcomes of your colour mixing experiments. Create colour swatches or samples using small resin pours to visualise how colours will appear when cured. You can see a great example of this below from: @within.resin. This allows you to assess the transparency, opacity, and overall look of each colour. Place the swatches in different lighting conditions and observe how they interact with light to ensure they meet your desired aesthetic. Keep a visual journal or create a Pinterest board to collect colour schemes and combinations that inspire you.

Test and Evaluate: Before committing to a large resin artwork, test your colour palette on a small scale. Pour a small amount of resin with your chosen colours and observe how they interact and complement each other. Evaluate the result and make adjustments as needed. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different colour combinations until you achieve the desired effect. If you find your palette isn’t to your liking, you can also sand back your artwork and re-coat the resin piece.

A great option for anyone getting started with resin art, is to consider colour kits. We have a few colour kit options available that are already themed so you don’t have to worry about trying to decide what colours suit one another.

Remember, choosing a colour palette for your resin artwork is a personal and creative process. By no means are you ‘bound’ to these ideas or colour palette selections. Trust your instincts, be open to experimentation, and let your imagination guide you. Embrace the limitless possibilities that epoxy resin offers and create breathtaking masterpieces that reflect your unique artistic vision.

Remember, the world is your canvas, and colours are your brushes!