Vibrant Colour Palettes Fit for a Painter 

We’ve thrown together 8 of our favourite on-trend colour schemes. Use them for what you do best: making dazzling designs and awesome artwork for your fans.

Colours that work for you

Art is deeply personal, and colour schemes are an essential way of expressing yourself through design. Transport emotion and catch attention with colour palettes which reveal your inner self.

1. Let nature do the talking 

No one does colour quite like Mother Nature. From healing and consoling to energising and motivating – these colour palettes will freshen your mind like a cool breeze.

Towering forests, lush green moss and bright orange trees. Or how about rocky desert landscapes? Natural colour palettes shine through their infinite versatility.

Earthy brown – the desert lives on 

This colour choice breathes life into your designs. Dark brown, reddish brown with purple shading transports you to the mystical desert landscapes of south-western USA.

Hex codes: #1B0907, #301510, #6F2D2D, #6F2D2D, #B9512B, #9B3519

Wood you like – keeping it classic 

Fresh green, dark mossy colours and woody tones – just like a forest walk. One of the most classic colour palettes but ever reliable.

Hex codes: #1B0907, #301510, #6F2D2D, #6F2D2D, #B9512B, #9B3519

Maritime palettes – get the blues 

Swimming with the fishes. With diverse sea blue and grey tones taking you to the seaside, you might as well grab your bucket and spade.

Hex codes: #1F4168, #006995, #4BC7CE, #9DECE6

Postcard perfect – vibrancy 

The type of sundown from a travel brochure. With this primary colour palette you’ll be catching eyes, catching feelings and more.

Hex codes: #08086F, #053C89, #F95C1C, #FFBD2A, #085E14

2. Neon & retro neon – get noticed

80s neons are experiencing a real revival, and well long may it continue. A retro touch is extremely versatile, offering your summer designs a fascinating effect with punchy neons. For night-time looks, channel your inner cyberpunk.

By the way: Neon green and neon magenta complement each other wonderfully. Electric blues and oranges zap through with high voltage, while neon yellow and bright purple are an unlikely yet strong matchup.

Neon Blitz – Thunderstruck! 

Throwback now to the 90s. This combination is just right when it comes to vibrant colour palettes. It suits playful and experimental designs with geometric shapes and psychedelic elements.

Add beige tones, black or white to keep those bright neons in check.

Hex codes: #0B2BF9, #E3FF00, #FF35C8, #55FF00, #AE24FF

Retro-Neon – Whatever happened to the 80s? 

It’s summer 1985. The doors are opening at Starcourt Mall in Hawkins, Indiana. A pure celebration of neon. Looking to throw some shades of Stranger things into your designs? This palette is the one for you.

Hex codes: #FDD615, #FE04FF, #002DD1, #00E7EC

3. Pastel Rainbow – when less is more 

It’s not exactly state secrets that pastel colours are bang on trend again. They imbue art with sweet summer days tinged with nostalgia.  Use pastels tastefully for joy and optimism.

The big advantage: pastel colours are versatile. You can combine them with darker and more vibrant colours to set accents. 3D art and flat designs harmonize equally well with this palette.

Here are some tips to help your pastel game:

• Pastels need company, and work best when used in combination with one another.
• Combine pastels with metallic colours for luxurious looks.
• Throw some pastels up against navy blue or a black to give your designs contrast and sharpness.

Hex codes: #FFD1D1, #FBFFDE, #D7FDDF, #E0FFFD, #D0D0FE, #F9DEFF

4. Old-school aesthetics? 

Some eras simply never go out of fashion. Vintage palettes are tried-and-tested, lending your designs a sense of eternal authenticity. It’s an open phrase – and could mean 50s, 80s or y2k. Just make the colours sing together and instil nostalgia into your works.

You can even add in grainy and blurry finishes, as well as fades, to nail the old-school look. Think of a classic diner or an old photo album, with a vintage palette, your possibilities are endless.

More subdued? 

Hex codes: #A16B56, #E0A370, #DEC584, #E2D7A7, #709F9D, #567D89

Or bursting with life?

Hex codes: #C46060, #DDA045, #F0ECD3, #C7BD9F, #6F9E90, #59352B

5. Tropical paradise – basically like being on holiday? 

Cyan Sky, Wasabi Green, Tender Sprout, Quince Jelly, Border Pink, Lake Reflection – not delicious cocktails but colours palettes taking you to a tropical island, palm trees included. The ultimate holiday palette.

Unsurprisingly tropical palettes are your ticket for perfect summer design, floral prints and patterns. Experiment with multiple tone to inject your designs with beach vibes.

Hex codes: #00B7BD, #B7DD79, #E9E186, #F68D2E, #F65275, #9CDBD9

6. Design as You Are – Grunge Palettes 

Like a rainy day in Seattle, grunge palettes use muted, dirty and mostly matte colours. Brown, beige, grey and black dominate these designs. Simply and sad yet beautiful.

Avoid bold colours for an authentic grunge look. However, if you want a more eye-catching design, use neon red or pink, for example. You’ll slip into punk and gothic aesthetics here, but that’s quite alright.

Hex codes: #0d0coc, #7a7777, #531c72, #ec9dbd, #7a0b0b

Hex codes: #262F34, #F34A4A, #F1D3BC, #615049

7. Ever more holiday – make it Mediterranean 

Attention: these colours may cause wanderlust. Grey, red and pink clay tones remind you of the warm south. Combined with green and blue tones, you are almost in the departure lounge in your flip-flops already.

Hex codes: #1A6A7F, #48B3C1, #F2E8DD, #EFD4AF, #FFB5A7, #E06868

8. Magenta – right on trend 

Viva Magenta is the colour of the year, rightfully earning a place in one of our colour palettes. Use it well and it’ll be all eyes on you!

Blue violet, magenta and sea blue – oh so radiant 

The strong contrast between blue and magenta creates bold, dynamic energy. Magenta awakens fun and youthfulness with its radiance.

Hex codes: #1C1B4D, #B80E65 and #1791B1

Fuchsia, Gelb und Magenta – bereuen können wir später 

Modern, young, bold. This magenta palette is not one for making compromises.

Hex codes: d13ca4, #ffea04 and #fe3a9e

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black – Teamwork

One for all. All colours in this palette – also known as CMYK – can be mixed together for jaw-dropping designs. They provide a sense of brightness and ambience, simply bursting with life.

Hex codes: #e2d810, #d9138a, #12a4d9 and #322e2f

Now you’re up

Which is your favourite palette from this blog? Adopt what you’ve learned here to create eye-catching designs.

Looking for more inspiration? Head over to our article on the 15 trendiest colour combinations. For the basics of colour theory, we’ve also thrown together a blog for you.

We wish you and your creativity a colourful week!

The post Vibrant Colour Palettes Fit for a Painter  appeared first on The US Spreadshirt Blog.