Color 101

Have you ever gotten stuck on what colors to use in your next design?

" Should I go with complementary?  Or no, I'll go with analogous?  No, no monochromatic, that's what I'll do!  Ugh...I'll come back to this later.  What's on DIY?"

I definitely go through this every time I sit down to design my next masterpiece! (wink)  So where can you go or what can you do to stop the mental color block?  I have talked to a couple of people and many of them just jump online, some go for a drive and see what nature calls them to do, others just grab a glass of wine and take a breather.  However I think I have come up with something probably many of you have never thought of.  Three words: Home improvement stores.   Yes. I said it.  Good ole' Lowes, Home Depot, or even just your local paint store.  Having working in interior design, I am almost ashamed that I hadn't noticed this before!  Color.  Most of us don't really think of color as the inspiration itself, we think the inspiration leads to the color.  Not this time folks.  You know that isle with the sea of color swatches that usually overwhelms your senses?  Don't you often feel that same feeling with the sky scrapers of tackle boxes filled with beads in your studio?  "Where on earth do I start?"  If you have had a course in Color Theory or are just blessed with an artful eye, you too will appreciate what these stores do for their customers.  They do the work for you!  They make the decision simple  by grouping together color families and wheel neighbors.  This allows you to find hues easily, mixing and matching becomes effortless and figuring out what warm and cool colors go best side by side, simple.  By pocketing the "take aways" (rocket science I know) is so helpful.  Inside these brochures, picture postcards, and room idea pamphlets there are treasures to behold!  Why not transfer the wall-to-wall inspiration from bead-to-bead.  My favorite finds are the "Color Ideas" from "Valspar" paint at Lowes.  These are fantastic idea booklets that basically make my beading choices simple.  My advice use FREE and readily available sources every change you get, because you never know when you might just need a little Color 101 refresher course.