About Color
Here’s five interesting methods for working with color. I personally use a method very similar to Boulton’s Begin with Grey method. I start working in grayscale. Only when the layout is working do I introduce the primary color. Then I add accent colors as necessary. I’ll be trying Mr. Boulton’s other methods in the near future.
Five Simple Steps to designing with colour : Journal : Mark Boulton
Designing with colour is perhaps the element of graphic design which is the most difficult to get right. Why? Well, because it is the most subjective. For some, a palette of dark grey with splashes of bright pink will be just great; to others it would just be all wrong. Too many designers, whether schooled in colour-theory or not, end up making subjective decisions about colour and then when it comes to explaining those decisions to a client, things begin to unravel.
I like your approach: starting in grayscale, then adding color slowly. In the past when I’ve done graphic design, primarily with newspaper text, I do something similar. Web design is a whole different animal, but it’s good to see that some of the same principles apply.
Comment by Ariel — December 20, 2006 @ 4:49 pm
I use the same approach in graphic design as I do for web work. I find that grayscale just works better for me during the layout process. The color can be distracting.
Comment by Douglas T — December 20, 2006 @ 4:55 pm