Article: It doesn't matter if you don't match the color, you win with style
From the public number: Study set
If you don't have a good color foundation and are insensitive to color or feel dazed about color matching, then you can start from the theme or emotional attributes of the design and position the work in the desired design style. In most cases, a design work can usually determine its unique style, and although this style is determined by the combination of various factors in the picture, color plays a very important role and influence in it. As long as you can determine the style and intention of the design to convey, through learning to master the color rules of different styles, you can use it directly in the works you design, rather than nitpicking to specialize in every detail of color, of course, if you have time and energy, it is necessary to learn color in depth.
If you mention the simple and elegant style, I believe that many people will naturally associate with minimalism or blank design, it is true that they have commonalities but slight differences. I believe that many people understand the blank space and minimalism through Japanese design, but this does not mean that other countries or ethnic groups do not have blank space and minimalism. In fact, the aesthetics of blank space have appeared as early as the ancient times of the mainland, and the most important manifestation is in landscape painting and architecture. Our nation has always been deeply influenced by Confucianism, paying attention to courtesy, humility, restraint, but also paying attention to the middle way and overflowing with abundance, emphasizing that everything needs to be left room, so neglect is a major feature of Chinese aesthetics.
Blank space and minimalism are one of the more popular design trends now, and the appropriate use of white space can emphasize the impression of the design work and quickly convey the style of the work. White space and minimalism are not equal relationships, and we are not talking about pure minimalism or white space design, but extract the characteristics of the two to synthesize, and finally summarize the color matching method with the theme of simplicity and simplicity from the perspective of color. This style tends to use fewer elements and a lot of white space, so it is not easy to do well, and this simple and elegant style will be affected by the design theme and customer preferences as the blank minimalism, which needs to be carefully considered before designing.
So what kind of color matching has a simple and elegant style? We can analyze from the following three perspectives, namely the number of colors, the type of color, and the hue of color.
First of all, the number of colors should not be too much (the number of colors here mainly refers to the hue), the more colors used, the more difficult it is to control the picture, and the more difficult it is to maintain a simple and elegant style. Although conflicts between colors can be reconciled in the case of uniform hue, the use of too many colors is still not as good as the effect of using a small number of colors.
If the number of colors used in a picture is too much, it is naturally difficult to achieve simplicity, even if it is not a simple and elegant style design, the number of colors should be controlled.
The design of MUJI is a representative of minimalism and blankness, although we said earlier that minimalism and blank space cannot be equated with simplicity and elegance, but for this poster work it still has the characteristics of simplicity and elegance. Drawing tendentious colors from the picture, it is not difficult to see that it is basically based on gray tones.
The upper part of this work uses a light blue and yellowish gradient of cold and warm, and the lower part uses gray, which is not used much in the number of colors.
In the choice of color types, the white system in no color and the cool color system in color are the best choices, and the effect of intermediate color system and warm color system is secondary. This is also a difference between simple and simple and white minimalist, it can be said that the design of white minimalist as long as it meets the two characteristics of white space and minimalism, but the simple and elegant style will have requirements for the cooling and warming of the color.
In the colorless, white is the best choice, followed by light gray, while dark gray and black do not have simple and elegant qualities.
Because the emotional stimulation brought by the cool color system and the middle color system is not as strong as that of the warm color system, it is more suitable for expressing the feeling of moderation, indifference or coldness that is simple and elegant. This is not to say that the color of the warm color system can not be used at all, but after choosing the correct color, if you want to make the overall color matching with some temperature can be added appropriately, but the overall simple and elegant effect is not as good as the cool color system and the middle color system.
The overall warmth of the work is a warm gray tone, which confirms that the previous explanation is not completely unable to use warm colors, as long as it is not too warm.
This work is dominated by a cool pale blue color and is surrounded by residual white, simple and at the same time slightly elegant.
In terms of tone, pale tone, light tone, white tone can be used to express a simple and elegant style, see our previous article on tone. It doesn't matter if you don't know the hue, you can choose the saturation and brightness of the color, the saturation is in the middle and lower areas and the brightness is in the middle or medium high area of the color can be used.
If you don't know the hue then you can use the HSB swatch slider in the software to select the color, H stands for hue, which is used to determine the coolness and warmth of the color; S stands for saturation, which needs to be kept in a low percentage range; B stands for brightness, usually in a higher percentage position.
This work uses warm gray as the background color, through a large number of white spaces and the addition of cool color blue pictures to reconcile the overall balance of the picture, with light turbid tones as the mainstay, and the simple and elegant style is clearly revealed.
This work is dominated by light and turbid tones, which are used to fill the blue of the text with embellishment and tone-setting effects, and the entire poster style is biased towards literature and elegance.
Although color has a great influence on the overall style of the picture, in order to fully achieve a specific style, there are other factors in the layout that need to be considered, such as the selection and arrangement of fonts and the selection and processing of pictures.
In the commonly used glyphs, the Song characters are better than the black body in the embodiment of simplicity and elegance, although the black body has the characteristics of simplicity, but the design of the simple and elegant style is mostly used to express the themes of culture, literature and art, so it is necessary to consider it comprehensively according to different themes.
Because the simple and elegant style is often used in the cultural field, calligraphy is also used in addition to the Song and black bodies, of which the calligraphy has cultural attributes and has a sense of elegance, while cursive or xingshu does not have a simple and elegant temperament due to the tension of its own strokes, so it is not applicable.
In the choice of pictures, simple pictures with picture elements are better than complex pictures, because the fewer the elements, the more concise the characteristics, and too many elements will cause a messy impression.
In addition, in the selection of pictures, in addition to considering the subject, the color factor should also be taken into account, and the picture with light tone is better than the picture with strong tone.
The simple and elegant style is not suitable for all design fields, because the style's own color factors cause that the visual effect is often not attractive enough, so it is usually more suitable for expressing culture, literature and art or related product themes, in addition to if you simply want to express the simple and elegant style can also be used. If it is used in the promotion of commercial products but the product itself does not have the characteristics of simplicity and elegance, then it is not recommended to use this color matching style in this case.
Next, we put forward a design plan, the request is to design a poster for a brand that deals in flowers and plants, the copy information provided includes the theme, event date, brief description, etc., it can be seen that it is not a pure commercial poster, more need to convey the brand's positioning and style.
Step 01
The brand's positioning is biased towards young, literary and artistic style with some small freshness, so first of all, we position the style from the perspective of the overall picture, and it is obvious that the simple and elegant style is in line with the characteristics of the brand's temperament. After determining the overall style, the text is arranged according to the information level, and the font that meets the temperament is selected according to the positioning, and the layout is roughly arranged.
Step 02
The simple and elegant style itself is relatively weak visual effect, if the use of plain text layout arrangement will be more monotonous, and the theme of the poster also has some commercial attributes, so we also need to add picture material to the picture, and then adjust the font size and position of the text.
Step 03
Here we use the picture in black and white, which means that although the color on the picture is not filled by us, the process of finding the picture material when doing the design is actually the process of color matching. In order to fit the theme of simplicity and elegance, in addition to the fact that the picture itself should be related to the theme, the color of the picture must also have certain conditions. Extracting the color information of the picture is in line with the rules we summarized before.
Step 04
Place the image in a pre-reserved position in the layout, and then create a module grid of 8×8 to constrain the specific position of the text and image according to the grid.
Step 05
Finally, fill the background with a cold gray, adjust the picture so that the picture and the background are integrated, and the entire poster is designed. Finally, absorb the background color of the picture to see the HSB color value, saturation and brightness are also in line with the theory, and the overall poster style presents the simplicity and elegance we expect to achieve.
Romance refers to positive meanings such as being moved or happy for the people and things you love, as well as actions and words that can be remembered for a long time. Romance represents indulgence that is poetic and full of fantasy and even informality. The word romantic comes from the evolution of the Transliteration of the Western word Romantic, and its role is to translate Romantic.
In today's social concept, romance mostly refers to a relationship between men and women, and different people will interpret romance differently. For example, for young boys and girls who have just opened their love sinuses, romance represents tenderness or shyness; for couples in the hot love period, romance may be intense and enthusiastic; for couples with white hair, romance may be a faint smile and warm eyes.
So what should the romantic mood be reflected in the color matching? From the perspective of color, we divide romantic mood into three specific categories: tender and shy, enthusiastic and intense, warm and comfortable.
Tenderness and shyness also represent gentleness and subtlety, so it should also have this emotional attribute in color. Therefore, the color saturation used should not be too high, and the red and pink in the warm color system are more inclined to the tenderness in romance; while green, cyan, and yellow often represent immaturity, so they are more inclined to reflect the shyness in romance, and can adjust the area occupied by the color according to specific preferences and tendencies.
In terms of color types, red and purple are the first choice for romantic expression, and if you want to make the overall color matching with some shyness, you can also add green, cyan or yellow appropriately.
Medium-saturated bright tones, light tones and light shades in the choice of shades can express tender romance. If you choose from the saturation and brightness of the color, it is best to keep the saturation of the color in the medium-low range, and the brightness is kept in the medium-high range.
Although the color of this poster is used in large quantities, the overall color is kept between the range of bright tones and light tones, and adding warm colors on the light yellow background will add some warmth and tenderness to the picture, and adding cool colors will bring greenness and contrast.
This poster is mainly warm colors, but also with green and yellow, the overall tone is a light turbid tone, combined with the main body of the picture to present a tender and slightly green sweetness. If we deepen the red and yellow, it will become the warm and comfortable romance that we will talk about later.
The warmest color choice is the warmest red in the warm color system, and the intensity is to increase saturation on top of the red color. This kind of romance is usually more intense and fearless, but also has the meaning of youth and just years, and this romance also represents passion, so in the choice of color, you can boldly use high-saturation colors, and you can also highlight the subject by increasing the contrast.
In the type of color, red is the best choice, followed by orange, purple, and blue will increase the contrast of the picture and increase the conflict.
Medium-to-high saturation of bright and pure tones in the choice of hues, as well as turbid tones with low blackness values, can be used to express passionate romance. If you choose from the saturation and brightness of the color, both should be kept within the medium to high color range.
This movie poster is dominated by a large area of warm colors, yellow and red are matched with each other, and purple plays a good embellishment effect, creating a romantic atmosphere that is warm and intense.
This is a poster for the French film "Two Little Guesses", which tells the story of the tragedy of a love between a young boy Julie and a little girl Sophie from youth to adulthood, who love each other but dare not say it. The poster uses purer colors, and the warm and intense romantic impression is highlighted by the contrast between the cold and warm of purple and blue.
Warm and comfortable romance is less enthusiastic and more comfortable, it is neither the youth of the first love nor the enthusiasm of the hot love, more like home warmth. Among the colors, red, orange, and yellow can best show the warmth and sweetness of romance, and if one of the colors is used alone, the overall style will be more inclined to the properties of the color, in addition to which they can also be combined.
In the choice of color types, red, orange and yellow in the warm color system can best reflect the warmth and comfort in romance.
Bright tones, light tones and turbid tones can be used to express romantic warmth and comfort in the choice of shades. If you choose from the perspective of saturation and brightness, the overall color saturation needs to be controlled in the range of medium to low, and the color brightness value can be controlled as long as it is not too low.
This movie poster mainly tells the story of a boy who is separated from his parents and spends 20 years searching for his parents. The overall tone of the picture is mainly warm yellow with a little blue-purple halo, and the saturation of the color is controlled in a medium position. Romance is not unique to love, it can also be affection, but it is warm and comfortable.
This work is also a movie poster, mainly telling the real love experience of an American interracial couple. The poster is dominated by cloudy tones and uses a lot of warm yellow, no matter how much wind and rain they have experienced, the moment when the two embrace each other is warm and romantic.
The impression of color often changes depending on the carrier attached, and the same is true for romantic moods. If you only follow the romantic color matching law and there is no romantic element in the picture, then this temperament and style are difficult for the audience to feel, so the choice of fonts and pictures and even other picture elements also needs to be carefully considered.
Usually romantic designs are biased towards modern, young, fashionable, commercial attributes are more, so the bold body is more applicable; and the design theme can also use the Song font when it has cultural attributes.
If you don't use "regular" glyphs such as bold or song script, a handwritten font is also an option, but care needs to be taken not to confuse handwriting with cartoon style. The flowing and smooth gestures of the handwriting body have the characteristics of literature and elegance, which is suitable for expressing romantic moods, while the cartoon body is more about the cute temperament of children, unless it is available for children's romance.
Because it is a romantic mood, the main body of the male and female two is more suitable, and the single subject is weaker even if the color is completely in line with the romantic meaning presented in the end, because a person is more lonely.
Although the romantic atmosphere sometimes needs to be set off by the scene, the picture of the main body of the person is better than the landscape picture, and it can also be used in combination with the two.
In the case demonstration part, we simulated a promotional poster for a drama performance, with the theme of "Youth Taboo", which mainly tells the love story between young men and women.
It is not difficult to see that the theme of the play is related to love, and in the impression of most people, love is a happy and wonderful romance, which is also in line with the style positioning of the poster. Next, we need to choose the appropriate one of the three romantic styles described above, and here we hope to express the theme of the poster with a tender and shy romance.
The new layout is placed in the form of the above and lower structures related to the theme of the play, with reference to the color standards we summarized above, we can see that the color of the picture does not meet, so we can emphasize the tender and shy romance by unifying the tone of the picture and the contrasting color matching.
Adjust the color of the picture according to the color standards we summarized, so that the final overall effect takes purple red as the main color of the case, and the light turbid tone as the main color of the case. From the analysis of the relationship between color, the complementary relationship between blue and red will cause a contrasting effect, so a small amount of blue-purple is added to the picture.
Next, the text information is arranged into the layout in turn, and the layout is balanced by continuous adjustment. Here Chinese we use boldface and English uses sans-serif mainly considering that the theme of the poster is more inclined to young and modern.
Next, we also need to create a grid for the layout, here we set the grid vertically for six columns, and the landscape is also six columns, but there is no column spacing, and the position of each element is roughly constrained by the grid.
Step 06
Finally, in order to add some greenness and artistry to the picture, we filled the text with yellow-green, under the collision of purple and yellow-green, the entire poster layout has a tender and shy and with a slightly sad romantic atmosphere, and the whole case is designed.
In this issue, we take the two styles of simplicity and romanticism as the starting point, and summarize their respective characteristics of the number of colors, the types of colors, and the hues of colors. It is not difficult for us to find that the color matching idea of style positioning is simple and easy to operate, as long as we grasp the color rules of different styles and then apply this law to their own design, then the overall design style will not be too much of a problem, which is what we call the correct color matching, and finally through the adjustment of the details of the part can achieve a beautiful color matching. Although the two styles of simplicity and romance have limitations, not all theme designs can be used, but we can learn this color matching idea.