Color and Experimentation
Color Sense
When it comes to choosing the right colors for your animated story, the decisions go far beyond what you think looks nice. Of course, there is a substantial aesthetic element to color choice. However, it is even more essential to understand the emotions that colors evoke and to apply them accordingly throughout your story.
Color Script
A great place to start is by crafting a color script. This is a sequential visual outline of your intended use of color in your animated film. This will ensure harmony across scenes while enriching the overarching narrative. It might be helpful to establish a dominant thematic color representative of the story plot. Then, you can slowly introduce more colors based on that thematic color.
Movement
Designing for movement is another factor to consider. It is critical to ensure that your characters or subject does not get lost amidst the colors of the background. Directing the viewer’s gaze toward the subject requires thoughtful use of contrast and saturation. For example, you can create depth and guide focus to your foreground subject by desaturating your background colors.
Although color can be fun, it is essential to remember that less is more. An impactful story does not necessarily mean a bright and colorful story. Careful color choices can elevate your animation from good to unforgettable.
Experiment
Although it can feel highly comforting to play it safe, embracing experimentation can be paramount when animating. Sometimes, we must set time aside to practice pushing boundaries, testing limits, and even intentionally creating something subpar to unearth hidden ideas. To properly experiment, forget about playing it safe for once. Don’t worry about design principles and color rules. Just let your imagination run wherever it wants to go. Embracing this chaos can lead to amazing discoveries.
Hi! My name is Kristin Ardese and I am a professional Graphic Designer and Marketing Strategist. I hope that by sharing some of my expertise, I can help offer valuable insights and build an engaging community.
