A big feature of my designs is the use of colour. So what process do I go through to choose them?
The aim:
My overall aim is to select colours that will create a rustic, natural vibe with a modern, design focused edge. Essentially this means that I like to put a few analogous colours next to each other from the warm, cosy end of the spectrum to create that rusticity, then use a more vibrant (possibly complimentary*) colour sparingly in alongside to enhance and contrast with the main palette and provide the modern edginess.
The process stage 1: Photography
I am never without my camera on my walks – if you are looking for someone who can turn a 10 minute stroll into an hour long expedition then look no further!
I love to capture an atmosphere or an interesting composition, alongside colour combinations that catch my eye. These are usually found in the intricate textures in or on natural materials. I take a lot of pictures of very random objects, but it’s not necessarily the object itself that I am interested in. Instead, it might be the way a patina has formed on a surface, or how a colour contrasts or blends with one in the background.
When I develop a design idea with colour I choose an inspiration photograph to work from. I will look for one that contains the colours I need for the subject of the design, for example the orange brown of a highland cow, then use the other colours within the image to generate ideas for the main palette and accent colours. I constantly take images for inspiration and I might select one from this collection to use, or I might deliberately seek out specific colours to capture if I don’t already have what I am looking for. Either way, Mother Nature provides an unlimited source of inspiration when it comes to using colour.
I identify potential colour palettes from a photograph by creating a Colour Story. To do this, you essentially pick out the colours contained in your inspiration image, recreate them and then play with different combinations of them.
Examples:
These photographs are of an animal field shelter in a friend’s field. It is built from old wooden sleepers which have an amazing texture - I love the rust marks and silvered grain – for me it just defines the word ‘rustic’. I have been working on a ‘Pheasant’ range and wanted to develop a palette based round their reddish browns and oranges; it was these colours that caught my eye and led to the photographs.
I ‘reuse’ colours a lot in my designs - the visual continuity will ensure each range will coordinate with the others. The rose pink found on the feet of my Geese, for example, can also be found on the little heart shaped noses on my Shetland Sheep, and the beaks are an orange carried through to my Highland Cows and Pheasants.
I include a lot of my photography in my website and on my Instagram page so that you are able to see my sources of inspiration - see if you can pick out any I may have used to influence my choices of colour!
*(In the colour wheel analogous colours are found alongside each other, for example oranges and yellows, whilst complimentary colours are found opposite each other, for example red and green. Analogous colours sit together in harmony, whist complementary colours do battle with one another and make each other more vibrant)