Art Color Palettes: Themed Palettes for a Picture

79 pages

0–9 7

3 Pastel Color Combinations: Pastel Trios With Hex CodesPastel palettes that pass one test for pastel: trios in wheel order, two pastels on white, fours and fives, pastels with one deeper color, and light neutrals. Tissue garland: apricot and sky blue
40s Color PaletteOlive drab, khaki, navy and maroon in five looks: utility and uniform, kitchen enamel, film poster, garden plot and postwar pastels. Knitted vest: maroon and mustard
50s Color PalettePalettes in four looks that go by the name 50s: diner, pastels and chrome, two-tone car paint, and print and poster. Checker floor: red on black
60s Color PalettePalettes in four looks that go by the name 60s: flower brights, mod black and white with one color, kitchen pastels, and poster swirls. Daisy chain: white on yellow
70s Color PaletteAvocado green, harvest gold, burnt orange and brown in four looks: kitchen, living room, poster and sunset stripe. Fondue pot: burnt orange on avocado green
80s Color PalettePalettes in four looks that go by the name 80s: neon on black, pastel and teal, a sunset over a grid, and arcade screens. Neon sign: hot pink on black
90s Color PalettePalettes in four looks that go by the name 90s: teal and purple, primary brights, grunge and denim, and bedroom pastels. Gym bag: turquoise on white

A–C 12

Adventure Color PalettePalettes for maps and journeys, sorted by terrain: parchment and ink, jungle, canyon, open sea, mountains and ice. Treasure chart: parchment and sepia
Animal Color PalettePalettes taken from the coat, feathers or scales of a named animal, sorted by kind of animal, with a group for the peacock. Peacock: cobalt blue and emerald green
Aquarium Color PalettePalettes of a lit fish tank: glass and water, tropical fish in their own colors, coral and plants, and the gravel, sand and stone of the floor. Neon tetra: azure and red
Beach Color CombinationFive-color palettes for a beach picture, each with a sand color and a sea color: shells and driftwood, shallow water and reef, tropical, umbrellas and towels, and a stormy beach. Shell bucket: sand and turquoise
Cartoon Palette: Outline, Flat Fills and a BackgroundPalettes in the order a flat cartoon is colored, the outline first, sorted by look: bright primaries, pastels, inks, mid-century, spooky and night. Fireflies: pale green on forest green
Casino Color PaletteBaize green felt under chip stacks, neon on a night wall, the red and black of card faces, velvet with brass: the colors of the room, nothing about the games. Chip tower: red on baize green
Character Color Palette: Colors in the Order They Are WornPalettes for one character each, in the order the colors are worn, sorted by kind: heroes, villains, magic users, royals, robots and more. Puddle jumper in yellow and red
Color Palette 4 Colors: A Dark, a Main Color, a Light and an AccentPalettes of exactly four colors in one order: a dark, a main color, a light and one accent. Warm, cool, earthy, pale, dark and high contrast. Cook fire: ember orange and teal
Color Palette Cool Tones: Blues, Greens, Violets and GraysPalettes of colors that pass one test for cool: blues, blue-greens, violets, cool grays, icy pales, and cool with one warm accent. Lemon slice: deep blue with bright yellow
Color Palettes for ColoringFive-color palettes for a printed coloring page, lightest first, sorted by what the page shows: flowers, patterns, animals, landscapes, sea and fantasy. Rose garden: peach and light green
Colour Palette 6: Six Swatches With Their Hex CodesPalettes of exactly six colors: one of each wheel color in one tone, two colors in three values, or three colors each light and dark. Maypole ribbons: red to violet
Comic Color PaletteFlat colors mixed from cyan, magenta and yellow at quarter steps, with a black line: primaries, the same inks on yellowed paper, city nights, cosmic spreads and screentone grays. Caped flyer: red and deep blue

D–F 9

Dark Fantasy Color PaletteGrim castles and moonlit marshes: muted greens and iron grays with one ember or red-moon accent, sorted by place. Marsh lantern: amber on moss green
Dawn Color Palette: Morning Skies From Top to GroundMorning skies in five colors, top of the sky first: the blue hour, first light, sunrise, mist and cloud, and dawn by place. Rose horizon: slate blue over dark plum
Disco Color PalettePalettes of a lit dance floor: mirror ball silver and white light, floor squares, magenta with purple and gold, and warm orange and brown. Glitter ball: silver on black
Dramatic Color PaletteHigh-contrast palettes: three or more deep colors and a single light, as one lamp in the dark, a storm, a stage, or red and black. Lightning fork: white on midnight blue
Edgy Color PaletteBlacks and grays with one harsh color: acid green on ink black, rust on iron gray, a neon on concrete, or a sour yellow on bruise purples. Spray stencil: acid green on ink black
Ethereal Color PaletteLight, airy palettes with no dark in them: dawn haze, moonlight, underwater glow, shell and pale gold. Field mist: pale peach and pale lavender
Farm Color PaletteBarn red with white trim, straw and stubble gold, crop greens, big skies read from the top down, and crates of produce. Barn and pasture: barn red and white
Fashion Color PaletteOutfits as five colors: neutral bases with one accent, one statement color, pairs for a season, and monochrome ramps. Belted trench: red on camel
Festival Color PalettePalettes for posters, bunting and wristbands, sorted by time of day: spring fair morning, fairground afternoon, sunset stage, lantern night. Main stage: magenta and orange

G–H 7

Game Color Palette: Background, Player, Hazard and Pick-UpPalettes for one screen of a 2D game, a job for each color and a contrast check against the background, sorted by level. Dock lights: peach on dark teal
Halloween Color CombinationsHalloween palettes sorted by pairing: pumpkin orange and black, witch purple and slime green, bone, fog and moonlight, and candy brights on black. Toothy lantern: pumpkin on black
Hip Hop Color PalettePalettes for a poster, a cover or a mural, sorted by look: gold on black, spray-can brights on brick, tracksuit primaries, and chrome with concrete. Rope chain: gold on black
Hippie Color PalettePalettes for one look: tie-dye rainbows from the center out, earthy van tones, flower-power brights, and denim with daisies. Spiral tee: hot pink and turquoise
Hipster Color PaletteMuted palettes of mustard, teal, brick, faded denim and cream, sorted by place: coffee bar, record shop, bike workshop, plant shelf. Sleeve wall: mustard and faded denim
Horror Color PalettePalettes for scary pictures, sorted by mood: sickly greens, red on black, fog and candlelight, and old photographs. Red door: scarlet on black
Hue Shift Color PaletteShading ramps of five steps for skin, hair, leaves, reds, blues, stone and metal, in which the hue turns as the color gets lighter. Red apple: burgundy to apricot

I–L 9

Icy Color PaletteCold palettes of pale blue, white and gray: glacier ice from the deepest blue up, frost and snowflakes, snow at blue hour, and ice with one warm color. Ice grotto: azure over navy
Impressionist Color PalettePalettes for painting light: morning, noon, evening and water, every shadow a blue or a violet and no black anywhere. Snowy lane: white and sky blue
Italy Color PalettePalettes read from Italy: the flag's three colors in their official shades, terracotta roofs and ochre walls, the coast and its lemons, marble, fresco and gold, the market. Balcony flag: green and ochre
Japanese Color PalettePalettes of five traditional colors of Japan, each with its Japanese name, its meaning in English and its hex code. Cherry blossom and cochineal red
Jungle Color PalettePalettes of a rainforest sorted by layer, from the shaded floor up to the canopy, then its flowers and birds and the sky at dusk. Canopy from above: lime on dark green
Kidcore Color PalettePalettes for the kidcore look, sorted by where the colors come from: a crayon box, toy plastics, a sticker sheet, or a rainbow with one dark. Brand-new crayons: red to purple
Lofi Color PaletteMuted evening palettes around one small light: late afternoon, dusk, a rainy evening and 2 a.m. Study lamp: orange on dusty purple
Love Color Palette: Colors for Hearts, Cards and FlowersPalettes for a card, a heart, flowers or a letter: red and pink, blush and cream, dark red and black, faded, candy pastels, and not pink at all. Sprinkles: rose pink on cream
Low Poly Color PaletteSix-color palettes for faceted art: two things of a scene, each as a lit face, a side face and a shaded face. Island, forest, desert, snow and night. Palm island: avocado green and sand

M–N 8

Magic Color Palette: One Glowing Color and Its DarkPalettes for pictures of magic, most built around one glowing color: arcane, potions, fairy light, dark magic, a stage act and the elements. Stage curtain in red and gold
Metallic Color CombinationsMetals in flat color: gold, silver, copper, bronze and rose gold as ramps of a light, a mid and a dark, each with one other color, and pairs of two metals. Compass case: gold and turquoise
Money Color PalettePalettes read from money as an object: banknote greens, coin metals, ledger paper and ink, and the steel and brass of a vault. Stack of bills: banknote green and cream
Natural Color CombinationsMuted palettes taken from kinds of landscape: forest and moss, earth, clay and stone, meadow and wildflower, river, lake and sky, and desert and dry grass. Fallen log: bark brown to bone
Nautical Color PalettePalettes of boats and harbors sorted by scene: navy, white and red; rope, sail and wood; a working harbor; a storm at sea. Sailor stripes: navy and white
Newspaper Color PalettePalettes taken from a printed page: newsprint to ink black in grays, black with one spot color, yellowed old paper, and pale comic-page tints. Masthead: scarlet on newsprint
Night Sky Color PaletteThe sky seen from the ground at night: dusk to full dark, moonlight, the northern lights and the glow over a town. High full moon: white on navy
Noir Color PaletteNear black and white with one color let in: wet-street grays with a neon red, sepia with a lamp yellow, sorted by the accent. Hotel sign: neon red in grays

O–P 8

October Color PalettePalettes for each of the twelve months on one list, sorted by month, for a calendar page or a monthly art challenge. Pumpkin steps: orange and cream
Ombre Color Palette: Blends From One Color to AnotherBlends between named colors in even steps: one color from light to dark, two colors, sunsets through three, pale ombres, and down to black. Orange to black
Opalescent Color Palette: The Shimmer Laid FlatColor runs for opal, pearl, soap bubbles and oil on water, in the order to blend them, with what to lay them over. Milk opal: pearl white to pale lavender
Party Color PalettesFive colors for an invitation or a banner: the paper, lettering that reads on it, and three colors from balloons, confetti, cake or party lights. Balloon trio: red and sky blue
Pastel Goth Color PalettePalettes that set a pastel against black or charcoal, sorted by the pastel: pink, lilac, mint, or several pastels on black. Ribbon choker: pink on charcoal
Peaceful Color PaletteLow-contrast palettes of soft blues, greens and warm grays in four kinds: water, mist, garden and evening. Still pond: soft blue and sage
Pixel Art Color PaletteSmall palettes for pixel art, sorted by size: four colors, a ramp of five, two ramps of three, and six for a figure on grass under a sky. Hot coals: maroon to butter yellow
Pop Art Color CombinationsFlat, loud sets for a print in a few inks: primaries with black, four-panel portrait sets, dot-screen pairs, and two inks with their overlap. Sunglasses portrait: hot pink and lemon

Q–Z 19

Quilt Color PalettesPalettes sized for a quilt, each color with its place: scrappy, two-color, rainbow, modern neutrals and baby quilts. Farmhouse stars: navy and red
Retro Anime Color PalettePalettes in the look of hand-painted cels: a painted background, one flat color with its shadow, and one light, sorted by scene. Taxi stand: rose pink on midnight blue
Rock and Roll Color PalettePalettes of jukebox, leather and stage light: black with chrome, diner red and cream, lights on a dark stage, and denim with gold. Solid-body guitar: cherry red on black
Romanticism Color PaletteStorm skies, ruins at sunset, sea fog and firelight: palettes after Romantic landscape painting, with pigment-named colors such as Prussian blue. Wall of rain: Prussian blue and lead white
Saturated Color Palette: Strong Colors That Pass a TestBrights, neons, jewel tones and tropical colors that pass one saturation test, plus single colors in five steps from nearly gray to full strength. Streamers: red and blue
Sci Fi Color PalettePalettes for science fiction pictures sorted by setting, each naming the swatch that is the light source. Cryo bay: cyan on navy
Somber Color PaletteLow, quiet palettes for a sad or serious picture: rain grays, faded blues, dusk browns, and four grays with one muted accent. Winter lake: pale blue to navy
Space Colors Palette: Nebulas, Planets, Stars and GalaxiesPalettes for nebulas, deep space, the planets, stars from hottest to coolest, galaxies and a space-age look. Mars sky: tan over chestnut
Sport Color PaletteTwo or more strong colors with white, as a kit, a track, a court or a pool. No team, league or brand is named. Hooped shirt: forest green and white
Steampunk Color Combination PaletteBrass, copper, oxblood leather, boiler green and soot, sorted by material, for airships, clockwork and laboratories. Goggles on a hook: brass and oxblood
Succulent Color PaletteSoft greens with pink and clay, taken from the plants: a jade plant, a houseleek, a donkey tail, living stones, each colored as its article describes it. Snow ball in bloom: pink and yellow
Sunset Color CombinationsFive-color palettes for a sunset or sunrise sky, written from the top of the sky down: gold into red, the afterglow, sunrise, sunset over water, and desert and storm skies. Harvest road: pale gold over deep red
Sunshine Color PaletteBright-day palettes built on yellow: midday yellows, white cloud on blue sky, sunlit pavement with a blue shadow, and lemon with leaf green. Noon sun: yellow on azure
Tree Color PalettePalettes taken from trees through the year, sorted by season, each with the bark and the shadow as swatches of their own. Canopy at noon: green over brown
Vintage Christmas Color PaletteFaded reds, holly greens and old gold from printed cards, glass ornaments, candy canes, cocoa tins and wrapping paper. Nothing pure white, nothing bright. Holly corner: holly green on ivory
Wave Color PalettePalettes of one ocean wave: the dark trough, the face, the lip and the foam, as a breaking wave, a deep swell, spray, or a wave at sunset. Curling wave: aqua over navy
Weirdcore Color PalettePalettes for the weirdcore look: overexposed daylight, primaries at full strength, pastel rooms with one dark doorway, and a screen glowing in the dark. Door on a hill: white on pale blue
Whimsical Color PaletteStorybook palettes that are light, many-colored and never dark: a toadstool wood, a garden party, a toy shop and a cloud kingdom. Toadstool home: red and moss green
Zodiac Color Palette: Colors Drawn From Each SignPalettes for every sign from Aries to Pisces, each drawn from the sign's element, season or symbol, with the sign's approximate dates in the line. Virgo maiden: linen and sage

Themed palettes for a picture you are about to draw, paint or color in, shown as swatches with hex codes to copy. Some follow a subject: character palettes list the colors in the order a figure wears them, cartoon palettes start with the outline, game palettes give six colors a job each, and there are palettes for magic, love, space, a beach, natural landscapes and the signs of the zodiac.

More about these tools

Some follow a kind of color: cool, saturated, pastel, opalescent, metals as three-step ramps, and ombre blends in even steps. Dawn and sunset palettes run from the top of the sky down. Two go by size: exactly four colors, and exactly six. The codes are for a screen; with paint or pencils, take the nearest color. For a limited palette with no theme, deal one from the art color challenge.