42 palettes

Sci Fi Color Palette

Press the button for one sci-fi palette: five colors with hex codes, one of them the light source.

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Cryo bay: cyan on navyNavy walls, cyan pod lights, pale blue frost, silver pods, white vapor.#141F52 · #06E0F9 · #C8DDF9 · #B9BCC6 · #F5F7FA

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Ship interiors 10

Airlock: neon green on charcoal Charcoal door, neon green ready light, silver hatch, yellow handles, white suit.
Bridge on alert: red on black Black consoles, red alarm lamps, maroon shadows, gray chairs, amber dials.
Cargo hold: amber on black Black shadows, dark gray deck, amber work lamps, yellow hazard stripes, rust containers.
Crew bunks: peach on navy Navy bunks, peach reading lamp, gray blankets, tan shelves, pale blue porthole.
Cryo bay: cyan on navy Navy walls, cyan pod lights, pale blue frost, silver pods, white vapor.
Engine room: orange on charcoal Charcoal bulkheads, dark gray pipes, orange reactor glow, rust warning stripes, silver rails.
Hydroponics deck: magenta on dark teal Dark teal walls, magenta grow lamps, green leaves, lime seedlings, white trays.
Maintenance shaft: yellow on black Black shaft, indigo ladder, yellow headlamp, coral cables, silver panels.
Med bay: aqua on dark teal Dark teal floor, aqua scanner beam, white bed, silver instruments, mint screens.
Observation deck: white on black Black space, navy window frame, violet nebula, gray floor, white starlight.

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Alien worlds 12

Crystal canyon: hot pink on indigo Indigo canyon walls, violet crystals, hot pink crystal glow, lavender mist, white sparks.
Floating jellies: hot pink on navy Navy sky, teal cloud sea, hot pink jelly glow, lilac tentacles, mint mist.
Glowing fungus: cyan on black Black trunks, deep purple canopy, cyan fungus glow, violet spores, lime moss.
Green visitor: violet on black Black eyes, lime skin, green shading, silver suit, violet ship beam.
Ice moon: white on navy Navy sky, cobalt blue ice cliffs, pale blue ice plain, gray rover tracks, white far sun.
Lava shore: orange on black Black basalt, maroon cooling crust, orange lava, yellow hot core, gray steam.
Methane lake: lime on black Black rocks, dark teal shore, teal lake, lime sky glow, mint mist.
Red jungle: cream on maroon Maroon undergrowth, red leaves, scarlet new leaves, aqua sky, cream sun.
Ringed sky: cream on midnight blue Midnight blue night sky, purple mountains, coral horizon, lavender clouds, cream ring light.
Twilight band: amber on deep purple Deep purple night side, plum dusk band, coral horizon, amber low sun, pink high cloud.
Twin suns: yellow on deep purple Deep purple rock shadows, rust dunes, orange sky, yellow near sun, peach far sun.
Violet grassland: yellow on deep purple Deep purple hills, violet grass, lilac seed heads, turquoise sky, yellow small sun.

Neon cities 10

Hologram billboard: aqua on black Black tower, deep purple sky, aqua hologram, lavender fog, white lettering.
Market under tarps: orange on dark gray Dark gray street, red tarps, orange bulbs, teal crates, tan cardboard.
Monorail at night: yellow on midnight blue Midnight blue sky, dark gray track, silver train, yellow window row, cobalt blue stripe.
Noodle stall: amber on charcoal Charcoal alley, amber stall lamps, red awning, cream steam, teal tiles.
Rain-slick street: hot pink on black Black asphalt, navy sky, hot pink sign, cyan reflections, violet puddles.
Rooftop greenhouse: violet on navy Navy sky, dark teal planters, green leaves, violet grow lamp, pink flowers.
Sign alley: cyan on black Black walls, cyan tube sign, magenta second sign, yellow third sign, purple haze.
Skyline in smog: magenta on deep purple Deep purple towers, plum smog, magenta tower beacons, coral low sky, peach haze.
Taxi rank: yellow on charcoal Charcoal road, yellow roof lights, orange cabs, red tail lights, gray rain.
Underpass: neon green on black Black pillars, dark gray road, neon green tube lights, lime reflections, purple paint.

Clean white future 10

Atrium garden: sky blue on white White balconies, pale gray paving, green trees, sky blue skylight, tan benches.
Capsule hotel: amber on white White pods, pale gray steps, amber reading lights, sky blue bedding, gray ladders.
Clinic pod: turquoise on white White shell, mint cushions, silver arm, turquoise scan light, pale gray floor.
Lab bench: neon green on white White bench, silver instruments, pale blue glassware, neon green status lights, dark gray screens.
Pod car: red on white White body, black glass, silver wheels, red tail light, electric blue road strip.
Pressure suit: pale blue on white White suit, pale gray folds, black visor, scarlet stripe, pale blue helmet lamp.
Robot helper: aqua on white White shell, silver joints, charcoal visor, aqua eye lights, orange stripe.
Solar plaza: yellow on white White paving, pale gray shade, cobalt blue panels, yellow sun, sky blue sky.
Transit hub: orange on white White arches, pale gray platform, orange departure boards, cobalt blue seats, silver train.
White corridor: cyan on white White walls, pale gray floor, silver rails, cyan light strips, charcoal doorway.

How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-08: palettes of five colors for science fiction pictures, sorted by setting (ship interiors, alien worlds, neon cities, a clean white future). Every palette, name, color word, hex code and part is our own; none is taken from a film, a series, a game, a book, a craft or a published palette, and the page states no fact. How a strip is ordered: the dark of the picture comes first (white first in the last group), each color is named for its part, and one color is the light source; the name gives the light and the color it falls on. Our own tests, not a standard: in the first three groups the first color is the darkest of its strip and the light contrasts with it by 3 to 1 or more (the WCAG contrast ratio formula, https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html, used as our own threshold); a Clean white future strip starts with white and holds two or more of white, pale gray, silver, gray and cream; no two colors of a palette are closer than 8 in CIE Lab; no two palettes share four codes. Color names are plain English words with no paint maker, pencil brand or color-matching system, and one word is one code everywhere on this list. Checked on 2026-10-08: every code is #RRGGBB, each color word fits the hue and lightness of its code, no palette, name or line repeats, and no palette is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint or pencils, take the nearest color. Licence: own work

How it works

A sci fi color palette here is built around its light. The name gives the light and what it falls on, as in Cryo bay: cyan on navy, and the line under it gives every color a part.

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Four settings

The menu under the button keeps to one. Ship interiors are dark metal with one light: a reactor glow, alarm lamps, a headlamp. Neon cities put signs and bulbs on dark streets. Clean white future starts every strip with white and keeps one light.

Alien color palette

Choose Alien worlds: twin suns over rust dunes, a methane lake under a lime glow, glowing fungus, an ice moon, violet grassland. Green visitor is the alien itself, in lime skin and a silver suit under a violet beam.

Questions and answers

What is a futuristic color scheme?

On this list it is one of two looks. Neon on dark: cyan #06E0F9, hot pink #FB2DA2 or neon green over black and navy. Or clean white: white, pale gray and silver with a single light. Both readings are our own.

What is a good sci fi color scheme for a spaceship?

Cryo bay: navy walls, cyan pod lights, pale blue frost, silver pods and white vapor. For a warmer ship, Engine room is charcoal and dark gray with an orange reactor glow, rust warning stripes and silver rails.

What colors look alien?

On this list, colors in the wrong place: a lime glow in the sky, red leaves, violet grass, a cream sun. The Alien worlds group uses deep purple, black and violet most, then yellow and lime.

How do I use a sci-fi palette in a drawing?

Fill most of the picture with the first color: the dark, or white in the last group. Keep the light small. The other three are mostly surfaces: metal, glass, plants, rock.