November Challenge Color Palette

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." - George Eliot

I can't help think of this quote when I look at the colors in this silkscreen. In fact, I can look up from the my computer, out over our woodland meadow surrounding my home and see the exact same color palette. I printed this out right away and ran to the studio to make new beads!

I could get lost in the sophisticated play of hues, overlapping and peeking through each other to create new muted colors. Mixed in with all of those muddy, tertiary colors I love the pop of teal, cornflower blue, olive green and those wonderful rusty oranges. I could play for days in this color palate. 

Have fun pulling out leaf, floral and fern themed beads this month or just revel in the colors as your inspiration. 

See my new beads inspired by the color palette in my Etsy shop. 

Art Bead Palette :: Ema K Designs

Organic Twists Focal

Refined Sphere Focal

This month's bead palettes are courtesy of ABS contributor, Ema Kilroy!

If you've been reading my posts for a while, you'll know that I'm crazy for lampwork beads - I just can't get enough. It's the colors that pull me in, and keep me mesmerized, then the textures, and finally the designs. So, when I went looking for inspiration for this post, I didn't have to look very far! Aren't these just lovely? I couldn't help myself.

And I'm curious - who are some of your favorite lampwork or art bead artists?

For more from Ema, be sure to check out her shop, Ema K Designs.

May Monthly Challenge Color Palette

I absolutely love this month's challenge painting, how about you? It's so warm and inviting.

The majority of the colors in Bernardo Bellatto's Capriccio Padovano are shades of blue and orange, with a touch of olive green here and there. This works because blue and orange are complementary colors, so they are going to play off each other and look a little brighter and bolder when placed next to each other.

The blues are going to range from dark to pale, and dull to saturated. Pretty much any blue can work here, though the darker shades (like the water and shadows in the foreground) have a touch of purple in them, and the medium shades (like the blues off in the distance) can veer a little blue-green, if you're following along faithfully.

The oranges, too, will have a full range of values and saturations, though the bulk of the oranges and browns will fall in the mid to light range of shades. Look to the buildings here for guidelines, and choose browns, tans, and oranges that are a little more red-orange or yellow-orange than true orange.

And if you'd like an extra color to play with, choose an olive green, but use this sparingly. A lot of what we see as green in the painting isn't exactly green, but more of a dark yellow. Because of that, you want to stay on the yellow-green side of things (versus true green or blue-green) if you do use green.

Have fun!

Art Bead Palette :: BombPop

Barolo & Peaches

Mad for Mid Mod

5 Tyvek Girls on Bikes

I was browsing Etsy for this month's Art Bead Palette post and my eye caught the most unusual looking beads from Carol Ann's shop, BombPop. The textures (and colors, naturally) grabbed me, and the more I looked at them, the more curious I became. These were fascinating!

Turns out, they're made from a synthetic fabric called Tyvek, and the way Carol Ann has created them, they look like either smooth barrels or an explosion of flower petals. Aren't they fabulous?

You can see more Tyvek beads here, and all of Carol Ann's shop here.

Art Bead Palette :: Pajego Art House

Three Tone Rustic Sunshine Water and Sage Ceramic Clasp by PajegoArtHouse

Two Tone Rustic Earth and Water Ceramic Clasp by PajegoArtHouse

Tufted Rust and Water Birdie Clasp by PajegoArtHouse

I have to confess that when I made jewelry, I didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about the clasps. Mostly for me, it was all about function, something to hold a bracelet or necklace on. I usually opted for clasps that didn't draw a lot of attention, and that would blend into the overall design instead of standing out.

Boy, was I missing out!

When I stumbled across an Etsy shop called Pajego Art House, I couldn't help but pause. What lovely, colorful clasps! Now these are clasps that demand and deserve a little attention, don't you think? Much more in line with a focal than something to hide, I found a few favorites to share with you today.

To see more, be sure to click on over and see the lovely ceramic work!

Review: Understanding Color: Color Theory Made Easy

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.  ~Claude Monet

As a creative, I have always been drawn to color. I love the way my Crayons were always lined up with their pointy hats ready for me to turn that coloring book into a masterpiece. It was there that I started experimenting with my favorite colors and how they worked together without really knowing the science or theory behind it.

I really have absolutely no training whatsoever in art. I just know what I like. I seem to have a knack for colors, but I have no idea why. I wasn't even sure that I was doing it right, or that there was even a method to my madness. So a few years ago when I first discovered our editor Miss Brandi Hussey, I was intrigued by her masterful use of color, first in her Catie's Blue jewelry and then in her amazing photography. She sucked me right into her color-filled world and I have to read her blog every chance I get. I know that color is her obsession, and I am so glad that she shares that with us. I personally find Miss Brandi fascinating, down-to-earth, and totally my go-to color guru. She has taught me so much.

{Color Palette #171: Crepe Myrtle}

 And then I found her custom made color palettes. I was hooked.

Miss Brandi doesn't make jewelry anymore (and the pieces I have from her are some of my very favorite), but her love of color, and more importantly, her winning way with explaining it in terms that I can easily grasp, gets me excited every time. It is like I opened up that box of Crayons again for the first time excited by the relationships of all those colors just waiting to party with me!

I don't know about you, but Miss Brandi's color theory posts on Art Bead Scene are some of my very favorite. I look forward to them every month, especially the ones where she shares her take on the artwork that has been selected and shares multiple palettes that can inspire us. It's not as if I don't see those colors in the art, but to understand the relationships they have to each other really makes the art come alive for me.

When I heard that she was compiling a book of all her color theory posts, I knew that I had to be the first to sign up! Just last month, Miss Brandi released her book Understanding Color: Color Theory Made Easy. I signed up for a pre-order and got both the instant download and a copy of the print version.

I got my print copy of the book Understanding Color this past weekend. I LOVE IT! I also have the digital version (which I have on my computer at work so that when things are slow I can have a bit of inspired reading), but there is nothing quite like holding a book in your hands. This one is so soft and silky, the colors are so vibrant and it is laid out so well. Blurb.com does a wonderful job with self-published titles and I am very impressed with this one.

Brandi's stated goal is to "make color theory approachable." She has done just that. Without a degree in art, I have felt stymied by some of the way that color is explained in that world, almost to the point of tuning out. But with Brandi's new book, I know that it finally makes sense to me.

 
My favorite part of this book is the chapter on Color Relationships. Let's face it: the thing that sets our designs apart, or whatever art that we are called to create, is the relationships of the colors that we have chosen to use. I didn't know why I liked the combination of red, yellow-green and blue-green, I just knew that it worked. Now I understand that it is a Split-Complementary color relationship. 

I also like that she goes into depth on Value & Saturation, especially focusing on the role that black, white and the quasi-neutrals like brown and beige play in design. I am fond of saying that black is my favorite color. Now, I know that it is not a color in the true sense of the word, but it is to me. And now I know why. These supporting cast members can really play a pivotal role in a design, or as Brandi puts it, "They add a lot of depth to a song without taking away from the lead singer." I love to sing, so I love that analogy! Descriptions like this are what makes this book very accessible for those not steeped in the science of color.

From how a color is made, to how you see a color, to how you use a color, Miss Brandi's step-by-step workbook really stands out to me as a go-to reference for creatives of any type. So if you are ready to take your art to the next level - it doesn't matter if your chosen medium is jewelry, paintings, interior design or fashion - this book should be on your shelf!

Click the images below to get your copy:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To celebrate the launch of this book, Miss Brandi is hosting a Color Challenge.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is this: grab a color palette, make a piece of art using those colors as inspiration, then enter to win a prize pack.

Once you’ve made your piece, take a photo of it, then fill out this form to submit your entry. Don't delay! You have until 12pm Central Standard Time on Wednesday, July 10th, 2013 to enter. Join me, won't you?

Hop on over to her blog and read all the details. 

And for more color inspiration from contemporary artwork, be sure to check out her new blog that I am crushing about: Oh, The Color.

July Monthly Challenge Color Palette

This month, we've got a gorgeous work from Pablo Picasso to inspire us! The challenge with this painting is that the colors are wildly different depending on the source - this one skews heavily to the blue and green side, compared to other ones I found, but personally, I love it.

The colors this month revolve around emerald greens, dark teals, and pale golden yellows. Add in small touches of aqua blue, dark browns, and khakis to fill out your color palettes and add some interest to your designs.

Out of all the swatches, I'm really drawn to #3, #4, #5, and #6 as a color combination. How about you?

Art Bead Palette :: MayaHoney

Beach Organics by MayaHoney

Aqua blue lampwork lentil bead by MayaHoney

Beach beige lampwork beads by MayaHoney

Beach scene lampwork bead by MayaHoney

In my head, June equals summer break and summer break equals the beach. I'm Hawaiian, so I need very little encouragement to go to the beach; it's pretty much a given. But I live in north Texas, and there's not an ocean nearby.

So, I'm getting my fix through this month's art bead palettes from MayaHoney. Aren't they fun? I somehow stumbled across Katerina's Etsy shop, and I'm glad I did. Her beads (and photography!) are fantastic, and I love the colors oh so much. Definitely give her shop a look-see.

As for me, I have to whimper over last year's vacation photos.

June Monthly Challenge Color Palette

It's time again for our monthly challenge color palette, and this month, I've got two for you.

As I was looking at "Jackknife Village" by Franklin Carmichael, I was struck by just how many colors there were in it.Take a good look and you'll see all sorts of shades of purple, blue, gray, yellow, and browns. So. Many. Colors!

Naturally, I love them all, but it poses a problem when it comes time to make a palette from them. How best do I summarize just a select few to represent an entire painting? Some months, it's easier than others, but this month was tricky for me. I solved the problem by making two color palettes instead of one! You can't have too many palettes, right?

The top one is a good overview of "Jackknife Village", I think. It presents a full range of colors, from very light to very dark, and gives you lots of options when it comes time to pick out supplies for your challenge designs. I'm especially in love with the way the cool blues and warm ochers play off each other, and the touches of dark blue and dark orange you can find hiding in key places.

The bottom palette keeps things nice and airy. With more of a middle range of colors, this one highlights lots of soft, warm grays, with touches of purple, blue, and golden yellow. I love that the tones here are subtle, especially with the grays changing hues within the same area.

So, there you have it! Two palettes to choose from this month - which pulls at you more?

Pantone's 2013 Fall Colors

Pantone released their 2013 Fall Color picks back at the beginning of February, but I've been sitting on this post for a couple months now. Mostly because I really loved the Spring Colors and I wanted to enjoy them for a while. And partly because I didn't want to think about fall yet.

But because creatives work several months in advance, and some of you might already be working on (or planning) fall pieces and shows, let's go ahead and talk about the fall colors.

Very simply put, I love them. Love them. Take a look:

Overall, they've got a cooler tone to them, but a few are still nice and saturated (my favorite kind of color). Compared to Fall 2012, I like these colors better. They're more saturated and closer to colors I personally favor, where Fall 2012 seemed a little dull to me. I'm also loving pretty much every shade, versus last fall, when I didn't immediately react to choices like Honey Gold or Rhapsody. What do you think about this year's picks?

What I'm especially loving are the quasi-neutrals they included: Linden Green, Deep Lichen Green, Turbulence, and Carafe. I had a feeling those four colors will be so beautiful next to any and all of the other fall colors, so I starting playing with those first.

And I think I'm right - those neutrals/quasi-neutrals look fantastic with pretty much anything they're paired with, which is great for color lovers like us since we can match up any other color to one of them and have it look good. Fall is usually when I start reaching for neutrals/quasi-neutrals more, so having more than one option is nice, too.

When I was playing with the swatches, I did have one surprise: I kept reaching for Vivacious a lot. I knew I'd be reaching for Samba and Koi, as those are deeper, richer versions of Poppy Red and Nectarine (which I'm a big fan of), and I love pretty much any blue, so Monaco Blue was a given. But Vivacious caught me off guard.

At first, I didn't think I'd like it much, but the more I look at it, the more I think it's beautiful. And it pairs really well with other colors, especially Deep Lichen Green, Turbulence, and Carafe. Those are my favorites to use with Vivacious because they really let it shine without taking anything away from it.

So while I obviously used Vivacious a lot, I also had fun pairing up the other colors, too (can you tell?). I can't get enough of the blue-gray Turbulence, or the gray-greenish Deep Lichen Green. If I had to pick a favorite neutral, it's a dark gray, so it's fun to have two shades to play around with.

Your turn: what's your favorite Fall 2013 color? Favorite pairing?

Art Bead Palette :: Beadfreaky

4 Handmade Stoneware Rustic Key Beads

7 Handmade Ceramic Buttons

5 Ceramic Link Beads

4 Handmade Ceramic Owl Beads

This month, we're visiting Beadfreaky, a gorgeous stoneware and porcelain bead shop run by artist Chris Hoffer. When I first stumbled across Chris' shop, I was smitten with her color choices. The earth tones she uses are so warm, and perfectly compliments the rustic style of her beads. I especially love the pop of blues, purples, and teals next to the warmer terracotta browns and creams.

I'm showing just a handful here, so stop by Beadfreaky to see the full range of beads Chris has created!

Which palette's your favorite? It's tough, but the last one is really working for me.

Art Bead Palette :: Suburban Girl Studio

Citrus Porcelain Hibiscus Bead Trio

Anchors Away Porcelain Bumpy Bead Set

Stoneware Victorian Daisy Bead Set

Pink Porcelain Orchid Pendant | Sunset Porcelain Double Rose Charms
Light Purple Porcelain Orchid Pendant | Porcelain Pistachio Clover Pendant

When I came across Diana's shop, Suburban Girl Studio, I was absolutely smitten. Inside you'll find lovely stoneware and porcelain beads in pretty designs inspired by nature. And the colors! So soft and gorgeous they'd look fantastic in any design you can whip up.

Which is your favorite?


Visit Diana: Suburban Girl Studio Etsy Shop | Suburban Girl Studio Blog

April 2013 Challenge Palette

This month's challenge artwork is a lovely painting from Claude Monet. I'm partial to Monet's work, as he's the first artist I actually studied in my high school painting class. I love the Impressionist movement for being so radically different from everything that came before, not just in subjects, but in style, too. The carefree dabs of paint, the freedom of capturing a moment versus a specific person or icon - it definitely left an impression on me (bad pun aside).

What I love so much about this particular painting is that it so perfectly mimics spring where I live. Right around now, bluebonnets and wildflowers are blooming on the roadside, and tender leaves are unfurling on the trees. On a nice day, you might see people knee-deep among the flowers, taking photos and enjoying the scenery. So, this painting is very much a scene I see every spring.

As you pull color inspiration for your challenge pieces, I think the most important colors to include would be the lighter, yellower greens and the sky blues. If those shades of oranges aren't your favorite, try more of a peach shade instead. And the light grays are a great neutral to include, because pretty much every color looks good against gray.

What colors do you plan on using this month? What colors say "spring" to you?

Art Bead Palette :: ChelleV2

Spring handmade stoneware beads by ChelleV2

Aqua stoneware ceramic buttons by ChelleV2

Handmade stoneware ceramic beads by ChelleV2

Berry stained stoneware ceramic beads by ChelleV2

Handmade stoneware ceramic beads by ChelleV2

Rustic Hyacinth handmade stoneware ceramic beads by ChelleV2

We're inches away from spring here in the Northern hemisphere, and I for one can't wait. But this in between time is beautiful, too, so I went looking for shops this month that could carry us from one season to the next. And I believe I found it in Chelle V2.

Ohio-based artist Michelle Johnston uses enamels and ceramic glazes in her beads, and I think they are just lovely. With their organic shapes and natural-with-a-twist color schemes, they're beautiful to me. The pop of color here are and there are so fun, don't you think? Which one's your favorite?

To see more, visit Michelle's shop.

March 2013 Challenge Palette

This month's challenge artwork comes from Franz Marc, an Expressionist painter. The abstract forms are so intriguing as a starting point, and I'm especially taken with the meanings Marc associated with particular colors, like yellow for sensuality.

From a color perspective, pretty much every color of the spectrum is represented in Deer in the Forest, offering up a ton of different directions you can go for your challenge pieces. I love them for being a return to the bright colors we see during spring, and for being so bright and saturated. How are you feeling about them this month? Are you excited for a return of the bright colors?

As far as using them, if you tend to shy away from using so many bright colors at once, pick one or two and opt for more subtle secondary colors, like the light grays and whites of the trees or softer browns in the deer. Another way to look at this month's challenge is through proportions (I just talked about color proportions on my blog this week, it's on my mind). The colors I see the most are the greens and yellows and orange-y browns, so you could start there and add in touches of the other shades - bright blues and bright reds, for example - as needed.

What colors do you plan to use this month?

Color Wire Tips

I <3 Colored Wire! 

I'm guessing you already knew that though! Spend any amount of time looking at my work and it's pretty obvious that I love the stuff. It allows me to add extra layers of color to my work and as a color lover, I don't know how I ever got along without it before I found it. 

There are some tricks to using it successfully, though, no matter what brand you choose to use! Here are a few of my tried and true tips:

• Friction and colored wires don't mix. So, use it as part of a wire link but not as the link itself. For example, you could make a coiled cage for a bead with colored wire, but then use another metal to link together the beads with wrapped loops. 
• It's durable but not indestructible. Avoid using it for clasps as the friction when it comes in contact with the catch for the clasp can cause the colored surface to wear away.
• It works GREAT coiled but, I wouldn't use it as a core wire. I like to stick to using it to cover a core wire. For example, I like to make a coil of color, slide it onto a silver core wire, and then bend into shapes. Keep in mind, if using it as part of a bangle, you don't want beads sliding back and forth across the surface of it. 
• It makes fun headpins and dangles and bail wires for your art beads. You can even hammer it! Keep your hammer strikes straight up and down, don't drag the hammer head when you hit the wire and it will flatten nicely. Be careful not to over flatten it though. 
• Yes, you can tumble it!! Like other wires, you might find yourself needing to work harden it. You can tumble it in a rotary tumbler with stainless steel shot and cleaning liquid without damaging the surface. 

Keep these few tips and tricks in mind when adding colored wire to your work and it's sure to work great! Pop over to the Art Bead Scene Facebook page and share your colored wire creations with our followers! And if you are wondering what brand of colored wire I use, it's always Parawire for me. 

Art Bead Palette :: Grey Bird Studio

8 Artisan Ceramic Porcelain Beads

6 Artisan Stoneware Beads

14 Artisan Porcelain Beads

27 Artisan Stoneware Beads

11 Artisan Stoneware Beads Sea Urchin

5 Artisan Beads

When I stumbled on Grey Bird Studio, I was completely enamored with the use of color. This new-to-me shop is fabulous, full of rustic handmade beads and yarns and goodies straight from the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

What catches me most is are the shades that Rey, the artist, chooses. It's all very similar, but the subtle changes and color combinations she works up are just brilliant. Soft grays mixed with dark browns, mustard yellows next to sage greens and purples - it's a lovely, earthy mix! Don't these look like ancient artifacts? My inner classical-civilizations-minor, wanna-be-Indiana-Jones persona is swooning.

I loved what I saw so much I even dipped into her sold items to grab a few favorites. I try to be careful to show only current items with these posts, but I couldn't help myself. To see more from Rey, be sure to click over to Grey Bird Studio!