Exercise: Less is more

I first looked at domestic items and selected the letter “S” for Sewing machine, Shoe, Scissors, Sofa and Shirt.

I then reflected on the tools I should use to create the illustrations. I opted for Illustrator as it means I could have full control of the selected colours.

I drew the five items in my sketchbook:

and played with colours. I selected a few potential colour palettes made of three colours. I liked the idea of using one colour for the mid tone, a warmer one for the highlights and a cooler one for the shadows (first and fourth option). On the other hand, a combination offering more contrast can also be interesting (third option).

In the end, I selected the first palette.

I then created an alternative with the third one.

I like the harmony of the first option but I also like the contrast in the second one. In fact, I did not know how I could use only three colours and have enough choice to show all the intricacies of the shapes, especially for the shoe and the sewing machine but I was quite pleased with the outcome.

I then created palettes with only two colours.

In the end, I decided to use the palette offering more contrast.

I also tried yellow and black on a white background as an experiment.

I prefer the first option. I am not so keen on yellow and black. A dark blue might have been more interesting than black.

What I learned from this exercise

I often tend to overcomplicate my drawings by using a lot of colours and shades and the outcome can be disappointing. I start with a palette and then keep adding colours because I feel that this will help to add contrast. This exercise has shown me that I don’t always need to use so many colours and shades and that it might be a good idea to try to simplify my palettes at times. It does not necessarily mean using such a limited colour scheme as the examples above, although in some cases, it creates some very interesting outcomes as this exercise has demonstrated.

Having limited options regarding the colours I could use has encouraged me to think of the shadows and highlights. In retrospect, I wonder what would have happened if I had started with two colours and added the highlights afterwards. I might have positioned them differently.

Areas to explore further

When I create a colour palette, I will try not to overcomplicate and take a step back when I start adding colours, thus moving away from the initial palette.

I will also explore the idea of creating illustrations with a limited colour scheme as the outcome can be very harmonious, while offering a lot of contrast.