Prompting Questions Page 1 of 1

Colour Inspiration Study

A Guided Reflection about What Inspires You

For those who want to do a little extra, I challenge you to answer these questions that
will get you thinking more deeply about your colour inspiration. These questions are
for you. The more you engage with them, the more you will get out of this exercise!

You can write your answers in your sketchbook to share or keep to yourself; you can
also type them directly in your class Project Page.

1. Describe your collection of images. What are the things they have in common, and
what is quite different, in both style and colour?

2. Is there a dominant colour or set of colours in the collection? If so, which ones? Try
to name the colours or kinds of colours as specifically as possible. Do you think this
says something about the kinds of colours you like yourself?

3. How do you think style or media plays into how colour is used here? Are colours flat
or textured? Are the images made using physical media or are they digital? Can you
relate each image to one of the traditional illustration media types, Drawing, Painting,
Printmaking and Collage? Or are any of them pure vector?

4. You may have chosen some images more for how colour is used rather than the
exact palettes. In which case, you may not like all the colours here. Are you able to
identify any images that show a way of using colour that you like, but which have
specific colours you’re not really a fan of? Can you describe what you like about how
colour is used here? and name the specific colours you’re not a fan of?

5. Using your knowledge of colour theory from this class, do you feel you can better
describe the way colours are used in these images? Can you name specific colour
schemes, like monochromatic, analogous, complementary or triadic?

6. Referring back to the lesson, “Working with limited palettes”, can you identify any
of the techniques we went through at work in your set of images? How do the artists
handle complex scenes vs. more simple illustrations on plain backgrounds? How is
colour used to create a sense of space, hierarchy or order?

7. When you look at these images, which ones feel the most like the style or colours you
want to work in? How do you think they relate to or differ from the images you chose
in your colour self-inventory? Do you think this changes how you will approach colour
moving forward?

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