Colour Study
The step between sketch and final
A colour study is a colour version of your drawing. It might be tiny, not detailed, not perfect. With collage you can easily replace elements, change backgrounds, make fotos of the different versions and compare. Collage is perfect for colour studies, no matter the medium you choose for your final drawing.
Work in blocks like it is an abstract painting. A figure is a rectangle, just like a basket is a simple rectangle too. Your colour study is not for an exhibition, it is only for you to figure out a balanced colour composition. Have fun and play.
On the miniature canvas you can easier figure out the accents of the composition, like a splash of pink and yellow in a dark blue night scene. If your colour composition is strong and works on the scale of a post stamp, it will work on a bigger scale for sure.
You can change your mind in the process of making the final. Sometimes the background colour is fighting too strong for attention with the key element, so the background colour needs to step back.
You might work on the colour concept for a while. It is ok. Take your time, embrace this step of the process with patience and curiosity and the making of your final collage will be a song.
I am giving one more workshop in December 2025 and two Workshops till Summer 2026 in person in Berlin. I really hope to see you there. It’s my favorite place to be.
You can grab some of my collages as postcards in my shop if you like.
Have a wonderful day.
Juliana
How wonderful, Juliana! I am looking forward to delving deeper in your creativity.
I love this idea! I like the idea of collage and how you could even cut out pieces from different food cartons or packaging. I will try this for sure!