When I moved into this most current house I discovered that I really, really like color. I wanted to paint the walls all sorts of colors, and did, but it never seemed to look quite right...
Here is a picture of some of my walls changing from green to a deep purple.
I discovered the HGTV show Get Color! and was absolutely hooked. I probably watched every episode for a whole season, and really began to learn about how to choose colors that worked together, and how color affects us.
Now that my house is almost completely painted, including the 20 ft walls in the front room...I have been able to transfer this knowledge into creating my storybook pages quickly and easily.
When I begin, story comes first. How do I want to tell a story on that page? What picture/s go along with that story? I pull out a picture or pictures onto my page, and notice what the dominant color is for my picture/s. Here is where the color comes to play. I ask myself, "Do I want the picture to blend into the page or stand out?" For me it is usually to have the pictures stand out on the page so I will pick a colored background that would be opposite that dominant color on the color wheel.
I'll explain--If I have a picture that the dominant color is red. To help that picture stand out on the page I could pick a back ground color directly across from it on the color wheel, something that is a shade of green perhaps that stays within the same tone. Then to compliment my picture and story with embellishements, I like to choose a color that is next door on the color wheel from either my picture or background. Notice on my rose page that is down below, how the colors are exactly how I am describing. The picture was red, my background was green and the text and embellishments tended to be in the yellows, which is next door to the green on the color wheel.
This is just one example of many ways to combine color combinations.
Other ideas:
You could choose 3-4 colors that are next to each other.
Choose a split complimentary, which means that instead of using the colors directly across from each other instead use your dominant color and the two next door to the one directly across. For example according to the chart, if yellow was dominant, pink and purpley-blue would be the split compliments.
Trust your instincts for what looks good to you, and use the color wheel as a guide. Pay attention to use colors that are the same tone, and remember, there are so many colors that fit into the yellows, or the reds, or the blues. Here is an excellent example of that.
I often search for page backgrounds and embellishments by pieces rather than following any set collection, and my use of color helps me to put it together.
I hope this information has helped as you create your storybook pages. Enjoy the process and use color to your advantage. These stories you are preserving will be treasured forever.
*Note I am describing what works for me in my unofficially educated way, not necessarily the "technical" way. Take this information and experiment and feel free to do a couple web searches on more ways to effectively combine colors. ; )
