Not good at color matching? No problem! Let your local paint store do that for you!
If you haven’t painted a wall in your house recently, chances are you passed by a local paint store many times without even thinking that it could help you design your next beadwork piece. Just walk in and head towards the colorful display with daylight lamps and color cards with paint names on them. Get the idea?
I’ve been using color cards from paint stores ever since I started beading.
First, I had difficulties finding a particular color of beads, so I started carrying a color card from a paint store with me to help me spot the beads I need. Then, I realized that I can carry a paint shop card matching the beads I have in order to find other elements complementing those particular beads by color.
Later, while writing about better color palettes, I discovered that color cards might be a useful aid to experimenting with color combinations as well as helping you find the right combination for a particular tube of beads. Paint stores can be very helpful with educating you about color, and even about phycology of color!
How to use color cards for beadwork design
- Select the color cards that please your eyes and combine two or three of them in a harmonious way. Then, find the beads of these colors in your collection. Note, that you can choose different surface finish of beads for each color.
- What if you don’t have beads of the colors you selected? Carry a card with you to a local bead shop or bead fair. You will know exactly what you are looking for! Don’t forget to do the color matching under the right light conditions.
How to use color cards for beadwork design - Or take your beads for a walk. Find harmonious color combinations by taking a tube of beads with you to a local paint shop and browsing through the color card section. Put your bead tube against each color card you would choose to see if it is a right combination.
- You can certainly use color cards for other craft projects the same way, especially, if you are trying to match colors of a large object that is hard to carry with you all the time.
The benefit of consistently working with color cards is that you get to exercise your ability to compare color, tones and values and practice harmonious combinations no matter where you are.
For more information on learning about color see also:
Happy beading!
