Lesson Two: Modifying Template with Colors

I chose this complementary red/green color scheme because I really love pink and green together. I wanted to see what I could do to get away from the brilliant cool shades of these color families that I usually gravitate towards and create a warmer, more inviting space.

As I worked on modifying my template, I did go through and play around with the tints and shades. The color scheme generator has changed since the tutorial was written, so there was some trial and error to figure things out, and that was good. Discovery is important.

I added contrast to my layout by using the darker color (originally red, now mauve?), as the header color, to make the header stand out. I used a bright white background to make everything pop on the page, adding another level of contrast.

For repetition, I took variants of the green and applied them to the text of the post as well as using them for the background of the page and for visited links in the sidebar. I also took the dark mauve from the header and repeated it for the date, post heading, titles in the sidebar, and the unvisited links. Lastly, I made the title text white to tie it in to the post and sidebar backgrounds.

Overall, it was an interesting experiment to go from the color scheme generator directly to a page template. I’ve scrapbooked for years, and have been using color wheels for a long time for my layouts, but I always make something pop using a color outside of the design. I guess I won’t do that anymore, as I really like how unified this blog template is now.

Here are my color scheme examples. Some are blank templates, while others are actual blogs that I found.

Monotone Color Scheme Example
This blog template uses various shades of aqua and white. It is very cool and evoke quiet, calm feelings.
Analogous Color Scheme Example
This blog template uses orange, red, browns, making it warm. It has a strong visual impact.
Complementary Color Scheme Example
The use of blues and oranges in this template is high energy and fun, with a tropical feel.
Saturated Color Scheme Example
Vibrant reds, whites, blacks make this blog very stark and brilliant. It wasn't a page I'd want to stay on for too long, it was almost overdone.
Unsaturated Color Scheme Example
Cool, easy colors. This is a blog where you can "sit and rest a bit" which is exactly the effect that the author wants.
Triad Color Scheme Example
This blog uses browns, blues, and oranges to convey a comfy used look.