[idiot]

How do you keep track of the colors in your images? I've heard it's best to avoid using the eye dropper. So how do keep a handle on them, I mean, like when you start working on a different section then want to come back? Do you keep a palette image open with the colors?

And how do you mix them? With the smudge tool? I know, there's different methods for everyone, but I was just curious how others do it. Thanks for any advice/tips.

[Ian Jones]

A lot of ppl make an extra layer and use it as a pallete to save key colours.

[limefire]

[quote="idiot"]How do you keep track of the colors in your images? I've heard it's best to avoid using the eye dropper.

I'm relatively new to digital art and the learning curve has it's moments. So this may be a typical newbie question (and I apologize if it seems quite basic but thus far in all my reading of forums and tuts I have not encountered anything related to this)...

Why is it best to avoid using the eyedropper tool?

When I'm working on an illustration and want to use a color in the art that may be a blend of some of the colors previously used, I use the eyedropper to extract the color, add it to my palette and continue on my merry way.

[AndyT]

I think when people say the eyedropper is evil they refer to using it when you copy from a photo ...
and pick the colors there instead of choosing them yourself.
You learn a lot more about colors if you don't pick them from the photo.
And most of the time if people just pick the colors (without thinking) it shows in the result.

Picking colors from your painting is good! IMHO!

Maybe take a look at the tutorials by fredflickstone

http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=31438
http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=31503
http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?p=304170
http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?p=304171

The parts where he makes palettes for his paintings ...
_________________
http://www.conceptworld.org

[idiot]

Thanks for the replies. AndyT, I think you are right. By going back and re-reading the posts that I had read about the eyedropper, it seems that it is only considered bad in the situations you mentioned. Which is good, because I was lost without it. Thanks for the links as well!

[bjotto]

I'm talking to myself here, but you're welcome to listen :
working without the eyedropper could be an intresting way of practising though, having to choose what colour you really want might give a nice result, I should test that sometime

[Duracel]

A lot of people(so i do) use a thumbnailview of the image next to the paint-area, to keep an eye on the whole. Its the same if you screw your eyes up to filter minor details ... but this isnt as pleasant for the eyes.

The eyedroppertool is critical, because you avoid using your brain to choose a color. So you just use instead of understanding. You have to know whats going on in your picture to work in an effective way.
_________________
Lars G�tze

www.duracel.de Gallery

Detailling a speedpainting is nothing but speedpainting in detail.

[limefire]

Thanks for the clarification. I would be lost without the eyedropper tool as well.

I have on occasion selected color(s) from a reference photo but I always edit the color to make a good 'clean' middle tone. Since most of what I illustrate makes its way to reproduction, I know that while a color may look good on a monitor, I'll check the cmyk mix in the dialog box and will change the settings to make the color 'cleaner'. I find that inks in a reproduction method may end up accentuating a barely noticable cast of color and the printed piece may end up, for example, looking too yellow or too blue, etc. Sometimes you can decrease even 20-40% of one of the cmyk amounts and not change the color on the monitor all that much, but the difference in reproduction can be significant.

From this 'clean' middle tone I build my palette of 4-6 values for that particular color ranging from highlights to shadows with cmyk settings from the dialog box.