Character color keys

Pick appropriate color keys to communicate the core emotions of your character and set them in a clear hierarchy that mirrors their temperamental hierarchy.

This same process also applies to environments. It's helpful to cast your environments as if they are characters with there own emotional core and attributes.

Start by choosing an accurate color wheel!

The color wheel you (probably) grew up with is a lie, it does not produce real color harmonies. It's "compliments" are visually unpleasant and garish.

The Musell color wheel/system on the other hand produces true color harmonies:

More on Munsell

YES!

Big color concepts in a nutshell:

 

Examples of color Harmonies. Most color harmonies are based on choosing colors that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel. However in my experience there is no simple formula for really getting color to work well and the following harmony systems are just a starting point.

This "emotional color wheel" is not  perfect, but it's an adequate starting point for exploring the emotional tone inherent in some colors. Take it's advice with a grain of salt.....