Colour and light

Organising several colour references by priority

Several colour references need a hierarchy.

Abstract navy flowing texture with gold-coloured streaks — Design visualization — a reference for this discussion, not a completed project or a rendering of the proposed brief.

By RivyaLivingArt · 2 minute read

The question behind the worksheet

Several colour references need a hierarchy. Otherwise the reader may assume every colour is equally important or that all must appear in one piece.

Work through the observation

Arrange references into primary direction, supporting relationship and optional idea. Give each a short reason. Remove examples that repeat the same point without adding information. Keep incompatible alternatives on separate pages so they are not read as one palette.

A worked example to compare

A dark blue room reference and a pale floral reference may represent two different directions. Labelling them as alternatives prevents an accidental combined brief.

Questions to put in your notes

Use these prompts to produce a short record you can revisit. Date the sheet, identify the reference you used and leave unknowns explicitly unanswered. Keep site facts, personal preferences and requests for confirmation separate.

Which reference leads?
Which supports it?
Which is an alternative rather than an addition?

What this exercise cannot establish

Priorities do not guarantee availability or exact matching. The proposed palette still requires discussion and approval.

Choose the next question

Keep the resulting note with your current brief. Before sending it, check that it explains one decision clearly and does not turn a preference into an agreed detail. Use the current linked page for the relevant website guidance, and bring any piece-specific uncertainty to the atelier.

Read the related guidance ↗

Begin your piece Return to the journal