Which colour beads

So, the position of your bead then affects its colour. And remember, when we are talking about bead colours, the finish also plays a part. Silver-lined beads or shiny beads will always pop out of a colour scheme because they catch the light so intensely. Matte or opaque beads tend to blend into the background. So, you can use a large patch of matte beads with a few hints of shiny beads and the shiny will still pop out at you even though there are so few of them.

Well, you can study colour theory so you get to grips with the idea of balance. You can learn how light plays on colours and on bead finishes. But, however much experience or knowledge you have, I guarantee you will still get surprises. The prospect of discovering something new and exciting. Now, grab your needle and thread. Use your favourite beading stitch and make a little tiny strip using your bead colours.

Try mixing the colours up so that each individual colour sits next to each of the others. You can try stitching the same number of rows in each colour. Then try stitching more in one colour and less in the others. From this tiny sample, you will be able to tell immediately how your colours play together.

So, you can see which colours drown each other out. Notice if any of the colours clash. This will let you determine which colour is dominant you can afford to use less of it as it will still pop out. See which colour fades into the background against the others. Yes, you guessed it, here is your ideal background colour. At the end of the experiment, you can either undo your beads, or keep the little strip as a reference for another project. Just make sure you make a note of which bead colours you used!

And, if you want more ways to find a colour scheme that works, check out this online class. It will teach you everything you need to know. March 27, May 24, February 15, Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address. The next problem — and the really interesting bit — came when I had designed the circular components at the front of the necklace. I designed first one and tried it. It was just what I wanted, but I really wanted a series of three of these, not just one. The Quadra Tiles were fine — plenty of those. But I only had enough Twin Hole beads to make two and a bit circles.

Well, luckily I had enough beads in the second shade to create one circle. So this forced my hand. A design with two circles in identical colours on the outside and a slightly different colour in the central circle. I actually rather liked this idea, so I went ahead and made the necklace. The colour change in the central circle had a bigger impact than I had imagined.

Not only is it obvious that the Twin holes are a different shade, but they actually give the beads around them a different feel as well.

The more pinky hue to the Twin holes seems to bring out a different quality in the Dome bead. So, I think the whole circle has a warmer quality than its neighbours.

This draws the eye to the centre of the circle where the warmth lies. If you look at the outer circles, then you find your eye being drawn more to the outside edges where the purple pearls are the most vibrant colour.

Then, it feels like the more blue-ish, more transparent Twin holes fade into the background a little. There are complex colour theories to explain this. It has to do with the way in which the eye is attracted by intensity of hue, and the way in which the light passes through the more transparent beads. In contrast, light reflects off the more opaque beads. All of this is great to know if you have the time to study it, but pretty impossible to really calculate as you plan a design.

In addition to that, it can be very difficult to predict how bead colours are going to change when they are sat next to other beads. It is also worth bearing in mind that in a tube, you will be seeing the full intensity of a bead colour. Once you see the bead out of the tube and on its own, that intensity can change a lot. I happen to love my new necklace and I have enjoyed wearing it with my dress, but I can honestly say I had no idea about how the colours were going to play together when I started the design.

So if my little tale about bead colour combinations leaves you as confused as when you started out, you might like to also look at this blog that talks about colour finishes on beads. I also have an online class that will teach you everything you need to know….

Whether you are playing it safe and using just one colour, or taking a risk and trying a bold, complementary colour scheme, remember to create some balance. Choose one as a dominant colour and one as a highlight. If you choose the brightest colour as your dominant colour, then you will end up with a bold design that is just toned down by the more subdued colour.

You can liven up a dull colour by using highlights of a bright colour to add interest. It is so difficult to predict how the beads are going to behave with one another until you try them, so make a few little colour samples and see what happens to the beads. Do they end up fading into the background, or standing out more than you expected? We all get stuck in a colour rut. We either see a design in colours that work, buy the pattern, make it up and then continue using those colours in other projects.

Or we stumble upon bead colour combinations we like. This could be a combination that has been suggested by something else — perhaps an outfit or something in nature. However, you came by it, you feel safe sticking with it. Well, try mixing in something different. If you get to know the colour theory basics , you can feel confident knowing that there are certain schemes that will work.

So keep to some of the colours that you know. But mix them with a new tube of beads and see what happens. You will make mistakes along the way. But this will just help you to make more informed decisions. The more you experiment, the more confident you will feel in choosing those bead colour combinations… And after all, every bead finds its place eventually. July 25, April 29, February 20, Thanks again Katie!

I always enjoy reading your posts that remind me to take the time to think a bit about a project before diving into the beadwork! Thank you Jeanne! I am thrilled Katie.