How I pick a color scheme

Many times, when I create patterns or new drawings, I already have a color scheme in mind. Many times I draw and draw and draw and NO IDEA which colors I’m going to use. Like every single normal person, I need some daily inspiration to keep going. And honestly I think it’s not better source of inspiration than internet! I have to constraint myself to don’t spent hours looking for pictures, reading inspirational blogs, playing on Flickr, etc… And still I haven’t play with Pinterest, because I’m afraid is going to be a new dangerous addiction ;)

Yesterday I was creating a flower pattern and I knew I wanted to use orange (and that is normal, because I use orange all the time!) but I needed a little bit more of inspiration for the whole scheme. And here I will tell you the simple technique I use to apply my “internet searches inspiration” into my drawings ;)

1.- I try to identify my mood. I want something super colorful or something neutral? I’m feeling Morocco style or more like a desert mood?
2.- Go online and try to find a picture inspiration in no more of 1 hour. Because if I stay online longer, I know I will never going to finish what I suppose to do!
3.- Save the lovely picture and remember where you found in case you will use it in you blog and you need to credit the picture.
4.- In Illustrator, I create a little color chart using the predominant colors in the picture.
5.- Use those colors into the drawing.

And here you can see the product of my search and final pattern.

Inspiration + the color chart I created:

Final pattern:

… and regarding the point #3.. well.. I forgot to write down where I found the picture! Ops! Sorry :S

Hope you are having a great Thursday!