# Aquarell colour basics: build a five-colour illustration palette Language: en Canonical: [Aquarell colour basics: build a five-colour illustration palette]() 中文：[中文 HTML]() English: [English HTML]() Published: 2026-10-22T00:00:00+08:00 Modified: 2026-10-23T10:34:06+08:00 Author: Bison Give colours roles as background, subject, shadow and accent, then select and save a palette in Aquarell to reduce arbitrary colour changes while drawing. English translation of the [Chinese original](), translated on 2026-10-23. The article body uses automated translation; app descriptions, historical reading notes and video subtitles receive separate editorial checks. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained. **A beginner's illustration can start with five colors instead of continually adding new ones while painting.** Aquarell supports color selection, palette saving, and sampling from the canvas. Here, you first define the colors' roles and then test them together in a drawing, aiming for a reusable color scheme. You can continue with a leaf, flower, or cup theme; no external photo is needed. The color names below describe a direction rather than exact color codes you must enter. Appearance will also vary between viewing conditions. ## 1. Assign a role to each of the five colors First choose a background color, subject color, shadow color, accent color, and highlight color. A plant illustration might use a warm ivory background, a muted green subject, dark blue-green shadows, a little orange accent, and a light highlight close to the background. The goal is not to choose five colors that look attractive individually, but to establish a hierarchy within one picture. The subject color covers the largest area, shadows create volume, and the accent appears only in a few places. You can imagine area proportions of 60%, 25%, 10%, 4%, and 1% as a composition exercise, not values the software must measure precisely. ## 2. Paint color swatches that you can compare Create a 1400 × 1000 pixel canvas and paint five similarly sized swatches along the top. Start with a reasonably consistent brush that gives clear coverage. A very faint textured tip would show a mixture of color and transparent buildup from the outset. Open the color selector, choose the first color, and then choose the other four in turn. If the interface offers numeric color entry, record the actual values you selected. Otherwise, preserve the scheme with swatches and color descriptions. This tutorial does not assume that every version provides a particular advanced color input method. Leave gaps between the swatches first, then paint two touching swatches beside them and check whether they remain distinct. Colors may look clear separately on white yet lose their separation when placed together. This is precisely the kind of problem a palette test should reveal early. ## 3. Check lightness, not just hue Place the subject and shadow colors next to each other. Even if one is yellow-green and the other blue-green, they may merge when viewed small if their lightness is too similar. Darken the shadow moderately or lighten the subject, then check whether the contour is clear. Highlights do not have to be pure white. Cool white may look jarring on a warm background; try a color close to the background but lighter. The accent should not appear in too many places at once, or it loses its ability to guide the eye. Use it in one small area first, confirm the hierarchy, and only then consider adding more. This step does not require a grayscale preview feature. You can squint to assess the overall light and dark areas, or zoom out to check the readability of the contours. These are viewing techniques, not additional claims about app features. ## 4. Save the colors as a reusable palette Open the swatches or palette section of the Color panel and retain these colors using the add, favorite, or save controls available in your version. If naming is supported, use a purpose-based name such as “Five Colors for Plants on a Warm Background” rather than just a date. Palette management may vary between versions. If you cannot find the expected save button, keep the native practice canvas containing the five swatches and sample colors from it as you work. Avoid repeatedly experimenting on other artwork while looking for a feature. Recording what each color is for is more useful for reuse than saving an unexplained string of numbers. ## 5. Test the palette in a small composition In the lower part of the canvas, draw a small composition of a flowerpot and three leaves, using only these five colors. Complete the background and large color areas first, add shadows, and finish with one small accent-colored decoration. If something looks wrong, try changing the area proportions and lightness relationships before adding a sixth color. If two objects merge visually, change the lightness of one, leave a gap, or adjust the layer order. A color problem can actually be a composition or boundary problem; adding a new color is not always necessary. When finished, reduce the small composition to about avatar size and see whether the subject remains recognizable at a glance. ## Final checks and ways to reuse the palette You should be able to explain the purpose of every palette color. If a swatch never appears in the image, remove its role from your notes for now or keep it as an alternative. There is no need to force in a decoration just to use it. Conversely, if many similar colors appear, check whether repeated sampling and painting have gradually drifted away from the original plan. For the next image in the same series, retain the colors' roles without copying every area proportion. If the subject changes from leaves to a cup, the muted green can still be the subject color and orange the accent. The series then feels consistent because of stable rules rather than an identical repeated pattern. ## Questions and limitations ### Why does a saved color look different from the color painted on the canvas? The display, surrounding background, brush opacity, and overlapping colors all affect appearance. Compare solid color patches first, then check brush and layer opacity. This tutorial does not involve color calibration and does not guarantee identical results on different devices or printed materials. ### Do I have to use only five colors? No. Five colors are a way to reduce complexity for beginners. You can expand the palette for richer work, but give each new color a clear purpose so that you do not accumulate many hard-to-distinguish shades serving the same role. ### If the colors clash, should I change the background or the subject first? Start with the size of the area affected by the clash. A large background changes the feel of the whole image, so try a more neutral color on a separate background layer. If only one small decoration is too prominent, adjust that small area first; the effect is easier to judge. ### Can I present an online palette image as my own artwork? Learning from a palette and claiming authorship of an artwork are separate matters. Choose and record colors yourself, use your own practice piece when presenting an example, and credit references. Do not present someone else's entire illustration as the result of this tutorial. ## Sources and applicable version Information checked on October 22, 2026, for Aquarell 1.0.5 (iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or later). See [the official description]() and [Apple release lookup](); the interface may change with the version. ## Keep practising - [Sampling colors from the canvas]() - [Five-petal flower exercise]() - [A consistent icon series]()