Quick Color Palette Creation—Plus 12 Examples to Get You Inspired

Are you needing to create a color palette for your brand but don’t have the budget for a graphic designer just yet? Are you unsure how to put colors together that actually work? Well, while you save up for that graphic designer who will dive into color theory and target audiences, I’m going to share a tip that can help you produce a beautiful and cohesive palette without hours of headache.

MOTHER NATURE. Yup, turns out she knew what she was doing. You’d be hard-pressed to find a combination of colors in nature that makes your eyes hurt. In fact, your likely response will be quite the opposite. Palettes inspired by nature are incredibly diverse. They can be anything from calming and serene to fresh and energizing.

So how do you get started?

Think about the feelings you want your brand to evoke.
Go hunting for an image that gives you some of those same feelings. Gather a collection if you can’t decide on just one.
Pull 4-7 colors from your selected photo(s) for a well-rounded, nature-inspired palette.

You may want to test out a handful of options before you settle on the one that best resonates with you and your business—and don’t ignore that target audience altogether. Once you’re happy with what you’ve chosen, designate which 2-3 colors you will be using the most (your primary colors), the 2-3 colors you’ll use for accent (your secondary colors), and which colors will serve as your neutrals to keep your brand grounded (your tertiary colors).

Now really, let’s just get to the good stuff—here are a dozen examples to kick things off!