Hey First name / friends!

 

I don't know about you, but I'm obsessed with color. It's one of my favorite parts of the illustration process. It's just so fun to play around and find the perfect colorways for my art.

 

But I didn't always feel like this. It took time (and a lot of trial and error!) to find my groove with color and figure out how I wanted to use it in my work.

 

I know color can feel intimidating, so here are a few things that helped me! 🌈 ✨

 

Become a Color Collector
Start intentionally looking for colors in things that inspire you – photos, fashion, interiors, nature, packaging, anything! Notice the colors in those references and keep swatches of your favorite palettes handy. Over time, you’ll start to see your personal color style emerge. If you ever find yourself sitting down to draw and not knowing what palette to start with, this will make future projects so much easier.

 

 

It’s totally okay to gather color palette ideas from sites like Pinterest or color palette generators like coolors.co! Save what catches your eye and start noticing the hues you’re consistently drawn to.

 

Reusing colors helps your brand look cohesive and makes it easier to build collections that flow together. Here's one of my best-performing signature palettes that I've named “Retro Sunshine” after the original artwork that inspired it:

 

 

Keep your work feeling fresh by mixing in current color trends. Lately, I’ve been loving lilac, neon, and blue together it’s such a fun, modern mix! (This was a trend I spotted and put into my 2025 Trend Report!)

 

Create Color Alts 
Different colors completely change the mood of your artwork and open it up to more buyers. Don’t be afraid to try bold or unexpected combos! (I usually go overboard and create like 10-15 different colorways of my artwork. 😅

 

Want to learn some quick ways to do this? It can be done in just a few clicks! Here are some blog articles I wrote to walk you through the color alt process step-by-step.

As we head into cozy season, I thought it would be fun to do a prompt featuring your favorite warm beverage! Take some time this week to draw an illustration featuring either coffee or tea (or whatever cozy beverage you love!). I personally am a peppermint tea drinker and you can always find a mug on my desk when it's chilly outside!

 

Even if you don't draw the actual motif of coffee or tea, quotes about coffee can do really well in licensing! In fact, I illustrated this quote about coffee (and wine 😜) yeeeeears ago, and it's still getting licensed today. 

 

One of my team members saw it on the shelves at At Home in the U.S. a few weeks ago and snapped a pic when she spotted it.

 

P.S. This tea illustration is a great example of an one that has a totally different vibe with different color palettes! 

 

Here are a few of the submissions from last week's dragonfly challenge! Make sure to check out these artists and give them some love!

 

If you want to be featured in this newsletter and on my Instagram stories, make sure to use the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq on Instagram and tag @catcoq in the actual photo you post so I can find your work! 

Have a fabulous week!