I actually do this quite a bit, and end up saving those photos with hopes that I may use them in the future for a new project moodboard.
Whether you're an interior designer, graphic designer, blogger, or even just a person who is re-decorating the kitchen, this simple Photoshop trick will be great for you. Take colors from your favorite photos and use them elsewhere. I'll show you how!
First things first, choose a photo with some great color you could see yourself using for your project. I'm always doing this for logo and branding mood boards, so I'm thinking of an entire brand and what colors represent them.
Open your photo up in Photoshop and click on the "Eyedropper" tool. (For a shortcut, click the letter "I" on your keyboard) Once you have this tool, scroll over the part of your photo with the color you want to grab. In this case, I'm in love with her mustard yellow dress, so that's the first color I'm getting.
After I click, the color shows up in my color palette on the bottom of my toolbar.
Now I'm going to create a shape with that color. I'm going to use the circle for my swatches, but you can use whatever shape you like! (Shortcut - click "U" to go directly to the shape tool, and "Shift U" to change shapes!)
Click and drag to create your shape (hold shift for a perfect square or circle) and there you have your swatch! Repeat the same process with different colors and soon you'll have some wonderful colors ready to be used for your project.
This simple process can come in handy for so many different things. Here is an example of how I use this technique, at the beginning of a branding project while creating moodboards. It helps set the tone for the project and maps out the direction I'm headed!
Have fun! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
Happy Wednesday friends!
Photo from JCrew Fall 2012 Collection
