Superhero Colour Theory: The Ultimate Guide

SUPERHERO COLOUR THEORY: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE Heroes vs. Villains Although there are always exceptions, the general rule for comic book heroes and villains is pretty simple. Heroes are based on primary colours, and villains on secondary colours: Primary: Red, Blue Secondary: Green, Orange, Violet Green can be an exception Green is a secondary colour, and therefore shouldn't be used for heroes. However, there is often a distinction between natural and unnatural greens: Natural Green This is often used for heroes, and is commonly used for several different character tropes, including the Nature Hero, The Big Guy, The Smart Guy or the Sixth Ranger. The Incredible Hulk is a good example of this, in his human form, he is The Smart Guy, focusing on intellectual pursuits. As The Hulk however, Banner becomes The Big Guy; a one-man army who is effective in physical combat. Evil Green Green is often combined with purple / violet to denote The Villain, but it can also be used on its own to show an evil character or power. An unnatural green is often used when the villain employes toxic materials in his schemes, and a green glow is regularly used for evil power. Good characters may have power that has a green glow, but this will always be a healthy or natural shade of green. Paint it black You would imagine that black is an easy choice for villains, but it's actually applicable to both heroes and the bad guys: Black is often used for card-carrying villains (Venom is a good example), but is also commonly utilised to depict Anti-Heroes, with Batman being the most famous example. Heroes dressed in black often have a dark and troubled past, and are often portrayed as far more 'human' than their invicible superhero counterparts. The classic choices Let's look at some of the most iconic choices for the good guys: Blue Red Blue and Red Red and Yellow The American Hero Wise-Cracking Hero The Ultimate Hero The Kid-Appeal Hero Black Green (natural) Yellow and Black The Dark Hero The Big-Guy Hero The Tough-Guy Hero (or anti-hero) Here are some of the common colours used for villains: Orange Purple Green Silver Black The Crazy Villain The Classic Villain The Toxic Villain The Wealthy Villain Card Carrying Villain Hero Palettes and Villain Palettes Looking to create your own set of heroes and villains? These are two example palettes, with heroes on the left and your classic villains on the right: Sources http://tvtropes.org | http://www.awesome-engine.com/ http://comicsalliance.com | http://www.comic-covers.com http://www.thephantomhead.blogspot.com http://dc.wikia.com | goodcomics.comicbookresources.com http://www.wikipedia.org Cartridge People.com PASSIONATE ABOUT PRINTING