Stuff here is based on Figopedia book by JBT, which I highly recommend. You can get it here: https://shop.battlefield-berlin.de/?.

Colour contrasts

  1. Light-dark juxtaposition of dark & light parts

  2. Quantity contrast small focal points painted in using:
    • contrasting colour
    • temperature
    • saturation

  3. Warm-cool juxtaposition of warm & cool colours (risky) OR cool shadows & warm highlights (+vice versa)

  4. Saturation contrast juxtaposition of saturated & desaturated colours. Desaturated should dominate, saturated parts are focal points

  5. Complementary contrast two complementary colours next to each other. Avoid full saturation of both colours.

  6. Desaturated colour tinting desaturated colour next to saturated colour seems to be tinted with it’s complementary colour.

  7. Pure colour juxtaposition of pure colours, most striking with primaries. Very hard to harmonize

Colour harmony rule

  1. choose dominant colour for 2/3 of mini, this will be background colour
  2. choose secondary colour for 1/3 that goes well with 1)
  3. choose focal points colour - very saturated or very contrasting with 1) and 2)

Highlighting & shading using colour wheel

  1. highlights: white + colour above
  2. shades: black + color below

Cheers, Mateusz