Help with colors!!!

[violets2217]

I want to make my chamomile infused soap and after this months challenge, I am attempting to plan more than wing it! I want to attempt a hanger swirl and picked a color palette I liked. But I'm debating on using 2 or 3 accent colors. Please help me decide. It's going to be a tall & skinny soap and the top is going to be textured with some strips of impression mats I forgot I bought and some dried chamomile flowers. I have a vision and this is the color palette I picked:

I'm going with Nurture Soap Love & Sunshine and 1:1 of Yellow & Orange Vibrance. My dilemma is the Gray, I love it and I want it, but I'm in the habit of going too extra and don't know when to stop! Less is more or GO FOR IT?

 

[The_Phoenix]

I don't think anyone, on their death bed, ever said, "I wish I hadn't been so much 'extra'."

I think I'd omit the black, but only because using five colors would mean you'd have, overall, less of each color, which would risk each color becoming muddled and/or buried. But it really depends on the design you have in mind.

 

[dibbles]

What is the whole plan? Is your base the yellow (and is the yellow the mix of 1:1 yellowrange vibrance)? Or is your base white (or the lightest grey in your palette)? One thing I can tell you about the black/darker gray - or any very dark color - is use less than you think you need. It tends to take over in a multi color swirl design when the colors are evenly split. At least this is the case to my eye.

 

[violets2217]

@dibbles Base is natural ( kaolin clay) swirls are definitely the yellow & orange. And maybe the gray at a lower percentage? 70% base, 12% Yellow 12% Orange 6% Gray.

 

[dibbles]

That sounds like a good plan to me. I do like a lot of the base color in comparison to the swirls though. I think you could even use less base (60%) and have a nice result, depending on what your vision for the soap is. I'm better with a visual when splitting than trying to figure out percentages.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Designing with the T&S is so much different than a standard size bar. With the latter you have more width to work with, the former, length. So I use less base color with the T&S than I do with a stained loaf mold.

Hope that helps.

 

[dibbles]

@The_Phoenix makes a good point. I mostly use my T&S molds these days. Rule of thumb for me is, I'd rather err on the side of too little color than too much. That is just my personal preference for my soaps, though and it all depends on what I am hoping the end result to be.

 

[violets2217]

I’m going to think on the percentages. I want color but not too much… I’m picturing whisps of swirls… and I’ve never done a hanger swirl! So we’ll see! @Tara_H I’m using my tall & skinny slab mold, so I’ll have plenty of room to work, sorta. I’ll mark my loafs and try my best to pour my swirls within each loaf. These are going to be part of my Christmas gift baskets this year, I think! Thanks for your help!!!

 

[violets2217]

Well, I made the soap today. My percentages kinda went out the window, but not really. It was a very big batch and I forgot how hard it is to pour at the beginning from such a big container! So my colors we poured from the dollar tree pitcher/bowls and I fill the yellow and orange pitchers and only poured half into the gray. Also, I think I poured too thin and the yellow mixed with the gray and looks a bit green. Did two or three layers with the white base batter. So swirls should be everywhere. And the hanger swirl is a little more difficult than I imagined. I didn’t know when to stop! LOL!
And definitely went a lot EXTRA with the impression Matt strips and flowers & swirly things on top. Fingers crossed it looks ok with the cut tomorrow.

 

[Cat&Oak]

Well, I made the soap today. My percentages kinda went out the window, but not really. It was a very big batch and I forgot how hard it is to pour at the beginning from such a big container! So my colors we poured from the dollar tree pitcher/bowls and I fill the yellow and orange pitchers and only poured half into the gray. Also, I think I poured too thin and the yellow mixed with the gray and looks a bit green. Did two or three layers with the white base batter. So swirls should be everywhere. And the hanger swirl is a little more difficult than I imagined. I didn’t know when to stop! LOL!
And definitely went a lot EXTRA with the impression Matt strips and flowers & swirly things on top. Fingers crossed it looks ok with the cut tomorrow.
View attachment 60486

So beautiful!!!!

 

[violets2217]

I finally got to cut it today after work and I think I’m in love. I need to pay attention to my pours of the accent colors next time. One side of the slab mold has more pretty swirls than the other. But over all I’m happy with how it turned out. Thanks for the words of wisdom!

 

[Sudzy]

Gorgeous! Well done!!

 

[AliOop]

I finally got to cut it today after work and I think I’m in love. I need to pay attention to my pours of the accent colors next time. One side of the slab mold has more pretty swirls than the other. But over all I’m happy with how it turned out. Thanks for the words of wisdom!

Oh my, just lovely!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Beautiful! Well done! I only just saw this thread now, but i would have said use a 'stronger' shade of yellow as i always find mine washes out and blends with the base tone too much.

 

[CpnDouchette]

These are stunning!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Where do threads hide? I’m also just seeing the thread this morning.

Your soap looks great. Whatever you did for the pour, color proportions and swirling worked super well.