Tried a dark background for my art showcase and it changed everything

I spent months posting my digital paintings on white backgrounds like everyone else, but they always looked washed out. Last week I switched to a simple dark gray background (like #333 gray) and suddenly my colors popped way more. The contrast really made the details stand out without me having to edit anything. Has anyone else found a specific background color that works for their style?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliviat1726d ago

My buddy who does illustration tried that warm cream thing mark mentioned and it totally backfired on him haha. He spent like 3 days trying different off whites and creams but his stuff kept looking muddy no matter what. Then he accidentally left his canvas on a deep maroon background, like a dark wine color, and suddenly his line art just jumped off the screen. Now he swears by it and says white backgrounds are for people who hate their own work. I think it really depends on your color palette more than anything, some people just need that one weird shade that clicks.

mark36126d ago

My wife is a watercolor artist and she had the same problem until she tried a warm cream background, something like #F5F0E1. It really brought out the softness in her work without making it look harsh like pure white does. For my own photography I use a very dark blue, almost black, because it makes the highlights in my landscape shots stand out without that fake HDR look. It’s funny how such a simple change can save you so much time in editing. I’d say just play around with a few shades until something clicks for your style.