[Tips & Advices] City Pop Style Color Scheme

City pop style illustrations are characterized by their stylish and cool impression.
In this article, we will introduce some color schemes that are typical of city pop style illustrations.
We have collected colors that are often used in these illustrations.
Here are some of the colors and the motifs that fit one another.

①【Low Saturation】lightness and saturation

Here we have color schemes in which the overall color saturation is low, and the colors are composed of the same level of lightness and saturation.
For example, use pale blue for the sky, green for palm trees, and pink and yellow for people and objects.
The overall color scheme should be pale, creating a calm, stylish, and cute impression.

 

②【High Saturation】lightness and saturation

Next we have color schemes in which the overall color is highly saturated and composed of the same level of lightness and saturation.
It is the same here as well,  blue for the sky, green for palm trees, and red and yellow for people, buildings, cars, etc.
The color scheme here is very colorful and gives a cool, poppy impression.

It is also a good idea to include white or black as little additions

 

③ Gradation

Here is a gradation of bright blue and light blue.
I think it is best used for the sky.
White is of course for the clouds.

 

④ Aqua + Blue

Here we have a combination of light blue and blue with high luminosity.
These are not just great for painting the sky but the ocean too.

 

⑤ Blue + Purple + Black

Finally we have a color scheme that sets the nighttime mood.
You can paint people, buildings, and palm trees (purple or black) against the night sky (blue or purple).

If you draw an illustration based on the color scheme in ⑤, it will look like this.

In this article, I have introduced color schemes that approach city pop style illustrations.
But I believe there are many other color schemes that can be used to make city pop illustrations more stylish.
We hope you will try out many different color schemes.
We hope that the color schemes and colors we have introduced here will be useful to you.